Legend!

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2004)

Star Wars is the stuff of legends, mainly because it finds its inspiration in countless folk legends and archetypes, but also because it became the inspiration of an era. It was probably the first ever cinematic cult phenomenon and one can measure its power by the sway it still holds 27 years after its release.
The story couldn't be simpler frankly so do dwell on this detail would be to miss the point entirely. The backdrop is the main character of the film and it is nothing short of miraculous! The alien vistas and locals while otherworldly have a worn look that makes them unbelievably real (unlike the often fake-looking CGI of the prequels). The technology looks real. This authentic look gives the action scenes a power almost transcendental. It surpasses anything we've ever seen because despite it's otherworldlyness it all works. So the world Lucas creates more than makes up for the bland characterizations (these are only archetypes after all so don't expect too much depth, that's a advantage Empire Strikes Back has over the entire saga) and acting, although veterans Alec Guiness, Peter Cushing and James Earl Jones give this more dignity and weight and there's a very welcome cynical "this can't be real" look from Ford that means the film doesn't take itself all too seriously (something lacking in the prequels).
This vision of fantasy has it's flaws but it still solidly deserves cult status for it's gargantuan strengths: a legendary score by John Williams, era-defining special effects, a mythology and fantasy that rival anything ever imagined by a film-maker, great action and a pure naive heart that makes it impossible to resist and is seriously lacking in today's blockbusters.
Star Wars is more than a film: it is in itself a reason to love movies. It is a testimonial to man's imaginative powers.