The Perfect Space Opera Epic

Rating: 10/10 (6 January 2016)

I'm continuing to watch all six episodes of "Star Wars" in preparation for "The Force Awakens" (at this point I'm considerably late to the game, but better late than never). Last night I watched "Episode IV: A New Hope", which is of course the first of the six films to be made.
The last time I watched this movie was about a year and a half ago, when I watched the original trilogy with my brother who had never seen any of them. I had watched the prequels then, too, on my own in preparation for the latter three films, and at the time I remember being ever so slightly disappointed with "A New Hope". I didn't get that same slight disappointment this time, perhaps due to watching on a larger screen TV, or perhaps due to not having the anxiety of wondering what my fellow and first time viewer thought about the film, who knows. I do think I now have a good appreciation both for what makes this film great and what makes it distinct from the other movies.
"A New Hope" is, in its own way, the simplest of the Star Wars movies. Sure, the story has a lot going on--but there's less to keep up with than in the more complicated prequels (which I think are great, by the way). It's this relative simplicity that almost takes away from the movie. "A New Hope" doesn't set up its characters with a lot of back story--Darth Vader hardly gets one at all, especially if you're watching for the first time and don't know much about the Star Wars mythology. One could argue that a tad bit more background at certain points could have been helpful.
And yet, despite its simplicity, it's a perfect movie overall. It tells just enough to be enjoyable on its own merits, and it firmly establishes its characters as archetypes in film history--both its protagonists and main antagonist. Yes, its effects are a bit cheesy at points--it was 1977, so at times things look a bit like an Atari game. Still, it all just comes together into a seamless and enjoyable film, and one that is just all around fun and entertaining.
I will note that the movie is best viewed on a larger television--as I noted above, this certainly made a difference for me in my two most recent viewings. HD should be obvious as well, so definitely opt for Blu Ray for this one.
All in all, I have to give this movie 10/10 stars. It's the perfect epic space opera. So simple that a kid can easily keep up and love it, but enjoyable for all ages.