I sense something... a presence I've not felt since....

Rating: 8/10 (22 April 2007)

"Star Wars" was the first movie I ever sat down and watched (I believe I was two at the time). Over time, of course, the initial "Oh wow!" factor wears off and it becomes just another sci-fi movie. But it really shouldn't-- this is *the* sci-fi movie. That is not to say it is the best of the entire genre-- I really don't think it is, but this was where everything changed for the last time (other major genre changes occurred in 1968's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Planet of the Apes"). The photography and editing combine very well, making it flow better than almost any film the '70s ever produced. Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) have a great, well-realized, almost love/hate relationship. But the real star of the movie is Darth Vader-- that gigantic black-suited, raspy, evil mastermind who brings new meaning to the word "power". This is not only because of James Earl Jones' fantastic voice-over, but also because of David Prowse's physical presence on the celluloid. The movie's vulnerable point comes in the sweeping, epic style, which very nearly overdoes itself on numerous occasions. However, "Star Wars" is a classic, even though it cannot really be considered the best of anything. And a word to the wise-- watch the 1977 original. Those special effects shattered doors and set new standards, while the 1997 re-release's cheap digital work only serves to make a good movie look fake and inconsistent.