Perhaps the greatest movie ever....

Rating: Null/10 (10 August 1999)

When I was a sophomore in middle school, and Star Wars was still on modified to fit your screen, no THX mastered, VHS tape, I watched the Star Wars trilogy repeatedly. Before then, I had never really been a Star Wars fan. I had only been old enough to see Return of the Jedi in a theater, and it really didn't catch on for me. However, since my sophomore year I have been a fanatic. Why? Because Star Wars actually helped me through one of the more difficult parts of my life by giving me a positive message a feeling every time I viewed the trilogy.
A New Hope, the first in the Star Wars saga, is perhaps the best of the trilogy (although I think Empire is a better motion picture) because it was a visionary breakthrough. The kind of storytelling in A New Hope had never been seen before. "I long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" has become our generation's "once upon a time." Star Wars really gave us a much-needed fairy tale (a sci-fi fairy tale). The way the special effects were done was new, the kind of machinery and creatures had never really been thought of before. All of this is layered in with a classic story of a simple boy who rescues a princess with the aid of a pirate and a wizard. The Force, a sort of stand in for different religions became almost a religion of its own. George Lucas created a living, breathing universe while telling his story, giving others a chance to play around in it. All of these traits give A New Hope the title of one of the greatest movies ever made.
The acting in A New Hope is adequate. I admit that some lines of dialogue are cheesy, but I have never encountered a movie that has had perfect dialogue. Mark Hamill got better as time went on, but he did a good job as a wide eyed farm boy. Harrison Ford did a good job as a nervous, but seemingly self-assured smuggler. Carrie Fisher was good as a strong princess. Alec Guinness, well, his acting is always excellent. David Prowse and James Earl Jones create a menacing Darth Vader. Other supporting characters also did a good job.
However, I think the best parts of A New Hope come from the story, the aliens, the machines, special effects, and the music! The special effects help tell the story in A New Hope, and they do the same thing in all the other Star Wars movies. All of the machines and aliens were things that I had never seen before, yet seemed familiar. They help to create the illusion of a living, breathing universe, with things happening elsewhere. Also, the music for A New Hope is top notch, and John Williams led me into the world of classical music. If you can get the Star Wars: Special Edition soundtracks, do so and treat yourself!
As a devoted fan to the Star Wars saga, I have read most of the books and comic books that have come out, I've played all the games, I have seen the Star Wars trilogy on the big screen, more times than I can count on VHS, and I have seen The Phantom Menace seven times! Because I am such a fan, I probably will not see anything wrong with any of the stuff that comes out on Star Wars that some outsiders do. However, I think A New Hope is the closest a movie can come to being perfect. See it now, if you have already seen it a million times or if it is your first time. ***** stars (out of *****.)