Quick Rating:  ***

 
A short (15 minute) film parody of Star Wars, made shortly after Lucas's film was released.  Filled with hilarious jokes and bizarre special effects.  You'll die laughing at Fluke Starbucker, who whines like Luke and gasps like Opie ...  "Jeepers!"  "Golly Willickers!".  And who could forget Ham Salad and Chuchilla, the Wookie Monster!  They fly their iron through space, avoiding flying toast and giant waffle makers.  And there's 4-Q-2 and Artie Decco, who look like tin man and a vacuum.  Great stuff.  A ground breaking fan film.
 
The special edition came out in 1997, at the same time Lucas attempted to better his films with CGI special effects thrown into the 20 year old Star Wars films.  It ended up taking away from the originals.  And Hardware Wars suffers in a similiar way.  The added effects spoil the cheese factor, which was really funny.  The original effects were hilarious.... you see a flying toaster, and then toast shoots out of it towards an iron, as they are both flying through space, and you see the strings holding them up.  Now, those scenes are accompanied by obvious CG sequences of flying corkscrews and walking desk lamps.  Still funny, but a little distracting, and it changes the tone slightly.
 
But I'm nitpicking.  This is still one cheesy film, and it's 15 minutes of goofy parody goodness.  Recommended for anyone who's seen Star Wars.  (Which at this point is probably everyone).
 
 
 

Quality: 3.0  Visuals: 3.5  Intensity: 5.0  Laughability: 8.0
OVERALL RATING: 4.9