Good! Very overrated but good!

Rating: 8/10 (12 April 2005)

Well you can probably deduct from my one-line-summary that I am not a die hard Star Wars fan. The film is without a doubt good and it is a classic film. But people tend to place the film on a pedestal making it much better than it really is.
First of the acting. The acting really isn't that great aside from Alec Guinness who does a spot on Obi Wan Kenobi and proves why he is one the most critically acclaimed actors through time. His acting is both nuanced and intelligent. At the same time his approach to the character as this quirky old man is just brilliant (and actually if you link it to the character portrayed by Ewan McGregor in the new films you begin to see a pattern). Mark Hamill is decent but nothing out of the ordinary, his real talents aren't seen before The Empire Strikes Back and therefore his character is pretty two dimensional and let's face it pretty boring. Harrison Ford also has yet to prove his talents and like Hamill produces a two dimensional character. Carrie Fisher isn't exactly bad but like Hamill she is very young and her inexperience shows. Her timing is sometimes off and she does not always display the emotional depth needed for the character. Having said that she does look the part and looking back on the pictures I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the part. James Earl Jones' voice is good for Darth Vader but with the tedious dialog he does not get to prove his worth. His voice is very menacing and this is used to great effect and this is one of the reasons that Vader is one of the best film bad guys of all time. Also the Darth Vader suit is very well done. Especially the mask (which I am told has many similarities with a Japanese Death Mask) which is just plain cool.
The story is in some aspects classic but it is far from brilliant. There are some interesting elements but it does not outweigh the fact that it is simplicity in itself. Now, I know that is what Lucas aimed at but really he should have been able to do better. The assault on the Death Star is a memorable scene but that is more due to the general skills of the special effects people and the editors than the writing.
George Lucas did create a universe like no other and that is the real credit. The world of the film is the actual main character and not those portrayed by the actors. I find it inspiring that so many books, games etc have expanded the universe as it has been and I really do credit Lucas for being able to capture the elements he didn't add himself and make them a part of his universe. Even though we don't get to delve into the universe very much in this first film we still get the general idea and that is really all that is needed as we will get to delve into the universe in the films to come.
The effects are good even today but that is mostly because of all the times Lucas has been re-cutting the film and adding CGI elements. But still the effects are worthy of noting and ultimately make the film better. Also the costumes should be noted because they are fantastic and they really help to define some of the characters (could you imagine Darth Vader in anything else?) All in all the film is good but ultimately overrated and has since been surpassed by both its predecessors but also other sci-fi films like Blade Runner or The Matrix.
The main reason I give the film a relatively high mark is because of the status as a classic film and because of the thrilling climax which the first time I saw it really was one of the greatest cinematic climaxes I had ever witnessed.
7/10