One of my favorite movies

Rating: Null/10 (17 January 1999)

There are so many reasons why I like this film and its two sequels so much. First of all, I grew up with the trilogy; It has great nostalgic value. Also, it's a film you can watch as a kid, and then watch as an adult and see so much more. The main thrust behind the first film is the idea of the human spirit vs. technology. This aside, "A New Hope" is relatively lightweight, but that is what draws so many people to it. They know they're going to have fun watching it. Yes, it lifted plot elements from comic books and Saturday morning serials and (most obviously), Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress." However, this was the point. It blended these and other elements with a mountain of imagination to come up with something new. George Lucas has said that he originally intended "Star Wars" for a generation growing up without fairy tales. It is ironic that, although many consider this the pinnacle of science fiction cinema, it's really not science fiction at all. The technology is taken for granted, it's set in the past rather than the future, and it really is, at heart, a fantasy epic, in the truest form of the word. The only difference between the "Star Wars" trilogy and the classic epic form is that it is written in prose rather than verse. However, I don't think anyone can blame it for that. Also, I couldn't end without at least mentioning John Williams' breathtaking score. Using the "leitmotif" approach, Williams accented the rhythm and pulse, and provided insight into characters and situations. Many of the characters have identifiable themes or motifs, and this helps the audience, sometimes without their realizing it, understand certain actions the characters take and certain situations in which they are involved. I don't really know if "Star Wars" is the greatest movie ever made, but it is one of my personal favorites, and something I've watched many times. I've enjoyed it every single time.