A Legend is Born.........

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2007)

All folklore no matter where you come from as several basic tenants. You have the hero, the villain, the damsel in distress, , sidekicks, minions, guides, heroic battles, tragedies and victories. Good stories but hardly the stuff of a blockbusting movie. Or is it...? How on earth to take something as basic as a Good-vs-Evil Hero-vs-Villain story and make a movie that will capture imaginations? It can't be done can it? You just can't do it? Well yes actually you can. If you're George Lucas.
I was but a babe in arms when the incredible triumph that is the Star Wars Saga was wowing generations of movie-goers worldwide.But although I didn't experience it on the Big Screen I can honestly say I fully understand and appreciate Lucas genius today 20 years on.I can honestly say I have yet to see another Saga measure up to Star Wars in both its look and its content.
The premise of course the story of a young farm boy Luke Skywalker, wonderfully played by a young Mark Hamill who captures Luke's frustrations and desires perfectly.Young Luke seems destined to spend his life on his Uncle's farm on the remote planet of Tatooine doing chores but he dreams off more. He longs to be a pilot and see the universe. But that seems to be nothing more than a dream.
That is until a chance meeting with two droids called C3PO and R2D2 results in his befriending an old hermit by the name of Ben Kenobi( Sir Alec Guiness) changing his life forever. For the old Hermit is in fact a great Jedi warrior called Obi-Wan Kenobi and the droids carry a distress message from a Princess on a Star Ship under the captivity of the Galactic Empire and it's ruthless leader Darth Vadar. Now Luke will leave his home and begin an adventure he could only have dreamed of, make new friends and learn things about himself and his family that he never knew were possible.
Thus began one of the greatest movie adventures of all time and thus were created some of modern cinema's most memorable characters. All the folklore-type characters are present in Lucas masterpiece but he has managed to change and alter them enough to fit his incredible vision.
The Hero of course is young Luke. Spirited and dreamer, Luke is also fiercely brave and loyal and something of an adventurer. He is also desperate to learn more about his Father, about whom his Aunt and Uncle refuse to speak.Mark Hamil is top notch in the role.
The Damsel in distress is the Plucky Princess Leia , played with gusto by the then just 19 year old Carrie Fisher. Leia is the sender of the message that changes Luke's life. She is a member of a Rebel Alliance formed to oppose the mighty Galactic Empire and she was carrying the plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon , the dreaded Death Star to members of the her Alliance when the Imperial Fleet attacked her convoy.Little do either she or Luke know that they are connected by more than the droids.
Luke also acquires a side-kick in the form of the smart, selfish rouge Han Solo. Smuggler and skilled pilot Han also proves to be a useful ally and a firm friendship is formed between the seasoned Solo and the young idealistic Jedi-in-Training. Solo is played by the ever wonderful Harrison Ford who lends just the right amount of sarcastic selfishness to an essentially good lovable character.
Sir Alec Guiness is a cinematic legend and his wise old Jedi Knight is yet another fine performance from this seasoned veteran. Just mysterious enough to make you wonder just who he is and what he knows ( you learn more in EpV) he is also wise and a comfort to Luke ( and indeed the viewer) as he guides the young man ( and us) through his development as a Jedi and a man.
Star Wars also gave rise to perhaps one of cinema's most iconic and best loved Villains. His almost mechanical breathing and deep sinister voice ( courtesy of James Earl Jones) have made Darth Vadar the best loved of all villains and indeed the most feared. At this time he is in command of the Imperial Fleet and rules the Empire with an Iron fist. All in black with that fearsome mask he is the epitome of the Dark Side and is wonderfully brought to life by Earl-Jones and David Prowse who wears the suit.And of course as we see later on he is also one of the most human and pitiful characters in the Saga despite being more man then machine.He will become Luke's biggest threat but also his strongest connection, a connection Luke never dreamed he would find but the last he wants to have.
This was a new genre of film, Sci-Fi mixed with Fantasy and it worked a charm. The world was, and indeed still is, captivated, and its easy to see why. Its got action, suspense, romance, humor, danger and fear. And all this from Lucas twin interests in Space Travel and Folklore combined with a love for and real skill at making movies. The Saga, so wonderfully brought full circle with parts 1,2 and 3 recently , took off from the base so amazingly created in A New Hope and has gone from strength to strength ever since. This film is a wonder of modern film and I firmly believe it will stand the test of time.