a film that opened new doors

Rating: 7/10 (14 April 2007)

It is a shame that not any other of George Lucas's films were as fun and inspiring as his unforgettable epic "Star Wars: A New Hope". It was a film that has since been spoofed and ripped-off in many forms of media. It has five sequels, and has many branch-off television series. And it is undeniably one of the most financially successful and definitely one of the better science-fiction films of this or any other age.
"Star Wars" has one of the most brilliantly constructed and detailed alternative reality settings ever. Literally everything in it makes the "galaxy" seem like a real place. Not only is there civilizations of humans, but civilizations of other creatures, and there are livestock and other creatures like in our world. Names such as droids, banthas, and wookiees work out. But I do feel that the "sandpeople" could've had a more compelling name. The concept of blasters and lightsabers were pure genius and the effects used on these weapons were state-of-the-art for their time. The props and CGI used for the other creatures, such as Chewbacca, may not be acceptable if "Star Wars" came out today, but were great for back then. Costume design was magnificent, especially the great details put into the villainous character of Darth Vader, who is perhaps the most memorable movie villain ever. Although he wouldn't really make his terror so profound and complete until the first sequel "The Empire Strikes Back." The concept of the Death Star is also a fine one.
But while "Star Wars" most certainly looks great in terms of detail and special effects, and even moreso on the entertainment level, there are some details that I have a really hard time accepting. Mostly, it's concerned with the screenplay. George Lucas is truly a great screenwriter when it comes to developing story, but when it comes to dialogue, he's not the best there is. Some of the dialogue in the film, mostly the lines spoken by Princess Leia, make me wince. For example her quote "I should have known it was you holding Vader's lease. I smelled your foul stench when I was brought onboard." What sensible person would even think of saying a line that dumb? I also personally felt that Luke Skywalker asked WAY too many questions and too many times. In the Tatooine part of the movie, he asks "Do you know what he's talking about?" numerous times, more than necessary. And all of the lines featuring the word "sandpeople" just seemed weakening to the script. The "sandpeople" were suppose to sound frightening, but they just sound pathetic.
Basically, the one and only thing that I have wrong with "Star Wars" is its dialogue sequences. And that is because George Lucas's weakness at writing is dialogue, which he freely admits to. But that does not make "Star Wars" a bad movie. Perhaps I was disappointed with it, but it's still a great movie to watch.