(Harmy’s Despecialized Edition)

I want to say that the first time my grandpa ever showed me the original Star Wars, that it was the unaltered version DVD, but I can’t remember for sure. So this may or may not be my first time watching the very original release of this movie. Anyways, this isn’t a review for the Despecialized Edition, I just wanted to note that beforehand. This review will solely be focused on the film itself.

It still amazes me that George Lucas was able to come up with a fantasy world as vast and complex as the world of Star Wars. I mean you could cover any kind of story with any kind of genre and it would work. I know most people call it science fiction, but I really do believe Star Wars leans more on the fantasy side. It takes place in an alternate, unrealistic universe, it has a magic system, it’s epic in nature, and it’s full of tons and tons of different creatures and monsters. Science fiction is more based in our reality.

But anyways, onto the actual film itself. The immediate word that comes to mind when I think of the original Star Wars, or Episode IV - A New Hope as it is now called, even for as basic and generic as it is, is fun. It’s a timeless movie that makes you feel good and inspired, and pretty much everything about it still holds up. It’s two hours but absolutely flies by, even though the first act on paper should be slow and it’s not.

From the opening shot (not just the credits), the movie is just a whole different kind of adventure. I couldn’t be more jealous of the people who got to see it in theaters for the very first time in 1977, seeing spaceships, planets, aliens, and magical weapons that actually looked believable. Sure, the lightsaber and lighting effects may be a little bit dated, but all the other visual effects still hold up perfectly for one reason and one reason only - they were done practically and by a team of incredibly talented and devoted artists.

The movie isn’t just entertaining for its visuals though. The story is all sorts of interesting because of the way it introduces us to new characters, planets, and all sorts of things. It surprisingly takes plenty of twists and too, even if they may be seen as a little predictable in today’s landscape.

The main cast of characters are all compelling even though we know almost nothing about their past before when this movie takes place. Obviously I know the prequels exist now and they’re great in my opinion, but back then all people knew about these characters was what was presented in this film. They’re all completely different from one another too, it’s kind of crazy.

Luke Skywalker is a character who just wants to do more with his life, and be a part of something bigger. Lucas perfectly portrays this by showing his courage and determination to learn the force and fight the Empire - it’s as simple as that. Sure, he’s a little bit obnoxious and whiny at times, but that’s part of his character arc. I don’t usually like to praise movies based on other movies, but seeing where he ends up by the end of the trilogy makes his character here even better.

Princess Leia goes against any other stereotypical female character that had really ever existed beforehand. Sure, she is still a “damsel in distress,” but she doesn’t rely on other men for protection or support. She stands her ground, has an attitude, and is still just as brave as any of the other leads. It’s kind of crazy that Ellen Ripley, a character that also went against these same stereotypes, was introduced in the film, Alien, only two years later.

Han Solo is a smuggler who at first wants nothing more than to be a free man. He doesn’t care about the greater good, morality, or any sort of that matter. He’s only in it for the money, and yes I just directly referenced a line in the movie. Chewbacca’s also a fun side companion, even if he’s really just there for the fun of it. He definitely gets better in the further installments. I won’t comment much on Kenobi to avoid spoilers.

Can’t forget to mention Darth Vader either. Vader’s obviously one of, if not the most popular and well known villain of all-time. I love how they introduce him because by the end of this first movie in the trilogy, you really don’t know much about him other than that he has a very mysterious past. By the time the movie ends, you almost immediately want to watch the sequel just to learn more about him. Even though Tarkin is above him, he establishes authority and adds tension to every scene he is in because of how intimidating he is. David Prowse and James Earl Jones did a great job together putting him onto the screen. Grand Moff Tarkin is also pretty great too. Peter Cushing’s no doubt perfect in this role and even though he really doesn’t get a bunch of screen time, you can see why others look up to him because of the way he portrays his high intellect.

Even aside from nostalgia, I will never not love this movie.