George Lucas' epic space opera begins....

Rating: 9/10 (3 August 2016)

When I think of Star Wars, I never think of the series as a collection of movies. Star Wars has always been in my life. To me, it is as if these things that happen in the films have actually happened a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
George Lucas changed history in 1977, when Star Wars was released. It's mind-blowing special effects and characters are so memorable. The film was inspired by westerns, Flash Gordon, World War II dogfights and samurai.
The story is all about a young moisture farmer named Luke Skywalker, who lives on the desert planet of Tatooine. He has dreams of leaving the planet and joining the Rebel Alliance and becoming the ace pilot he knows he is. Then he can fight the evil Empire.
His life changes when two droids are purchased for the farm by his Uncle Owen. These droids (C-3PO and R2-D2) carry a message from Leia Organa, the Princess of Alderaan. Princess Leia requests help from Obi-Wan Kenobi. After R2-D2 goes missing, Luke is attacked by some deadly desert savages named Tusken Raiders. But, he is saved by an old hermit named Ben Kenobi. Luke finds out that Ben is actually named Obi-Wan and that he is a legendary Jedi Knight, the keepers of peace before the the time of the Empire.
Obi-Wan tells Luke that his father was a Jedi too. He gives Luke his father's lightsaber, the awesome sword-like weapon of the Jedi. He asks Luke if he wants to come with him to Alderaan to see what has happened to Princess Leia.
Along the way to Alderaan, Luke and Obi-Wan meet Han Solo and Chewbacca, smugglers who own a starship, the Millennium Falcon.
Of course, we also have Princess Leia who has been captured by the Empire and is being interrogated by Darth Vader, an evil dark Jedi, called a Sith Lord. He wants to know where she has hidden the secret plans for the Empire's secret weapon that can destroy planets, the Death Star.
Will Luke and the other heroes prevail?
The soundtrack by John Williams is probably the best movie soundtrack ever made. Whilst Mark Hamil and Harrison Ford play the parts of Luke and Han really well, the standout performance is the late Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan.