Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with t...
A film that inarguably revolutionized cinema as a whole, and shook the foundations of visual storytelling, and the Grand wonders of world building, "Star Wars", directed by George Lucas, is a rousing adventure that travels you to a galaxy far, far, away, and introduces you to universally recognizable characters that'll have you fall in love with.
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At it's heart, the narrative is about "Luke Skywalker's" quest to join the battle against evil. Amidst of the dunes of "Luke's" home planet, the young protagonist discovers a secret message inside two droids, and meets with an aging, wise figure, who teaches him of the mysterious Force, a mystical energy field that binds together all things in the universe.
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The film borrows from numerous sources, the obvious inspirations are the samurai style action from Akira Kurosawa's films, Joseph Campbell's writings on the power of ancient mythology, and the painstaking adventures found in spaghetti westerns. Lucas manages to fashion this material in a manner that not only honors the original sources, but makes it uniquely his own, with an engaging story filled with drama, exciting action, and charming comedy found in banter between characters. The levels of imagination evident throughout is powerful and absolutely captivating, with every foreboding spaceship design, and the massive world's lore. -
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"Star Wars'" timeless appeal lies in it's easily identified, universal archetypes: Good guys to cheer, and bad guys to boo. Harrison Ford as "Han Solo" is the comedic "cool dude" that oozes personality and charm. Carrie Fisher's "Princess Leia" is a powerful female heroine that fully participates in the action, even though she's the one being rescued.
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And then Mark Hamill as "Luke Skywalker" is the young kid in all of us, earnestly wanting to do something in a galaxy filled with intimidations much larger than himself. Hamill' novice performance here can sometimes provoke good natured laughs, as he seems to be playing a character even younger than he actually is!
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There might not be another villain put on a cinematic screen again as dominating and frightening as the commanding "Lord Darth Vader". The opening sequence truly showcases the force possessed by the antagonists, as their spaceship literally fills up most of the screen! His design and ominously powerful voice, provided by James Earl Jones, creates a visual shorthand for pure, intimidating evil.
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"Star Wars" is magnificent in scope, while having an excellent script and engaging performances that adds an effective, grounded human element to the tremendously awesome and enchanting space battles. Likable heroes on noble missions, despicable villains capable of the most dastardly deeds, unbelievable and extraordinary technical aspects, like John Williams' rich score and enormous set pieces, are all wrapped up together in what could be labeled as the most spectacular film to ever illuminate a motion picture screen.
