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Star Wars (1977)
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Movie Review by Jarrod 
July 12th, 2007
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'Star Wars' began what would become the greatest and most successful film franchise in history, and it was the brainchild of a man who worked feverishly in his basement to create his special effects, and whose previous work, what little there was of it, would never suggest to anybody that he would become a household name by the end of the 1970s.
'Star Wars' is the penultimate blend of fantasy and science fiction, not purely entrenched within one genre, though the former category perhaps fits it better than the latter. It was and is tremendously fun, with Oscar-winning visuals and an iconic score by John Williams. What Lucas was able to achieve in 'Star Wars' is nearly unprecedented, and the story of the film's creation and evolution is remarkable in and of itself. One could feasibly argue that he did what another young filmmaker did just two years prior with Jaws, and their future friendship was maybe only an inevitable destiny.
Destiny plays a big role in the 'Star Wars' universe, as does Jungian psychology, which deals with archetypes, and a whole slew of other allusions, to various religions and philosophies, but the movie also invents its own mythology, which so engrossed millions of fans, they have annual conventions to celebrate it. 'Star Wars' takes us into a vibrant and incredibly unique world, faraway planets in a faraway galaxy, populated by humans like you and me, but a host of other odd creatures. There is an evil empire, seeking to crush a rebel army, which is headed most prominently by Princess Leia (Fisher), who leaves a message for legendary Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness) inside of a cute little droid named R2-D2, always accompanied by his haughty protocol droid friend C3PO.
The two of them end up in the deserts of Tattoine, where Kenobi has taken refuge, and where they meet the adventurous lad Luke Skywalker (Hamill), who lives with his uncle and dreams of seeing other places. He gets his chance, as he is trained by Kenobi and taken with him on a journey, to find Leia and destroy the empire's deadliest weapon, the Death Star. Harrison Ford (who appeared in Lucas's American Graffiti) made himself an international celebrity playing Han Solo, a veteran pilot in debt to the vicious gangster Jabba the Hutt. Equally popular was his Wookie sidekick, Chewbacca. Then, there is Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), the greatest warrior of the Dark Side, a former Jedi, now a ruthless servant of the Sith Emperor. Arguably the most famous villain of all time.
It would be futile to fault any of these performances, as they all are beyond criticism, and have obtained an almost sacred status, though only Guinness possesses the gravitas and talent one would associate with good acting. But, I would not accept any substitutes for these characters. Hamill, Fisher, and Ford will always be Luke, Leia, and Han, no matter what else they do or how many centuries may pass. Ewan McGregor might be more readily identified with Obi-Wan than Guinness, but I have always liked Guinness in the role. 'Star Wars' still holds up fine today, the impressive and timeless quality of the film evident even after 3 decades. I did not see 'Star Wars' until I had watched some of its sequels, so perhaps that initial sense of awe that one experienced in 1977 at the local theater was lost on me. However, I realize now that 'Star Wars' is most likely the strongest and most engaging movie Lucas has ever produced. Its charm and imagination are not easily matched.
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