"Star Wars" (1977) - RE-WATCH

Rank on the AFI List: #13

Synopsis (according to imdb.com)
Luke Skywalker leaves his home planet, teams up with other rebels, and tries to save Princess Leia from the evil clutches of Darth Vader.

LET ME EXPLAIN...
And so I come to the movie on this list I've watched more than any other.  Yes, I loved Star Wars growing up.  I've watched it countless times, including on Opening Night when they re-released the Special Editions of the originals in the latter half of the 90s.  Surprisingly enough to me, it's been a number of years since I've watched any of the original trilogy, so I was curious to see what I thought of "A New Hope" now.

Well, it's still a great movie.  It's a fun adventure in space, with great effects (for its time), a classic Good vs Evil story, a few quirks I've always loved (my favorite can be seen in the video clip below), and renowned characters.  It's one of the most fun "classics" there is.

What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Its special effects were considered groundbreaking when it came out in 1977 (I say "considered" because I thought the effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey were just as good and came out 9 years earlier).  It's also a Good vs Evil tale, it has permeated popular culture for as long as it's been around, and it has one the greatest villains in movie history.  It was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning 7 of them (Art/Set Direction, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Film Editing, Musical Score, Sound, and a Special Achievement Award for the creation of all the different alien/creature/robot voices).

Complaints:
Well, considering it's meant to be a fun adventure movie, I can't be too disappointed that the acting isn't all that great (particularly Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker), and the script is certainly nowhere near as good as Chinatown.  But alas, I still have to bring these issues up.

LET ME SUM UP...
The classic epic fairy tale set in space.  A fun time created in one of the most imaginative galaxies ever, and a movie so firmly implanted in society that everyone should see this at least once in their lifetime - just not for its acting or screenwriting.

MY RATING: 9/10 (1 lower from my previous rating)