Review: A Full Afternoon of Star Wars at Brooklyn's Revamped Kings Theatre

DITMAS PARK, BROOKLYN — It's been a dark time for fans of the original Star Wars trilogy: The classic films have not been aired on the big screen in a wide release in nearly 20 years.

However, a small band of heroes from Alamo Drafthouse, striking from a hidden base in Austin, Texas, won their first major victory against the oppressive sands of time this summer with a nationwide run of their Star Wars Marathon — featuring back-to-back-to-back screenings of A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The seven-and-a-half hour marathon (including stretch breaks between films) is being screened in 11 cities between Aug. 6 and Aug. 27 — including the borough of Brooklyn.

That's right: Two Sundays ago, on the border of Flatbush and Ditmas Park, the three original Star Wars films lit up the silver screen at Kings Theatre on Flatbush Avenue.

The recently renovated and reopened theater boasts stunning vaulted ceilings, elegant light fixtures and gorgeous wall-to-wall carpeting that has restored its status as the hottest theatrical venue in Brooklyn. It's also equipped with a crisp, vibrant projector, comfortable seating and a booming sound system — among other technological improvements. The films could have hardly ever looked or sounded better.

Our local version of the Star Wars Marathon started with a few quick announcements from the organizers regarding a brand-new Alamo Drafthouse opening soon in Brooklyn and a costume contest, which was won by a 9-year-old Stormtrooper.

Then the lights went down, and the Twentieth Century Fox fanfare reminded the audience of a time then we were all, indeed, winning 9-year-old Stormtroopers.

Unfortunately for many in the ranks, however, Alamo Drafthouse neglected to specify which versions of the movies we’d spend the afternoon watching.

Initial reports of the marathon referred to the 1997 Special Editions as the main event. Originally re-released in the first three months of 1997 and months later sold on VHS, these versions are now considered rare in the era of Blu-ray and digital downloads. What ended up playing in Kings Theatre this past Sunday were the much-more-tinkered-with and widely-available 2011 Blu-ray versions. A disappointment? Sure. A deal-breaker? Nope.

A wise Jedi Master once said, “Size matters not.” However, I feel confident he would have amended that lesson had the subject arisen of big screen vs. small screen. It's a fact: Star Wars belongs on the big.

Similar marathons are planned in Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, Oakland and Dallas on Aug. 20 and Aug. 27. Tickets are available on the Alamo Drafthouse website, but surely won’t be for long. May the force be with you.