Review of Star Wars (1977) by Dillon J — 23 Dec 2017

A New Hope is the textbook definition of a cinematic classic. Thanks to the ever-enduring legacy of Star Wars, it's more relevant than ever.

The film's iconic opening of a Star Destroyer chasing a rebel blockade runner is ingrained in the minds of an innumerable amount of people. It really gets the movie going. From there, it slows down a little too much in my opinion with a large focus on the droids R2 and C-3PO but it does pick up again.

The chemistry between Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is really prevalent here. George Lucas said he picked out actors that seemed like they could play old friends and it definitely shows. Alec Guinness also turns in a great performance by Obi-Wan Kenobi but I think the villains Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) and Tarkin (Peter Cushing) are the standout roles. There's a reason Vader is considered one of the greatest movie villains. He has such a presence on screen.

A New Hope does a great job of making you feel like you're in another world, from the Mos Eisley Cantina scene to the power of the Death Star. I still think that many of the saga's best moments can be found in this film (the destruction of Alderaan and the Battle of Yavin come to mind). The second and third acts of the film are definitely the high points.

While I think that George Lucas improved after his first Star Wars outing, A New Hope is still a timeless film that will likely remain a favorite of both kids and adults forever.