what made this movie so great?

Rating: 10/10 (24 September 1999)

When Star Wars first came out, we didn't bother to go see it. Very little that was popular at the time appealed to my wife or me. But when all sorts of people, including one of Sharon's sisters who *hated* science fiction, kept raving about it, we went to see it.
We took Sharon's baby sister the next night, partly because we knew she'd like it, and partly as an excuse to go back.
I have no use for this on TV, but would happily buy a theater if I could afford it just to be sure I could watch this movie any time I felt like it.
Why?
First off, this is one of those movies that was never meant to be seen on TV. If you aren't in a decent theater, with a good sound system, swiveling your head to follow the space battles, forget it. The movie is larger than life, and needs a big screen.
The casting is perfect. From the lead characters to the chemistry between them, to the bad guys, I don't believe there could be a more perfect group. The interaction between Chewbacca, who speaks no English, is pretty amazing.
Swashbuckling action - Cynthia told us it wasn't really a space movie, but "Errol Flynn in outer space". She was right. And I think that was part of the magic.
As far as effects go, things may look dated today, but at the time they were top notch. Go back and look at any other movie of that era - Star Wars is among the best. Everything is believable - the only way you are likely to find fault is if you are looking for it. If you just watch the movie, it's great.
Finally, I think that a lot of the appeal was that it was both a classic, "simple story of good and evil" *and* just great, escapist entertainment. The late 70s were not the happiest of times in the US. Inflation was rampant, everyone seemed to hate us, disco wasn't dead yet, and most of the movies and books being turned out were depressing or boring. Star Wars not only picked up the science fiction baton where Star Trek had left off, it not only filled a void left by the fact that most "adults" missed comic books but wouldn't admit it, but it brought joy back to the arts, and it had a *happy ending* - despite the loss early on of a key character.
The sequels were fine, too, but neither had the impact Star Wars did. And half of what made them so great was building on the foundation of that first movie.