I get all choked up just thinking about it.

Rating: 10/10 (25 February 2007)

There was no way my review of this classic slab of pulp sci-fi was ever going to be anything but glowing; as a nine year old I saw George Lucas' space opera on its original release and instantly became one of a legion of fans who spent the next twenty years worshipping at the altar of the great turkey-necked director (until The Phantom Menace shattered all of my illusions).
Thirty years on, and I'm revisiting Star Wars with my two children, hoping that they will fall in love with it as much as I did, way back when all that seemed important was having a bag-full of marbles and a decent sized pile of comics to read.
I'm not going to describe the plot (surely you know that!), nor am I going to go into great detail about how Lucas borrowed elements from the movies he loved to bring us his epic about a farm boy who becomes a legendary warrior; all I can say is that the film has lost none of its ability to astound and my kids sat entranced (despite not being able to follow the story without the benefit of some additional info from their sci-fi geek dad). My son (who is only three and a half ) might not understand what a 'rebellion' is, and my daughter (nearly six) may struggle with the concept of 'the force', but both got a kick from witnessing the whole Star Wars universe for the very first time.
Chewbacca was an instant hit with my boy, whereas my girl identified with Leia, the gutsy princess. Both of them loved the brilliantly realised landscapes, aliens, robots and spaceships that have wowed film-fans for three decades (and who can blame themthe attention to detail and sheer creativity in design, costume, and make-up is staggering).
It has since become evident that old George ain't always the greatest writer or director in the world (the last three Star Wars movies are proof of that); however, when he does get it right, he works miracles (he wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark tooanother solid gold movie).
Star Wars is perfect family entertainment that delivers amazing spectacle, unforgettable characters and enough movie magic to last a lifetime. In fact, why not do yourself a favour: get off the internet and go watch it right now (even if you have seen it hundreds of times before).