One of the most popular films of all time, and understandably so

Rating: Null/10 (4 November 2008)

I was never a "Star Wars" guy growing up. I wouldn't say that I was a "Star Trek" guy growing up either ("Doctor Who" was my sci-fi franchise of choice growing up, and still is, even though I'm not a big fan of Russell T. Davies' version of the show), but I would definitely choose my favorite episodes of the original series or "Deep Space 9", "The Wrath of Khan", and "The Undiscovered Country" over any "Star Wars" film. I've seen the original trilogy a couple of times previously, once as a kid, once in my mid-teens, and now I sit down to watch "Star Wars" again, having been inspired by catching half of "The Empire Strikes Back" on TV recently and being enthralled by it.
The first thing that struck me is how great the opening shot is, just after the scrolling text that is. The rest of the movie was pretty much how I remembered it being- a collection of great set-pieces and memorable characters, and a great mythology, but with a story which wasn't nearly as grand and great as "The Empire Strikes Back". Although a point of criticism aimed at "Star Wars" by its (relatively few) detractors is that it doesn't quite match the real feel of a 30's/40's serial, I think that it really does, and not only in the way it is shot and the transitional wipes and all that, but in the writing, the acting, and just about everything else. It has that same sense of adventure, and although this particular film is nowhere near as good as some of my favorite serials, it remains something which very accurately captures the feel of watching one of those, and its popularity (and the popularity of "Raiders of the Lost Ark") is hence quite understandable, as very few of even the big summer blockbusters have the same sensibility and sense of adventure, and well, fun.
Watching "Star Wars", in spite of it not being my favorite of the original trilogy, serves as a reminder of the talent which George Lucas had at one point. I don't think this film is as good as his previous effort, "American Graffiti", which is the greatest 'coming of age' film I've ever seen, and one of the most beautiful films ever made from a visual standpoint, but it's still got spirit and energy which his later efforts just don't. It's quite sad, really.
There's really nothing I can say that hasn't been said already (which is true, certainly of many popular films, but this is freakin' "Star Wars", so trust me, I have NOTHING to add to what has already been said). There are "Star Wars" devotees who swear it is the greatest of the trilogy and one of the best movies ever made, there are detractors who think it's cheesy nonsense, and then there are others like me who like it quite a bit, but aren't sure where all the extravagant praise comes from. "The Empire Strikes Back"... Well, that's a whole other story.
8/10