Star
Wars
(1977)
Rated: PG
Runtime: 2 Hours and 5 Minutes
Reviewer: Erik
Grade: A+It's unfair, really. Any review I can possibly give for this movie, which is one of my all-time favorites, can never bring myself nor the reader back in time to when I saw this movie in its original run.
What I can tell you is that, as a kid, "Star Wars" was life. It was more than a movie. It was THE movie. A legend. When I first saw this movie, I told all my friends. I told my parents' friends. I told all my distant relatives. I wanted to get the word out. Here I am, four years old...five tops...and I was completely swept away by this movie.
And the images. Sitting in that theater when the Star Destroyer powers by overhead. Amazing. The funky cantina scene with its odd music. Lightsabers. I mean, come on, how cool, right? And that final scene, where we all knew Luke had it in him to blow that Death Star to kingdom come.
Years later, my enthusiasm for this movie has dwindled little, if any. It's a simple story: Princess kidnapped by evil forces, a young farmboy thrown into intergalactic civil war because of a message carried by a droid, a master who teaches about a mysterious force, and how that force is used to defeat evil in the end.
But this movie is elegant in its simplicity. The dialogue is corny at times. The performances are barely passable. But, these movies aren't about making the next "Citizen Kane". These movies are about fun, whether it be cheering for the good guys during a laser battle in space or marveling at the sight of the Death Star laying waste to Alderaan.
Like all the "Star Wars" movies, this one appeals to a wide variety of people. Kids love these movies. Adults love these movies. Male and female alike flock to see these movies. They're not overly serious, but not overly cornball either.
It's not often you can describe a movie this way. But the entire Star Wars trilogy fits this description. And that's why they'll be remembered well into the 21st century.