Cinematic Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (31 July 1999)

Star Wars is absolutely the best of the "original" trilogy and better than The Phantom Menace. It introduces the characters that us fans have grown to love and sets the pace for the next two films that follow. The plot is relatively simple: Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) steals plans to the Empire's Death Star, an armored battle station with so much power it can destroy a whole planet. While seeking out Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness), her ship is attacked and she is captured by Darth Vader (David Prowse, voice: James Earl Jones) and held hostage on the Death Star. She hides the plans in R2-D2 and him, along with his counterpart C-3PO meet up with Luke Skywalker, who joins forces with Obi-Wan, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to rescue the Princess and destroy the Death Star. Although this is the best of the trilogy, some of the dialogue is rather bland, but the performances are top notch. The interaction between Han and Leia forshadows their love in the next installments, and Obi-Wan starts to teach Luke about the Force. Darth Vader is excellent but he isn't as evil as he is in the other two films, that honor goes to Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin, commander of the Death Star that orders Princess Leia's home planet destroyed. The effects are also good, the battle at the end of the film is exciting and suspenseful plus you get to see Vader pilot his own Tie fighter! This film is outstanding and I think with each viewing it gets better and better and better.