Without Star Wars, the film industry would be way behind

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2006)

Star Wars is basically the "generic" fantasy story with a Sci-fi twist. The film contains the same basic characters we see in these fantasy stories, including the young hero who is the son of a great warrior (but doesn't know it just yet), and who is also usually a farmer's hand or apprentice, the kidnapped damsel, the wise old wizard, the outlaw and this buddy, the evil ruler, his right hand man, the dragon and the comic relief. The way these characters are done is brilliant and they are all memorable.
Star Wars tells the story through the eyes of the 2 lesser "heroes", the droids R2 D2 and C-3PO (who represent the comic relief). They fall into the hands of Owen Lars, a moisture farmer on a desert planet. While cleaning the droids, Owens nephew Luke Skywalker (the hero) finds a message for Obi Wan Kenobi (the wise old wizard) by Princess Leia Organa (the damsel), an Imperial Senetor who's been arrested for supplying important information to the Rebel Alliance, a "terrorist" groups fighting for the freedom of the galaxy, and is being held prisoner on the Death Star (the dragon). Meanwhile, the Emporer's (the evil ruler) right hand men, Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader, send Impirial Stormtroppers out to track the droids.
Back on his home world, Luke Meets Obi Wan, who teaches him about "The Force" and the ways of the Jedi, an order of Knights who once upheld peace and justice in the Old Republic. In fact, Luke's father, Anakin, was Obi Wan pupil and a great Jedi Knight, but was killed by another of Obi Wan's students, Darth Vader. After hearing the message, Luke, Obi Wan and the droids hire space pirate Han Solo, and his co-pilot, Chewbacca (both represent the outlaw and his buddy), and head for the planet Alderaan, but with the Empire after them their mission will not be easy.
This has got to be the film that revolutionized today's film industry. Without it, we wouldn't have some of the greatest films of the last 20 or so years, or at least these films wouldn't have been as good. In act, we may not even have Harrison Ford, who rose to fame after playing Han Solo. While making Star Wars George Lucus founded Industrial Light and Magic (or ILM), which first used CGI animation (used bring some of your favourite films to life) in Lucus's Willow.
Whether you love or hate Sci-fi and/or Fantasy, you should check it out at least once in your life.
Star Wars was the last great Science Fiction.