Nothing short of a classic

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2013)

This film is a milestone in cinema. It changed the way movies were made with its ground breaking special effects. It launched the Star Wars saga, one of the most successful film franchises of all time. Along with Jaws, it essentially created the blockbuster genre, and on top of all that, many aspects of this film are now a cultural icons (The John Williams theme, The Millennium Falcon, The Death Star, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Lightsabers, C-3PO and R2D2 and so much more!)
However, even if you took away this film's impact on both Cinema and the world, you would still have a very enjoyable thrill ride in the science fiction/fantasy genre! A lot of elements of Star Wars are a bit cliché: The orphan protagonist who goes from average Joe to hero, the wise mentor, the non violent duo put in for comic relief, the anti hero, the dark threatening villain and the princess. However, what makes Star Wars so great is how likable it makes it's heroes, how intimidating it makes it's antagonists and the unique spin Star Wars puts on these otherwise cliché factors.
Enter Luke Skywalker! He's a little whiny at first, but you can't help but get behind him. Mark Hamill's performance definitely helps, but it's also the character's sheer compassion and determination to become a part of something bigger that makes him so relatable. You can't help but sympathize with him as his Uncle Owen holds him back from leaving the farm. Luke also has a firm belief in the force and places a lot of faith in it.
Complementing Luke's character is that of Han Solo. Han has far less compassion, and refuses to put any faith in the force. He is certainly more a bad ass in traditional sense and is on the other end of the "hero" spectrum. This is great because it gives the audience options on who they'd like to get behind. If Luke is too much a boy scout, you still have Han to get behind. If Han is too pig headed and selfish, then you have Luke to get behind! Not to mention, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford have great on screen chemistry.
Darth Vader is done so well as antagonist that he's arguably the most iconic villain of all time, perhaps tied with the Joker. Everything from the unique mask he wears to the size and stature of David Prowse (the actor inside the suit)accompanied by the voice of James Earl Jones gives Darth Vader a highly intimidating presence. However, what makes him interesting and gives him more depth is that he was once good, but was seduced by the dark side of the force and is now evil. He was a victim of his temptations.
Alec Guinness is a brilliant actor and makes Obi-wan Kenobi very likable as well very well spoken and wise. It's very easy to see him as a wise Jedi Master. Princess Leia is a damsel in distress, but she's also tougher than the average one and isn't afraid to take charge.
Aside from the great characters, Star Wars just introduces a very distinct and unique universe. There are so many great vehicle and character designs that are imaginative, interesting and original. All of these things keep Star Wars from being anything from generic. Then there's the pacing of the film. The film starts off with a great attention grabbing introduction, then the film starts to slow down a bit for exposition, but then the film becomes a roller coaster ride throughout the entire second half! The action is very thrilling and leaves a big impression.
Overall, Star Wars still holds up today as a great film. It hasn't aged a bit; non of it's special effects look dated or silly, the characters are still very likable and soundtrack is just epic. Star Wars, in my opinion is the definition of a timeless film. It is now 36 years old and is still better than the vast majority of blockbuster films that have been released within the last year, if not all of them! Star Wars lives up to it's name of simply being a great film.