Review of Star Wars (1977) by Johnathon W — 20 Nov 2017

Ground breaking sci-fi film that is not only the perfect blockbuster but just a brilliant film in general. The cast are all excellent in their respective roles, with Hamill bringing the right level of boyish charm as Luke Skywalker & Fischer set the prototype for action heroines with Princess Leia.

The late, great Alec Guinness also brings must needed gravitas as Obi-Won Kenobi The standout, of the humans at least, is Harrison Ford as Han Solo, who is perfect as the scoundrel with the hidden heart of gold.

He shows great chemistry with the rest of the cast, particularly Fischer (Solo & Leia's banter never gets old). However, the performances that have really endured are the non-human ones in Anthony Daniels as C3PO & Kenny Baker (with great sound effects) as R2D2.

Both make their droids instantly fun & relatable, despite being physically restricted, and give the film much of its humor. Also, it's notable how weak Darth Vader is in the first film, who while scary is really just a henchmen to Grand Moff Tarkin (nicely played by the late, great Peter Cushing).

Behind the camera, George Lucas wisely jumps right into the action without trying to explain the science of this world. He counts on the audience intelligence to keep up, which works, while also using classic archetypes to make the story relatable (brilliantly using Joseph Campbell's "Hero with 1000 Faces" work on mythology).

The tale is a fresh mix of classic myths, from the boy hero to the older scoundrel, while giving it a new, fun setting. Lucas also made one of the first 'dirty' sci-fi, showing a futuristic world with common problems, from badly tuned engines to filthy rooms.

The result is a world, despite it's fantastic setting, that is instantly relatable. Even the break through visual effects hold up, thanks to the obvious care made and many were actual props before CGI became prevalent.

Simple put, just one of the best films ever made that never gets old.