Review of Star Wars (1977) by Tom R — 08 Dec 2015

While it was once considered a pioneer of the sci-fi genre, the original Star Wars has not dated well. Slow at times and filled with inconsistent acting performances, it's hard to imagine how this movie has been so universally praised.

At least in the 2004 DVD copy I watched, the sound editing is a mess, with voices going from crystal clear to muffled within the same scene. Recent CGI edits to the movie add nothing and often stand out horribly from the original sets. However, some of the dodgier classic special effects have remained, which makes you wonder why Lucasfilm felt the need to make any changes at all. Sometimes it is harder to deduce whether you're looking at a miniature or a CGI model, which in itself takes away some of the magic.

However, the movie does still have some great and tense moments, particularly those on the Death Star, while there are some great character moments on Tatooine.

It's not quite the movie it once was, but definitely still worth a watch.