James Earl Jones Dies at 93 - How to Stream ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Field of Dreams,’ and More Classics
James Earl Jones Dies at 93 - How to Stream ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Field of Dreams,’ and More Classics
He had perhaps the most famous voice in movie history despite growing up with a stutter. James Earl Jones breathed life into the evil Darth Vader and the regal Mufasa. On screen, he brought power and gravity to important characters in thrillers and family films. If you want to remember this cinematic giant, we pulled together his greatest performances now available to stream.
The Best of James Earl Jones
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Star Wars
May 25, 1977Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.
Although Darth Vader appears in some other installments of this sci-fi saga, we recommend the original trilogy. Jones’ work in “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” and “Return of the Jedi” grows more nuanced and effective as the saga proceeds. All the Star Wars films are available now on Disney+.
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The Lion King
June 24, 1994Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
As the regal Mufasa, Jones provides the guiding light for his son, Simba. Jones reprised his role in the inferior computer-animated remake in 2019.
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Coming to America
June 29, 1988An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess… and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.
Jones flexes his comedy chops in this Eddie Murphy classic.
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Field of Dreams
April 21, 1989Ray Kinsella is an Iowa farmer who hears a mysterious voice telling him to turn his cornfield into a baseball diamond. He does, but the voice’s directions don’t stop — even after the spirits of deceased ballplayers turn up to play.
“People will come, Ray.” Jones’ turn as the reclusive author Terence Mann is beloved among baseball fans.
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The Sandlot
April 7, 1993During a summer of friendship and adventure, one boy becomes a part of the gang, nine boys become a team and their leader becomes a legend by confronting the terrifying mystery beyond the right field wall.
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Conan the Barbarian
April 2, 1982A horde of rampaging warriors massacre the parents of young Conan and enslave the young child for years on The Wheel of Pain. As the sole survivor of the childhood massacre, Conan is released from slavery and taught the ancient arts of fighting. Transforming himself into a killing machine, Conan travels into the wilderness to seek vengeance on Thulsa Doom, the man responsible for killing his family. In the wilderness, Conan takes up with the thieves Valeria and Subotai. The group comes upon King Osric, who wants the trio of warriors to help rescue his daughter who has joined Doom in the hills.
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The Hunt for Red October
March 2, 1990A new technologically-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Ramius. The American government thinks Ramius is planning to attack. Lone CIA analyst Jack Ryan has a different idea: he thinks Ramius is planning to defect, but he has only a few hours to find him and prove it - because the entire Russian naval and air commands are trying to find Ramius, too. The hunt is on!
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Patriot Games
June 4, 1992When CIA Analyst Jack Ryan interferes with an IRA assassination, a renegade faction targets Jack and his family as revenge.
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Sneakers
September 9, 1992When shadowy U.S. intelligence agents blackmail a reformed computer hacker and his eccentric team of security experts into stealing a code-breaking ‘black box’ from a Soviet-funded genius, they uncover a bigger conspiracy. Now, he and his ‘sneakers’ must save themselves and the world economy by retrieving the box from their blackmailers.
You’ve got to wait for Jones’ appearance, but it’s pretty great once he arrives.
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The Great White Hope
October 11, 1970A black champion boxer and his white female companion struggle to survive while the white boxing establishment looks for ways to knock him down.
Jones grabbed Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his role in this boxing classic.
