Star Wars: A New Hope

It was 1997 when a 9 year old boy sat in a crowded movie theater with his mom. That little boy was me, and the first thing I saw on that screen after the titles was this:

OMG LOOK AT THAT!! That is the biggest mother fucking space cruiser I had ever seen in my life!

So as you may or may not have guessed, my first Star Wars experience came in the way of the Special Edition Trilogy that Lucas had brought back to theaters for the 20th anniversary of his first Star Wars film. Needless to say, I was awestruck. But that was then, this is now, and let's get cracking on this review!

Seeing how I decided to show the opening shot of the film right here, I might as well start out with talking about the special effects. Now of course, it is hard to judge special effects based on what happened over 20 years ago in the film industry. That said, the special effects are astounding. I strongly believe that they hold up quite well, even today. Now of course, I started seeing the "enhanced" versions of Lucas's films, so the effects were polished even more. I now proudly own the DVD set that contains the original films as they were displayed in theaters. And you know what? Those effects DO hold up in the 2000's. Why? It's simple, because the ships were actually built by hardcore model makers who probably needed to get girlfriends (what chick wouldn't date a badass like that though?!? Yes. I'm serious.). Ah yes, we can do everything on computers today, but at what cost? I have learned through seeing it myself and through the rantings of a professor of mine that practical effects (when done well) can always outdo what a computer does.

In comparison to the time the film was made, the effects were groundbreaking. Ships had never been composited so well and on such scale. It's what led to the use of computers today. WHEW! Enough about that!

The story and characters were something quite unique for me then, and I am confident that they would be so for a first time viewer today. It is a colorful universe, and the film itself has no trouble showing that. From the opening, you are thrown into the rebellion's fight against the empire, and you tend to pick up characters along the way. Lucas follows the archetype of the hero from mythology, and I think that his is some of his better writing in the series. Although, Lucas does have the unfair advantage in this film because he gets to spend a good deal of time introducing characters. Overall, the film does well in giving the viewer a sense that something huge is going on in the universe.

I won't touch on the acting for too long, since I don't feel like academy award winning acting is necessary for a good science fantasy type film. That said, all the actors nailed their characters very nicely. You have the innocence of Luke, the sarcasm of Han, the fortitude of Leia, the badassery of Vader etc... For me, if you can make me care about your character, that is good enough. Of course, with acting, it's easier said than done.

Sound is next. Sound effects were unique then, and were unique for me when I saw this film. There is nothing like hearing Star Wars on a surround system. Nothing. I don't need to say more than that I think.

Musical score? More like musical mastery. Why? Two words: John Williams. That man is an excellent composer, end of story. He has the know how to make every moment of a movie compelling. It takes a lot to bring a movie together as a total package, and I think Star Wars would not be a house hold name without John William's score. Nuff' said!

The editing and photography are good. Lucas films, specifically Star Wars films, have a tendency for fast cuts. I don't ever feel lost in the cuts, per se, but I can see how some might miss something if they go to the bathroom or even lose their attention for a few minutes. This story really moves along, but it works.

The photography goes right hand in hand with the effects. It's all good, especially considering how a lot of these shots were done with elaborate rigs and huge blue screens with model ships. Again, a challenging, practical type of work, but it's one that pays off if you see the film.

I think I've gone on enough about this film. It's the first Star Wars ever made, it's a classic, there are hardly any people in the world who haven't seen the film, so if you're one of them I highly recommend you purchase the DVDs or borrow a friend's VHS :).

I give this film a solid A, and I will leave you with the first lightsaber duel ever.

Yes, I maintain that this duel is better than Palpatine vs Windu, but that's for a different review.

~JC