Deserving of Its Reputation

Rating: Null/10 (18 December 2015)

Star Wars (1977)
**** (out of 4)
Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) joins forces with Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) as they plan to go after Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) who is being held hostage by Darth Vadar.
Whether people like it or not, STAR WARS is one of those ground-breaking movies that became a massive hit and it eventually took over the world. Watching the film so many years later it really is amazing what George Lucas was able to do with this film and what would follow. I will gladly admit that I'm not a fanboy of this series and in fact this recent viewing was the first time I had seen this since it was released in its Special Edition form. With that said, even though I'm not a "fanboy" it's impossible to deny that power that this film contains.
Storywise there's really nothing overly ground-breaking here but in my opinion that's what makes the film so darn good. There's no long-winded or drawn-out story to drag things down. The basic premise is rather simple as an up-and-coming fighter gets his opportunity to be great and sets out to do so. I think this simple story makes the characters stand out all the better because it really gives them a chance to shine and come to life. It certainly also helps that Lucas was clearly a fan of those cliffhangers from previous decades because he knows how to build up scenes and milk them for everything they're worth.
It's really hard to say anything fresh or new about this film but watching this first one it's easy to see why people like Hamill and Fisher became iconic in these parts. Both are quite good in the film as are Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, the two veterans of the picture. With that said, I think it goes without saying that it's Harrison Ford who really stands out in the role of Han Solo. His comic timing with Chewbacca has made for some of the most memorable moments of this film and he's simply delightful to watch in the role.
Of course, fans will debate the tinkering that Lucas has done with the picture but I think both versions hold up extremely well. I understand the purist who want to view what they originally saw in theaters and I understand those who defend the updating of the effects. Either way, STAR WARS is a rare blockbuster that also manages to be extremely well-made and deserving of its reputation.