Review of Star Wars (1977) by Jt F — 20 Feb 2016

Especially after mustering the patience necessary to trudge through the prequels, that moment you realize you're watching the original "Star Wars" is both nostalgic and euphoric. It's difficult to believe that George Lucas created this, as the directing appears spot-on and the story fun but emotionally involving.

Hamill really loses himself in the role of Luke Skywalker, as his energy and youthful appearance perfectly underlines Luke's sense of adventure and determination. Ford nails the stone-cold bad boy persona, giving audiences a Han Solo who's stubbornly arrogant but ultimately good-hearted, plucky and loyal. Alec Guinness delivers one of the defining performances of his career in his relatively brief stint as Obi-Wan Kenobi, lending the wise old Jedi knight an air of sincerity and enlightenment. Carrie Fisher portrays Leia convincingly and quite satisfyingly, and Darth Vader proves an impressive, intimidating foil for our heroes.

There's simply so much to love about "A New Hope." It weaves friendship, loss, redemption, adventure, and good and evil into one visually dazzling, pulpy, intellectually satisfying package. What a masterpiece, and an achievement for the ages.