A timeless, ageless sci-fi masterpiece, a pioneer in the art of special visual effects, the crowning achievement in the career of one Hollywood's most gifted storytellers, and without a doubt one of the grea

Rating: 10/10 (25 December 2003)

It's amazing how much one recollects from their childhood. Like their first pair of shoes (quote, Forrest Gump). Their first birthday party. And their very first day of school. Now I'm only a teen, but already I have many fond memories of when I was that age. One of my fondest would have to be Easter '97, when I went for a holiday to the Gold Coast. Now it wasn't anything extraordinarily fun, but for one reason it will be something that I will remember for the rest of my life.
This is that reason. While I was down there, my uncle took me and my brother to the cinema to see the Special Edition Re-release of STAR WARS. And that day, something magical happened. I saw a film, a work of movie magic unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was mesmerizing, it was amazing. And on top of that it was absolutely positively unforgettable. Then, for my 10th b-day a year later I got the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition VHS box set. Since then I have lost count of how so many thousands of times I have watched and enjoyed both SW, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
But I better stop blabbering on about this and get to the point.

Star Wars is one of those movies that just doesn't have even the smallest fault about it; it is just PERFECT in every aspect. The SFX - although no match for some of today's flicks - are awe-inspiring for ones in a film of it's age. They'd have to be about 10-15 years ahead of their time. The performances are all marvellous, in particular Sir Alec Guinness as the wise and philosophical elderly Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and to a larger extent Harrison Ford as the hilariously cocky and arrogant starfighter pilot Han Solo. And The great Mr. George Lucas achieves the definitive achievement of his career here. His smooth direction is brilliantly executed and makes for a very well-spent two hours of Saturday matinee fun, and his exceptionally well-written screenplay just oozes classic quotes like:
Obi-Wan: I sense a great disturbance in the Force. As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror.
Princess Leia: Darth Vader. Only you could be so bold.
Darth Vader: I find your lack of faith disturbing.
Han Solo: Boy do I hate being right all the time!
IF ONLY he could've made the prequels with all the darkness and sheer greatness of this one.
One of the main reasons why STAR WARS is one of the most praised movies of all time is because it was one of the first true pioneers of special effects. George Lucas paid for it's production mostly out of his own pocket, and during filming he set up his own effects company called Industrial Light & Magic. Their revolutionary work on the movie would later make Star Wars a inspiration to filmmakers everywhere. And ILM were also responsible for dozens of other widely successful and popular movies, like E.T, Terminator 2, the other SW-es, The Indiana Jones trilogy, Jurassic Park (and countless other Spielberg efforts!). All considered classics by many - with the exception of the SW prequels! -, but if it weren't for Lucas and his idea of a galaxy with a good and bad race and controlled by, in the words of Han Solo, "an all-powerful Force controling everything", none of these films may have ever been possible to make. People should thank him for that.
This is undoubtedly one of the best movies of all time, and totally deserving in it's IMDb user vote title as the #1 Science-Fiction film of all time. Forget The Matrix Trilogy, they're good but this, this is the stuff dreams are made of.
10/10