game changer, but the saga peaked at the start

Rating: 9/10 (21 November 2013)

There is no denying that this film was the start of something big, and you cannot take away from it the fact that it changed the face of the sci-fi genre, maybe even the whole film industry, in to what it is today. For its time, the effects, story, characters and detail in this film are are beyond exemplary. Most action and sci-fi films aim to be compared to star wars, a feat that is rare and, in my opinion, has only been achieved by Terminator 1 and 2, the lord of the rings trilogy and marvels: the avengers.
A new hope works brilliantly as a first chapter to a saga, however, I feel that it works better as a stand alone film. Unlike many films that are a 'first part', it has a beginning, middle and end, tells everything that needs to be told and leaves the characters in a satisfying place. I feel that having seen the prequels does not diminish anything about this film like it does to episodes five and six.
The only problem that I have is that the original theatrical release doesn't really exist anymore, you can only really get the version that has been tinkered with by Lucas to put needless CGI extras in. This is the original and best of the star wars saga, however i do feel that many people see this through rose tinted glasses and will not see any faults in any of the three original films, even though they are happy to say that the three prequels do not exist as far as they are concerned. Awesome film, great legacy, and now that Disney has the rights away from Lucas, a great future too.