Originally written December 9, 2015

Being from a younger generation than those that saw the original Star Wars movies when they first came out and grew up with them, I have a different perspective of the Star Wars universe because I actually grew up with the prequels. Yes, as a child I had actually seen the prequels before I ever saw the original trilogy, and so I remember the first time I saw A New Hope I went into it with a very odd perspective. Being about a pre-teen at the time, I was accustomed to the wild action scenes from the prequels, and thinking that that’s what made them “good movies.” So, when I watched A New Hope for the first time, I actually found it to be extremely boring because it didn’t have the wild action scenes that the prequels did. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten into movies a lot more, and so I eventually gained a greater appreciation for different aspects that make a film “good.” While I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t see what was so special about the original trilogy back when I was younger, I now understand what makes Star Wars so great in the first place.

While A New Hope is chronologically the fourth film in the Star Wars series, it was the first to be released, and so it obviously wasn’t referred to as Episode IV back then like it is now. Back then it was simply called Star Wars, which is what I’ll refer to it as for the rest of the review. If on your Star Wars watch-throughs of the entire series you like to watch the series in chronological order like I do though, the story of Star Wars picks up about 20 years or so after the end of Episode III. Darth Vader, a man that is believed to be the last of an ancient religion known as the Jedi, is part of the Empire that is ruling the entire galaxy with a giant weapon called the Death Star, capable of destroying entire planets. However, a rebellion has started against the Empire, and so the Rebels have managed to steal some valuable information against the Death Star and are preparing an attack.

We are taken along the journey of Star Wars through the eyes of Luke Skywalker, a young man that is working for his uncle on a desert planet as a moisture farmer. Luke has always felt he was destined for something more though, and has been anxious to get off his planet and join the fight against the Empire. His life changes one day when his family buys two new droids, and while cleaning the one droid, Luke finds a message hidden inside from a princess named Leia. Princess Leia is requesting help from a man named Obi-Wan Kenobi. Luke runs into a local named Ben Kenobi and discovers that he is actually Obi-Wan, and that Obi-Wan is part of the Jedi that have been extinct for years. Luke learns that his father was also a Jedi, and so he goes with Obi-Wan to learn the ways of the Force (an energy field created by all living things that Jedi tap into as the source of their power). Along with the help of a cocky pilot named Han Solo, they go on a journey to rescue Princess Leia and destroy the Death Star.

It’s a story that’s both simple and complex, and I commend it for that. I think if I could pick one thing that makes Star Wars so special (and upon my most recent viewing, what I discovered to be the core thing that the original trilogy has which the prequels lacked) is the sense of wonder that it instills in you. In Luke, we can find a character that many of us are able to relate to, as he feels stuck in his current situation but wants something more for himself. There’s a moment near the beginning of the movie that I’ll always remember. At sunset, Luke is simply standing by himself, staring at the two suns, with a beautiful orchestral tune playing. The sense of longing and wonder of what might be out there for him gives me chills every time I watch it. If a child were to watch this for the first time, he’d feel this incredible sense of wonder, but even as an adult it’s hard to not feel it when you watch this movie.

Upon further analysis, I think that I’m pretty sure if there’s any one thing that’s made Star Wars the classic that it is, it’s that sense of wonder. This may sound blasphemous to say, but there’s been plenty of other movies that have had better sci-fi plots and greater action sequences than those found in Star Wars. However, while I wasn’t alive when the movie came out, it’s very easy to see why it was so profound when it first came out. Star Wars came out at a time when there wasn’t hardly anything like it out there (Star Trek probably being the biggest exception), and it’s easy to take that for granted with the plethora of options we have now.

Yes, unfortunately Star Wars falls into that trap that so many other “classics” do where what makes it so great is how influential it was for its time. I feel it’s something that you need to have a deep appreciation for film to truly understand. It’s so easy to watch this movie and take for granted the sheer scale that it had for the time it came out since it was nearly 40 years ago now. The environments are beautiful, the weapons are nothing short of fantastic (the lightsaber is probably the greatest weapon in movie history), and the creatures are wildly imaginative. I find it insane how much work had to be put into this movie. Even some random creature walking around in the background had to take a ton of time to make. I honestly can’t understate how impressive this movie was with the universe it managed to create.

However, you may notice I’ve had to use the phrase “for its time” in some areas, and while no one wants to be the guy to admit this about classics, sometimes they simply just don’t age well in certain parts. I don’t mean this in terms of effects, as the movie’s effects actually managed to age better than the CGI effects in the prequels. There’s just certain points in the movie where I’ll be watching a scene, such as an action scene, and realize how far we’ve come in filmmaking since then. For example, there’s a lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader at one point, and while the scene is epic in terms of tension and build-up, the fight choreography is actually pretty laughable compared to other things we’ve seen. I don’t want to undermine how influential Star Wars was, and admittedly more stuff does hold up pretty well than you would think (the fight against the Death Star at the end is amazing), but sometimes “influential” unfortunately doesn’t translate to “still good.”

Still, it’s hard not to love Star Wars, as there’s so much to love about it. It introduces us to a cast of amazing characters (portrayed by great actors to boot), such as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. There are many memorable lines and a great story to boot. While the plot of A New Hope isn’t as good as its sequels (or at the very least, The Empire Strikes Back), it’s still a fun journey to take. The soundtrack is one of the best in film history, hands down. George Lucas managed to create an impressive universe here. I honestly don’t think we’ll ever get another “Star Wars” in our lifetime. It’s just really good, and I enjoy getting lost in its world every time I watch it.

4.5/5