Star Wars, 1977
We all know about Star Wars - the global marketing phenomenon that started out with this low budget space opera from 1977. Responsible for launching George Lucas as a successful film-maker (his previous works THX1138 and American Graffiti while critically acclaimed were not commercially successful) as well as introducing Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo and Chewbacca to a legion of unsuspecting children who had never seen anything quite like it.
The plot when it comes right down to it isn't the most cutting edge. Indeed it rarely rises above B-movie level and relies heavily on plotlines from other movies. However Lucas somehow created a movie that became greater than the sum of its parts. While aficionados of the genre will swear that the sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, is the superior movie (and they'd be right), there's a certain charm in the original movie.
Harrison Ford is a standout in his breakthrough role as Han Solo, privateer with a heart of gold. Mark Hamill is constantly annoying as only a 17 year old teenager can - and Alec Guiness was an amalgam of every single mentor in every single coming of age movie of all time. The combination is magic on screen, complemented nicely by the villainous Darth Vader and the pretty Princess Leia.
The other movies in the series are much more complex and deal with more complicated themes, but the original is still fun for a wild two hour ride and imagining you're 7 years old and the fate of the Rebellion hinges on you 'Using the Force'. A modern classic.
8/10
- Umes
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