Review of Star Wars (1977) by Charlie P — 12 Nov 2015

What else needs to said about the film tthat changed cinema forever? After a string of bleak,pessmistc new wave films thoughout the late 60's and early 70's, Star Wars (or A New Hope) was a a breath of fresh air that told audiences the reason why movies wre made in the first place...to entertain.

After failing to aquire the rights for a film adaptation fo the Flash Gordon comic strip , young filmaker George Lucas instead took elements from Akria Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress, fairy tales and and the sci-fi elements from the Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers seriels of the 30's right down from the opening credits to the design of the worlds and starships.

Lucas also relied on a cast of mostly unknowns aaprt from Sir Alec Geniuess and Hammer Horror actor Peter Cushing which although they didn't think much of the film themselves due to it's unusall updeat nature for the time, it turned all of them into household names.

Industrail Light and Magic broke new ground with the miniture work of the ships, the matte paintings and the creature design from the small Jawas, to the hairy lion-dog-yeti Wookie Chewbacca, to the most infamous movie villian ever created, Darth Vader, the latter in particlar being the most succesfull mosty due to being voiced by James Earl Jones, one of the most badass actors around.

The best aspect of theis film, however is that score by John Williams. From the opeing titile s to the celebartionary fanfare at the end, he turned tthe fiilm from a simple sci-fi fairytale into and experience.

As for some of the changes that were included starting from 1997, although I don't really care about the CGI Jabba scene and expansions to Mos Eisely.

And the improved explosion effects of the desturction of Aldrerann and The Death Star, I will admit that Greedo shooting before Han diminishes his character a bit, allthough the most recent version has then both shotting at once.

Winning seven oscars, launching a new wave of fantasy films throughout the 80's, launchiing public interest in adventure/family films and being an overall legendary story which has inspired filmakers such as James Cameron, Peter Jackson and Robert Zemichias, Star Wars is one of the most defiing chapters of filmaking and changed the world forever.