Star Wars
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones (voice), Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Peter Cushing
Directed by: George Lucas
Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
1977
Times Seen:
Tim: 5
Summary: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is caught up in a rebel war against the evil Darth Vader (voice of James Earl Jones) and teams up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) to save the beautiful Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher).
Review:
Tim: George Lucas crafted one of the greatest movies of all time in Star Wars. The importance of this film in the annals of movie history cannot be overstated. This is a classic science fiction film which changed the landscape of movies for all time.
Star Wars is an amazing film. It is still the hold standard for sci-fi action movies. It featured revolutionary special effects, and tells a timeless tale. It is exciting, action-packed, and memorable.
Mark Hamill is outstanding as Luke Skywalker. He is one of so many iconic figures in this movie. Harrison Ford steals almost every scene as the gruff Han Solo. Carrie Fisher adds in a very good performance as Leia. Perhaps the most outstanding performance is by Alec Guinness as the wise and mysterious Ob-Wan Kenobi.
The film features one of the all-time greatest villains in Darth Vader. He is, without a doubt, one of the top ten villains to ever grace the silver screen. Everything about the character is chilling and unforgettable.
Star Wars is an iconic, class, landmark film that should be seen by every person who claims they love movies. This is the outstanding movie that started it all.
*Update- I'm fortunate to have lived long enough to begin watching some of the classic movies I loved in my own childhood with my own kids. My son is 7.5 years old and I felt like it was time to finally show him the original Star Wars. It was an absolute delight to see him watch this movie. It's been many years since I last saw it and I was surprised to find it didn't feel dated or old to me at all. I thoroughly enjoyed every step of the journey, which just reinforces how iconic and enduring George Lucas' film was. My son had been somewhat exposed to Star Wars through cultural osmosis, so he generally knew who Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader were. He didn't know the details, though, so it was a blast to see him finally understand. He was so excited (and proud) to be able to watch this movie. We had a great time watching it together.
I was so impressed with the visuals throughout the film. It doesn't have the gloss and computer slickness of later films. It feels lived in, real. The practical sets will do that. The music is absolutely brilliant- John Williams is the unsung (somewhat) hero of this film. The sound as a whole is absolutely perfect- the music, the sounds of the blasters, the lightsabers, Vader's breathing, it all just works to perfection.
I was also struck by how straightforward the story was. It introduces the main characters, establishes the villain, and sets the stage for the final battle against the Death Star (which my son loved). There was power in the simplicity of the story, while allowing for depth to be explored in the sequels.
No surprise, Star Wars is (and will always be) one of the all-time great films. It's funny to watch this as the franchise has expanded into television with The Mandolorian and the other Disney+ shows. So much came from this one film. It'll always have a special place in my heart. It's an all-time classic.
Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5
If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith