Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope
In my experience, there is no such thing as luck
Summary:
Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope opens with Darth Vader boarding a ship holding rebels. On this ship, Princess Leia had stolen data that was important to defeating the Empire, and as a last-ditch effort, puts the data into the droid named R2-D2. Alongside C-3PO, the two droids escape onto the planet Tatooine. Upon landing on the planet, the two are kidnapped by some Wookies and are sold to Luke Skywalker and his uncle. In the dead of night, R2-D2 rushes to find Ben Kenobi, his former master and to relay information about the rebellion. Luke and C-3PO follow the next morning. After meeting Ben, Luke is given a lightsaber from his father, and he begins his journey to learn about the Force.
Characters:
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Obi-Wan Kenobi are Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope’s main protagonists. Luke is a young man held back by his uncle. He has dreams to leave his home, but his uncle cannot afford to farm without Luke.
Han Solo is a cocky smuggler who struggles to pay his boss, Jabba The Hutt. His moral compass is weak and can be adjusted depending on who can afford it.
Obi-Wan is an old Jedi master who thought those days were well behind him. He is one of the few remaining Jedi, but he is still dedicated to the Jedi cause.
Sebastian: 10/10
Star Wars: A New Hope or Star Wars if you are a purist is once again a movie that falls onto my previously mentioned top 20 film list as it was my introduction into the wonderful world of that galaxy far far away. If I were to describe this movie in one word it would be iconic. I have seen very few films that have so many iconic shots, characters, quotes, and locations. Whether you’re talking about the famous introduction of Han Solo or the dramatic scene of Luke staring off to the sunsets you have probably seen or heard about scenes from this movie. One of my favourite aspects of this movie is the opening, after the now-famous title crawl and iconic score from John Williams we are plopped into an action scene where we meet our side characters C-3P0 and R2-D2 the most famous robots in film. I love that this movie is non-stop with its pacing right from the start and it just never stops. The characters are so well known at this point that they don’t really need an introduction from me whether we are talking about our hero Luke Skywalker ( played by Mark Hamill) who yearns for adventure and purpose. We get to see his transition from a kid who wants an adventure to someone who takes the steps towards his dreams. Han Solo ( played by Harrison Ford) is a scene-stealing smuggler who is cocky and arrogant but we see him develop to the point that he does the right thing with some convincing by his Wookie friend Chewbacca. Princess Leia ( played by Carrie Fisher) can be very diplomatic and elegant but she also proves to be a snarky and battled prepared leader.
The story also flows so well with a pretty simple premise of saving a Princess but we get to see some cool lightsaber and space battles along the way all while being chased by the most famous villain ever Darth Vader. The special effects for the time also are revolutionary and especially the space battles still look pretty good to this day.
I would also be amiss if I didn’t touch upon the impact of this film. Without Star Wars many of my other favourite franchises such as Harry Potter, The MCU, or Jurassic Park would not have been made. Film series wasn’t really a big thing at this time in history and especially not big fantasy adventure series wasn’t a thing. Star Wars revolutionized the way movies were made and the way fans reacted to movies. People didn’t get attached or eagerly awaited sequels the way it happened with Star Wars. Movies didn’t get toys, books, and games spun off from them and without Star Wars the entertainment world would look very different.
All in all, this is an iconic film that I would highly recommend to anyone who’s already seen it or to new viewers. It’s one of my favourites! So hop on Disney+ and go off to a galaxy far far away.
Nathanyal: 8.9/10
For a movie that was released back in 1977, and redone in 2015, the stylistic choices still hold up today. Sure, transitions looked like something straight from a PowerPoint and the effects were updated, but these aspects still have their charms.
The only real problem I had with this movie was the pacing. For a 2-hour movie, the plot moved at a consistent rate. There weren’t too many instances where the plot sped up or slowed down. There were some especially longer scenes around the middle of the movie that seemed to drag on that made me lose some interest.
Pacing aside, this movie does a lot of other aspects right. For one, the characters were all fun to watch. It was fun watching the squabbles between R2-D2 and C-3PO. I enjoyed watching the development of Luke’s character and his interactions with Obi-Wan. I usually don’t enjoy watching the cocky or arrogant types, but Han Solo had the skills to back it up and he also carried a heart of gold. When it really mattered, he came back. Besides the characters, I also enjoyed seeing the build up of this world, or I guess in this case, the galaxy. I enjoyed seeing the varying landscapes brought up by being on different planets. The final wonderful part of this movie is definitely the music. John Williams really outdid himself in this movie. All the tracks fit the movie, helped with the atmosphere, and are generally very memorable. I’m sure most of you reading this have heard a Star Wars song one way or another.
Overall, Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope was a good movie. From the likeable characters, to the memorable tracks, this movie is still a pleasure to watch today. Besides a slower paced plot, I still recommend giving this a watch.
Austin: 8.7/10
Star Wars is an incredible series of movies any way you look at it, and A New Hope is no different. We get our first formal introduction to Darth Vader, and the story just gets better from there. With a bunch of great characters and a bunch of awesome action scenes, Star Wars Episode IV is a great start to the original trilogy.
Luke and Han undergo a ton of character development. The characters we meet at the beginning are nowhere near the same at the end, and it is one of the best parts of the movie. This movie has its own plot and everything, but I would consider it just a stepping stone for later in the trilogy, and it sets up these characters perfectly. There is a lot of other characters in this movie, both protagonist and secondary. Most of them are well used, and there is very little wasted screen time. Almost everyone adds something to the movie, and there isn’t a ton of filler.
The story is a captivating one, and a wonderful introduction to Star Wars if you so choose to start here. The mix of action, emotional moments, and just a bit of comedy makes it a really easy watch. It sits at just over 2 hours, and you will be entertained for the whole thing. This is something you can sit down with the whole family and enjoy. The characters are set up in such a way that overlapping plot and their stories are so intertwined, you have no choice but to pick your favourites( and definitely become emotionally attached). The remastered graphics, animations, and explosions add to the already solid story.
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is a great start to a classic trilogy and one you should check out. The action alone makes it a fun movie, nothing like space warfare and lightsabers, but the story and the characters are great as well. If you are more of a chronological person, we have reviews of the prologue trilogy as well so go check those out.
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