Not as overrated as it seems.

Rating: 7/10 (15 April 2016)

The question has often come up, as with any movie of renown, of why this movie and its successors have been so successful and highly regarded. But after some thought, I think I have somewhat of an answer. The response I usually get when I say that an older movie is overrated is that "it was great for the time", which usually is in reference to the visual effects. I always come back by saying that Transformers has some of the best effects of the past decade, but we don't exactly regard those as great works of cinema. If a movie is really great, it can speak to people of all times and doesn't need to rely on spfx to be respected. I saw this movie first when I was eight, and I can tell you straight up that I didn't notice or care that the effects were cheesy, and at the time it was by far my favorite movie. Now I'm not as into the series and get a couple of laughs from the dated visuals, but I still respect the movie because it is one of those rare gems in which the big budget and commercial appeal don't lull the filmmakers into doing a sloppy job. I would imagine that people walked out of the theater amazed on many different levels. For many, it might have been their first time seeing a fluid combination of technical spectacle, an exciting adventure, an empowering coming of age tale, and a chance to immerse themselves into another world/Galaxy. There are similar sci-fi movies still being made such as the Matrix, Inception, and Lord of the Rings (Mad Max: Fury Road seems to fall under this as well, but I haven't seen it). Movies such as these are a wonderful treat because we love great visuals, but we also hate it when big budget blockbusters leave us feeling robbed and disappointed. So it's awesome when one of these results in a great- not above average but great- movie that speaks to most of its audience.
By today's standards, the characters are a little generic but they all have distinct personalities and voices, good development, and importance to the plot. Even the two droids, while they might not be considered characters, advance both the internal and external plots. Their external contribution is obvious enough, but I think they really help Luke's development too by reflecting his thoughts in a way. C3PO is always playing it safe and being logical like Luke's farmboy side wants him to be, while R2D2 is always doing something active without caring if it's smart or not. And if you look through the story, R2D2 wins these debates every time Darth Vader, while not the epitome of villains himself, has definitely become the prototype for an intimidating on-screen force. He may not have been the first to don the stereotypical black cape, but he sure made it memorable. It's true that the acting isn't great, but it's no worse than today's action flicks.
The story is also a bit generic for today, but that might be a result of similar movies using Star Wars as a model for their own stories. I know there are people out there who obsess over the plot holes that have come up because of how George Lucas decided to build his continued narratives. And if you read some of the justifications for why one Death Star took 20 years to build and the other only took 4, or the reasoning behind Obi Wan acting as if he is not Luke's father, they are a little flimsy. But I would ask you to get over these discrepancies because George Lucas was likely not planning for sequels and none of the holes are really that major. I know this can be hard, because I tend to obsess over dialogue or exposition that I feel is unrealistic. This doesn't mean you have to like it, but it's much harder to get something out of a movie if you're too busy nitpicking. So hate it as much as you want, but please make sure you give it a serious look too.
Lastly, I want to comment on the Force. If we're honest, every true Star Wars fan wishes or has wished they could use the Force. But I think if we understood what the Force is, we could actually use it in a realistic way. I know that sounds cheesy and invalidates all your attempts to get sodas from your fridge by telekinesis, but please hear me out. The Force, by my interpretation, is acquired by becoming in tune with the world around us and it exists in our own reality by different names. If you look at a few philosophers, they discuss concepts concerning reality that should make sense. What I find fascinating about the Force is that it encapsulates the entire idea of faith, and I don't mean that religiously. All the characters utilize the Force by having faith in the concept of it, faith in their own possession of it, and faith in its effects on the people around them.
Most people are either ardent fans of this series or have friends and family that are. If you somehow have managed to avoid watching it, I can respect whatever aversions you might have. The ardor of the fans is enough to turn anyone off, but it is possible to enjoy and appreciate the series without becoming part of a stereotype. Overall Rating: 7.8/10.