Star Wars (Original)
Episode IV: A New Hope Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return Of The Jedi
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope -
Overview
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Brief Review
The film that started it all, A New Hope is a fantastic ride from start to finish featuring some truly ingenious set and creature design unlike anything in cinema before it. Star Wars takes the current trends of its time and turns it upside down with this space-opera laced with action, romance and good old fashioned fun. However, the sugar-coated ending ruins what is to be a trilogy and in the scheme of things looks rushed and out of place.
Full Review
Star Wars: A New Hope is one of those revolutionary films that come along once in a while that make you sit up and go "wow.". It's hard to believe that Star Wars was first released 22 years ago and it can still hold its own against some of the films of today. The special effects on display here are way ahead of its time and the spin on the classic fantasy story warping it into sci-fi is both ingenious and well disguised.
The story starts in the middle of a rebel alliance against the evil empire as they capture plans for the deadly weapon 'The Death Star' that has the power to wipe out an entire planet. The action continues as the two droids carrying the information crash land on the planet Tatooine and are sold as slaves to farmers. Here is where the story really starts, following the story of Luke Skywalker as he dreams of becoming more than just a farmer and gets whipped up right in the middle of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Empire.
There are subtle hints throughout the film referencing the Clone Wars and touching lightly on what has come before it meaning if you watch the Prequel Trilogy first and then watch this film, its refreshing to know that it hasn't all just been forgotten about. Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, is fantastic here and has just the right amount of enthusiasm and child-like tendencies to really connect with audiences. Considering he was an unknown before this film, he slips into the role effortlessly and delivers his lines well. The only gripe I had with his character is the lack of emotion shown after his Aunt and Uncle are killed.
Alec Guiness does a fantastic job playing Obi-Wan Kenobi and although his character is only here for half the film. he plays the wise old man perfectly with just the right amount of warmth and mystery to leave an aura of wonder about his character. This really sucks people in and his character is definately one of the stand-outs in this film. His lines are delivered well and his inner-conflict when he talks about Luke's father Anakin is right on the money and delivered to perfection.
The rest of the characters including Han Solo, Darth Vader and Princess Leia are all equally as good but for me the stand-out actors were definately Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker that play their characters perfectly and also steal the show whenever they're on screen-especially together.
Aside from the story, its hard to believe that special effects were unheard of 22 years ago and some of the effects on display here are breathtaking and way ahead of its time. The opening shot with the escaping rebel ship and the giant mass of the imperial ship is impressive and shocking. Right from this moment, the audience is hooked. The rest of the special effects are just as impressive with the 'Death Star' scenes excellent and the lightsaber battle halfway through the film just as good.
The sound and music is also worth a mention and John Williams is bang on the money here. His soundtrack is one of the best from any film out there and his themes are still used in all 5 other Star Wars films. This is where the magic began and each theme is melodic, memorable and well performed. The 'Imperial March' and 'Main Theme' songs are by far the best of the bunch and the sound effects are out of this world.
Overall, A New Hope is a revolutionary film that needs to be watched. 22 years
have passed since this film was released but even now it can hold its own
against some of the films released today. The story is excellent
(minus the rushed ending that ruins it slightly), special effects are
amazing and the sound and music design is some of the best from any film out
there. This is a classic film that needs to be watched, breaking down
barriers of mediocrity from cinemas at the time and delivering a fresh slice
of sci-fi fun. An instant classic.