Sometimes we have to look to the lighter side of things. As the world remains so serious around us, it is fun to come across a really well done parody like the one that was done recently by Sequential Pictures. Enter Star Wars Episode III, A Lost Hope.

Those of you old enough to remember the old Star Wars parody Hardware Wars most likely have those cheesy special effects and the terrible acting that went into it burned deep into your brain. Since then, there was Space Balls with Mel Brooks and a variety of other short Internet parodies that have come down the pike.

Moving on though, ‘A Lost Hope’ presents us with one interpretation of how the new trailer for the upcoming episode III should have come about and what some Star Wars fans perceive as a wasted effort as George Lucas makes the attempt to bring the Star Wars saga to a close. This parody seems to truly drive this feeling home.

The creator of this great parody has a real ability to bring home the look that we have come to expect from Star Wars movies without that ‘home movie look’ that so many low budget flicks end up with. My favorite part is where the Emperor and Vader are working on a name for what will come to be known as the Death Star aka ‘The giant hurt ball’. I have to tell ya, that scene honestly had me in stitches! And if that was not enough, look closely at Darth Vader’s chest. He has a multi-lined phone in place of the control panel seen in the real movies. Subtle, but well placed to be sure!

I think what impressed me most about this short film was the attention to detail. Take the paper plans for the Death Star for instance. At the top of the page, it clearly states “From the office of the Emperor’. This is a great poke at those silly stationeries that used to be so popular just a few years back. I love how they take real world issues and tie them into this mini-movie too. Like Kenobi’s drinking problem for instance. It is just priceless!

With the combination of body language, timing, great writing and even better storyboarding, this parody has it all. Now, I have actually seen most of work done by Sequential Pictures. But this film had a ‘chemistry’ to it that I have not seen in their other work. I am definitely going to be getting myself onto their mailing list and am also looking forward to their next parody. If I had their ability and the time to do so, I might look at making fun of those ridiculous ITT Tech commercials that pollute my TV set with their silly re-enactments of ’success’ merely by attending their school. It would not only be fun to do, but I think most people that have seen these commercials would agree with my portrayal of this silly bit of acting for an otherwise good school. Then again, this is just a passing thought.

Let’s get digital!