"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" Film Review

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" Film Review

Rating: 5/5

By: Nathaniel Simpson

    In 1977, moviegoers went to the theaters to see a movie they have never experienced before - "Star Wars". The movie, which follows a young farmer boy and an old man attempting to rescue a Princess aboard a giant space station, was perhaps one of the most unique and exciting film experiences ever seen in 1977. The film still holds up very well today, and spawned one of the biggest and most important franchises in film history. 

    This film introduces some of the most famous characters in movie history. These include Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and one of the most famous villains of all time, Darth Vader (voice by James Earl Jones). The characters are so well written and make you fall in love with each and every one of them so easily. 

    This film serves as the inspiration for the entire sci-fi genre. The graphics are absolutely amazing for when the film was made, and are still great even today. It really immerses you into the world of "Star Wars", and keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire runtime. 

    Writer and director George Lucas tells this story in such a narrative that it's easy to follow and fun at the same time. He could have made the movie into a complex space drama, but he decides to have fun with it and tries to show off this huge world he made for his characters. 

    I personally love the cantina scene where we meet Han Solo for the first time. The music is classic and one of the most memorable songs in the whole franchise. We then meet Solo who is very suave and cool; he's what we imagine when we think of a space smuggler. He has that right amount of confidence that makes him hard to not like. We then also see the infamous battle between him and Greedo, which prompted the online question of whether Han shot first or not. It's obvious you have a great film if younger generations are still talking about this movie decades after. 

    This film ends on an optimistic note, with the heroes being rewarded for overcoming the Empire and the evil Darth Vader. The movie then spawned two more direct spinoffs, and then a whole franchise of films because of the success of this original trilogy. This franchise is perhaps one of the most well-known franchises in cinema history, and I don't think it's going anywhere anytime soon.