The best

Rating: 10/10 (11 November 2000)

'Star Wars' is a definate contender for the best film ever. It has everything a good film needs and more... Story: Classic formula of young boy realising his potential under the mystical tutelage of a hero from a forgotten age, set against a backdrop of a universe which has lost its way and is falling into decay and tyranny. Characters: A likeable if melodramatic hero in Luke Skywalker, a cool and loveable rogue in Han Solo (with hairy sidekick), a mysterious old man with strange powers in Obi Wan Kenobi, a spoilt but very attractive heroine who becomes more sympathetic as the film progresses (Princess Leia), a comic duo of robots (C3PO and R2D2) and possibly the best villains ever in Darth Vader and Governor Tarkin. Action: Varied and almost continuous, and of the best quality, with shoot-outs, bar-room brawls, muggings in the desert, space battles, and samurai-like lightsabre duels. Script: Some of the best lines in any film are in 'Star Wars', containing a mixture of witty repartee, mystic preachings and outright intimidation all delivered with impeccable timing and flair. Here are some of my favourites: "You are part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor - take her away!" Darth Vader to Princess Leia "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The power to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force." Darth Vader to cheeky Imperial councillor "I've got a bad feeling about this..." various characters say this at one point or another. "What a wonderful smell you've discovered!" Han Solo to Princess Leia "Your powers are weak, old man." Darth Vader to Obi Wan "You can't win Darth - if you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Obi Wan to Darth Vader "The force is strong in this one." Darth Vader about Luke Skywalker "The force will be with you - always." Obi Wan to Luke Skywalker