US release: 19th May 1999
Canada release: 19th May 1999
United States release: 19th May 1999
£56.4 Million $474.5 Million
$1 BillionStar Wars fans around the world have their opinion of what is the best lighsaber battle in the Star Wars movie franchise, so on this Star Wars day at 25thframe.co.uk we though we would give our opinion of what we think is the best battle seen on screen in the ever growing list of movies.
There had been a Star Wars drought for a number of years (10 years) and with the buyout of Lucasfilms still fresh in everyones minds as well as the (at the time) badly received prequel trilogy the fan base wanted a good Star Wars movie.
JJ Abrahams was put in charge of directing the film, a life long fan of the series, and he delivered in spades, bringing arguably the best Star Wars film to date.
We instantly took to the new characters of the Rebel Alliances Rey and the First Orders Kylo Ren, and with Rey's force powers hinted at throughout, the dual between the two was inevitable, and at the end of the film Abrahams delivered, set within a forest of the Star Killer Base while the planet explodes around them.
We knew Yoda was a Jedi Master and that he had fought in the Clone Wars that started at the end of the second part of prequel trilogy, and George Lucas knew he had to deliver.
As Yoda walks into the hanger where Count Dooku was trying to board his ship you simply knew what was about to happen, and as he pulls across his robes to reveal a small lightsaber this was the moment, he force pulls his weapon to his hand and turns it on.
The battle doesn't last long, but seeing the small green Jedi Master who usually finds it hard to walk bouncing around the walls during the fight is a joy.
The original movie introduces us to the legendary weapon, something not really seen on the big screen before but throught the stories Ben Kenobi tells Luke during the movie we know that the weapon is elegant and the Jedi are lethal with it.
We also believe at this time that Darth Vader is the arch enemy of Ben Kenobi, and by the end of the movie there has to be a metting of the two, and while trying to escape the Death Star the two come face to face.
Despite the technological abilities in special effects at the time this thrilled fans of a generation and when the inevitable happens at the end we are shocked at the loss of our new hero.
This battle comes as no surprise, we have seen Luke go through the training, and go off to rescue his friends, and we get the foreshadowing fof things to come on Dagobah.
When Luke goes into the carbon freeze chamber and the two enemies ignight their sabers in low light we get the almighty battle between the two enemies.
The style and technology used in this film is so much greater than that of the original Star Wars that it feels fresh and thrilling, and at the end of the battle we get one of cinemas greatest reveals, so good to this day it is celebrated as THE movie twist of all times.
The movie gets a lot of criticism, but over the last 20 years time has been kind and in the grander scheme of the saga the fan base is looking at this film more favourably, and it has the best lighsaber battle of all time.
It had been 16 years since we'd had any proper Star Wars to enjoy and despite the film not getting the critical reaction Lucas wanted the Dual Of Fates was spectacular.
The highlight is at the start of the battle as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan face the Sith Lord Darth Maul, as the John Williams music 'Duel Of Fates' starts to get more intense Maul ignites a single blade on his lightsaber, then the money shot happens and another blade appears from the other side, every Star Wars Fan looked on in amazement as the incredible battle unfolds between the 3 warriors.
The only real shame is that, inevitably, Darth Maul dies at the end of the movie, although in quiet spectacular style, but with little screen time fans wanted more, although as seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story they have brought him back and who knows if he'll appear in another movie or not?
This week marks a bit of a mile stone in film global grosses, Despicable Me 3 goes over $1 billion, the first of the series to do so, this means now the top 30 top global grossing movies have all grossed over $1 Billion.
The first movie to do so was Titanic back in 1998 and was the only film to do so for a long time, that film had another bite of the cherry in 2012 and its gross is now over $2 billion.
The next film to do it was The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King in 2003, since then we have had at least one film a year do the fate.
The oldest film to go over $1 Billion is Jurassic Park from 1993, but again that had another go in 2011 which pushed it over the mark, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace similarly did the same.
To date only 3 film have gone to $2 Billion, Avatar (the top grossing movie of all time), Titanic and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The next milestone will be the top 50 all over a billion, which at the current rate will be some time in 2020/21, and then of course we look forward to the next Star Wars film going over the $2 Billion mark!.
Although its had a slower start than Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens last year, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is still doing really across the globe.
Now in its third week of release, and with a slow Christmas period to contend with, the star Wars film took $95.1 million from 56 countries over the new year period which brings its total global gross to an excellent $774.9 million.
The film is on track to hit the magic $1 billion which will be the third Star Wars film to do so (although it took Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace a number of re-releases) and the 12th Disney movie to do so.
Another note of interest, the total gross of Rogue One now means that the Star Wars films and the most successful series of films ever, beating the James Bond series.
There are no new releases on the global front this week, blame Christmas, but there should be a wealth of them next week and things get back to normal.
The UK movie goer this week kept Lucy starring Scarlett Johansson in the top position with a number of weaker new releases in the market.
The Luc Besson directed film took just under £2 million during it's second weekend of release and now sits with a total gross of £8 million.
Highest new entry of the week is the buddy cop comedy Lets Be Cops starring Damon Wayans Jr., as you'd expect from a film of this kind it's a slap stick comedy.
Lets Be Cops takes £1.6 million for the weekend, but I suspect it may sink and disappear from the box office quickly.
Other new films to hit the box office this week are - Sin City A Dame To Kill For at 4 (with previews grosses) - If I Stay at 6 - the new Daniel Radcliffe so maybe a little disappointing - As Above so Below at 8 - Million Dollar Arm at 15
A year ago this week One Direction This is Us took the top slot on it's debut weekend of release pushing Elysium to 2.
Five years ago The Final Destination took the top of the box office on it's first weekend taking over from Inglourious Basterds.
Ten years ago Dodgeball entered the chart at the top and knocked The Village down to 2 after it's single week at the top.
Fifteen years ago Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was toppled from the top of the box office by South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut on it's debut.
At the UK box office this week Luc Besson's directed Lucy about a woman using 100% of her brain takes over at the top.
Starring Scarlett Johansson Lucy tops the box office on it's debut week of release with a weekend gross of £3.07 million.
Compared to Luc Bessons previous films this is by far the best opening he has had, Arthur and the Invisibles is his highest grossing British release which took just over a million on it's release in 2007.
Scarlett Johansson is part of the Marvel Avengers universe so has seen some astronomical releases over the past few years and so it's a little unfair to compare!
Falling into second place is last weeks top film The Inbetweeners 2 which has now grossed £27.6 million after 3 weeks of release.
There is a few other new entries this week which are - Into the Storm at 4 Deliver Us From Evil at 5 - What if at 6
Doctor Who: Deep Breath at 8, from a single day special showing on Saturday - Two Days, One Night at 14
Last year Matt Damon was starring in Elysium which entered at the top of the box office knocking Kick-Ass 2 right down to 7.
Five years ago Inglourious Basterds was the new top film in the UK knocking The Time Travers Wife down to the runner up spot.
Ten years ago M. Night Shyamalan released The Village which hit the top spot on it's debut with The Bourne Supremacy falling a single place to number 2.
Fifteen years ago Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace reclaimed the top spot knocking Austin Powers The Spy Who Shagged me to number 2, highest new film was Micky Blue Eys at 3.