US release: 20th June 1980
Canada release: 21st May 1980
Ireland release: 27th June 1980
£21 Million $292.8 Million
$538.4 MillionStar 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?
With cinemas in the US having a hard time with a mixture of closures and re-openings in different states not to mention the lack of big new releases its good to see a new number 1 movie and one starring a big name.
Robert De Niro stars in the kids movie The War With Grandpa which quite easily tops the US box office this weekend pushing Tenet down to the runner up spot.
With no big blockbuster movies hitting cinemas until Christmas there is a chance we could see a lot of yo-yo'ing on the box office iver the coming weeks, and a ot of smaller independent movies doing better than expected.
Here is this weeks US box office Quickview.
Here is the US box office top 5 breakdown 9th - 11th October 2020
Director Tim Hill's new movie gets released during a period when there is very little in the way of competition and coupled with its high profile star Robert De Niro the movie takes over at the top with a weekend gross of $3.6 Million.
The movie is squarely aimed at children and time will tell if it has enough for a long run at the top and with Tenet a continuous threat to reclaim the top and a new Liam Neeson action movie out this weekend it could be a short spell.
Christopher Nolans mind bending movie falls from the top after 5 weeks with a weekend gross of $2.1 Million this weekend, 22% down from last weekend.
This gives the movie a 6 week total gross of $48.3 Million and is by a wide margin the top movie of recent months despite the fact it is being seen as a flop, but during the current time of closures what is a decent gross.
The 27 year old Halloween favourite drop to number 3 this weekend with $1.1 Million, the movie has now taken $42.6 Million since its release in 1993.
This weekends gross is 40% down from last weeeknd.
The mutant movie from Disney starring Maisie Williams falls to number 3 this weekend with $685K, 34% down from last weekend, taking its gross to $21.9 Million after 7 weeks of release.
Falling to number 5 this weekend is the Russell Crowe starring movie which takes $660K this weekend, 22% down from last weekend, for a very nice $19.3 Million over 9 weeks of release.
As cinema doors remain closed and those which do open are have very limit capacity the need for a big hit is groweing ever more evident as Tenet remains at the top of the US box office for a 4th weekend.
There was a major shift in release dates last week with many Marvel film moving to 2021 and it looks like the next big hit will be the Bond movie No Time To Die in mid November, unless that moves as well!
With little to excite consumers here is the mini breakdown of the US box office.
Here is the top 5 breakdown weekend 25th - 27th September 2020.
Christopher Nolan's movie that should have saved cinema after the COVID-19 shutdown spends a 4th weekend at the top with its latest gross of $3.4 Million, 28% down from last weekend.
The movie has now taken a quite reasonable $41.2 Million and should go over $50 quite easily, and if it can keep going into December maybe even $60 Million.
Still doing well in the current climate is ill fated Disney mutant movie which remains at number 2 this weekend with $1.1 Million, down 37% from last weekend.
A five week run has given the movie $19.4 Million in total grosses in the US.
South Korean pop sensation BTS bring their concert movie to the big screen this week and is the top new movie at 3 with $1 Million.
The movie is has the longest run on the box office this week and takes $1 Million on its 7th weekend of release.
The low budget movie has now taken $17 Million in the US and could potentially take $20 Million before it run ends.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary the original Star Wars sequel gets a re-release on the big screen and lands at 5 with $908K, it has grossed $292.1 Million in the US since its 1980 release.
With Britain on the verge of having a major re-opening of cinemas with the release of Christopher Nolans Tenet last weeks top film Unhinged remains at the top.
There is still no sign of any movies grossing anywhere near the million pound mark in a single weekend but the country is not that far away now from the first major cinema event in nearly 6 months.
Here is the top 5 movies in the UK 7th - 9th August 2020.
Russell Crowe stars in director Derrick Borte movie about a driver who goes a bit off the rails when bumped in his car by an innocent driver, the movie take a little less than on its debut last week with a £115.1K gross over the weekend.
This takes the movies total to £440.8K over its 2 weeks of release.
Disney's Onward is still in the number 2 position and has been the one staple on the box office before and after the pandemic closures.
This weekend the movie takes £46.5K which pushes the movies total gross after 9 weeks on the box office to £5.8 Million.
Alexs Stadermann's animated tale of a family of werewolves stays put at number 3 this week with £42.5K over the weekend and £128.5K over its 2 weeks of release.
Highest new movie of the week is the latest comedy/drama starring Seth Rogen who has a duel role in the film when a man meets his relative thats been pickled for 100 years.
The movie takes £27.7K over the week and makes its debut at number 4.
The 40 year old Star Wars sequel falls to number 5 this week with a weekend gross of £27.6K, it has spent a total of 44 weeks on the chart since its 1980 release and has taken £22.9 Million.
For fun the movie has sold since release in the region of 11 million cinema tickets in the UK and adjusted for inflation if release today would have made about £80.2 Million.
As the UK box office starts to show signs of recovering fro the 3 month closure the Russel Crowe starrring Unhinged is the top new film at number 1.
It was a busy weekend for the box office as alongside the 'catalogue' re-releases there were 5 new released and the ususal spattering of older hang over movies.
Here is a break down of the top 5 movies in the UK 31st July - 2nd August 2020.
Russel Crowe stars in this dramatic thriller about a man who terrorises a woman after a seemingly innocent altercation, the movie takes £175.2K on its debut weekend.
Pixars latest animated movie drops to number 2 this week after 8 weeks on the box office with £58.9K which gives the film a total UK gross of £5.6 Million.
A new animated tale from Australia about a young boy from a werewolf family who wants to become a most fearsome creature ever.
The Alexs Stadermann directed movie takes £33.1K on its debut weekend.
Still holding its head high on its 40th anniversary re-release the Star Wars sequel takes £31.1K this weekend pushing its total to £22.9 Million in the UK.
Finally in the top 5 is this horror film directed by Keith Thomas which makes its debut on the UK box office with £30.3K.