Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

As I embark on this new and "final" leg of reviewing all the Star Wars films, I realize that this is the Big Leagues. 

This is where people will pass their judgement and this is where opinions get crucified. It's not so bad to say that I, more than most people, enjoyed the prequel Episodes. Except for Attack of the Clones. That one was legitimately a step down. 

But to potentially criticize the original trilogy? To outline the Pros and Cons of such cherished films in cinematic history? How will I ever survive this? 

Luckily I'm not too worried, because at the very least I can tell you that I mostly loved A New Hope, the fourth Episode of the Skywalker saga and the film that "started it all" in more than one way. 

That sentence may read as if I've never seen the original trilogy before and, I confess, I have not -- at least in the traditional sense. My experience with the original trilogy has been comprised of catching each Episode on TV over the years here and there. Like many older films I've probably seen all of the footage from each, just not necessarily in one sitting. 

Shocking, I know. 

It's part of the reason that I wanted to do these Retro Reviews, to experience the original trilogy -- films that have had so much effect on much of the industry today -- with my amateur critic lens. Thus, without much more delay, let's get into the actual review. 

A New Hope is the quintessential hero's journey. Star Wars was not the first film to pioneer this, but what it presents is a fantastic representation of a concrete story (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, conclusion) and introduces us to a whole new world/universe. In this rewatch, I felt myself growing annoyed with the extended opening sequence and found the banter between R2 and C-3PO to be surprisingly unfunny. So sue me, but that's probably my only complaint of the film is that it feels slow to start AND we're stuck with these two for the first several minutes. They're characters that I actually like, but I personally don't think they can command a screen for as much of the time that they're put in charge for. Once other characters (i.e. Luke, Ben, etc.) are introduced, things take off at a meteoric pace and the film zips from one locale to the next as our heroes attempt to save the princess and then a world. It's a bit of a whirlwind adventure, but it is just that: an adventure. And a damn entertaining and fun one at that. 

"Kiss me, my liege!"

Obviously there are certain aspects of the film that have aged better than others but I tend to try and not hold that against films unless it's so glaringly grotesque that it hurts the film's enjoyment. A New Hope, all things considered, ages well because it provides such a traditional story and really the only thing drastically "old" about it is the special effects. I watched a BluRay release of it that had some post-work special effects added and, I have to say, those looked the worst out of the bunch. I certainly won't hold that against the film as those were unnecessary fixes that came after the fact, but it speaks to the practical-effects-driven narrative that plagued the CGI-driven prequels and helped to right the ship with the new Episode VII - IX trilogy. There's also a decent amount of "cheese" that doesn't translate over all that well -- though it is endearing -- to the modern day. It's hard to grade to harshly though because I can only imagine that people 30 years from now will watch Force Awakens and say the same thing. Some of Hamill's lines are too eager and a handful of Han's quips are eye-rollers, but in general these are distinct, unique characters that help sell the imagination of the entire science fiction world. 

"How the eff do you work this damn thing?!"

Which is where A New Hope gets massive props: it's originality. Yes, it definitely absorbed ideas from earlier science fiction lore and stories, but what Lucas was able to construct here was a conglomerate of those ideas, traditional character/story ideas, as well as many, MANY of his own, unique creations. Whether it be lightsabers, Millennium Falcons, hair buns, or the Force; there's enough originality in the original Star Wars that it's no wonder why so many franchises and stories tend to borrow (or borderline copy) from it throughout history. It's jaw-dropping to be honest and it speaks to the imagination of everyone who participated in it as much as it does Lucas himself. Much like J.K. Rowling did with the world of Harry Potter, what Lucas did was create an entirely different possibility of life. The stories and potential is literally endless with both franchises and to create something that vast, distinct, new, and unique is an accomplishment that very few people get to claim in their lifetime. It's a staggering achievement and it's part of the reason I'm somewhat nicer to Lucas in the prequels; there's a ton of new world building done there too and we wouldn't even have Star Wars in the first place if it weren't for him.

Aside from that slight, but important tangent, A New Hope gives us a lot to love and a good reason as to why it became a trilogy (and then a whole lot more). Mark Hamill, over-eagerness aside, is fairly pure as Luke and he's a hero that people want to believe in. He makes it easy to rally behind the character. Carrie Fisher is a strong Princess Leia and I was impressed during this film to witness just how powerful they made her female character in an age where that didn't happen all that often. Harrison Ford, looking much younger, is also some perfect casting and it's easy to see why he became a fan favorite. Most everyone else plays their iconic roles with talent too, particularly Darth Vader's dual actors and Old Ben Kenobi. Along with these iconic characters we get a tremendous surplus of memorable scenes with them. The Mos Eisley cantina, running away from TIE fighters, exploring the Death Star, getting stuck in the trash compactor, a brief lightsaber fight, destroying the Death Star, etc. There's a lot to remember to remember here; even with nostalgia set aside these are just good scenes. 

"Are there any peanuts or pretzels on board? I'm hungry!"
"Shut up, Luke!"

Episode IV was a film that started and inspired many things in Hollywood. It's easy to see why (though I can't imagine how crazy it was to get made with its expenses AND a new director) and it went on to be an absolute blockbuster. A deserved one too as, perhaps George didn't even know this, it would create a universe in which stories were limitless and properties within that universe were plentiful. It was certainly a watershed film in the history of cinema and what's better is that it's actually a stellar piece of entertainment. 

CONS

• Some pacing issues at the beginning and C-3PO begins to wear a little thin during that time
• In a high-level retrospect, characters like Old Ben Kenobi and Darth Vader are barely fleshed out at all (not taking into account a single other film in the franchise)
• Some odd action editing here and there
• A bit of cheese with delivery of some lines

PROS

• The amount of originality is staggering and quite an accomplishment. The world and universe that Lucas would go on to create is a great gift to the world
• Follows a classic hero's tale and does so with talent. As a standalone film it's very entertaining in its own right
• Iconic characters with fun performances from everyone in the cast. It's easy to see why audiences fell in love back then
• Sure some time has gone by but the special effects are still decent. It helps that the use of practical effects was a main focus
• Amazing original score and cinematography overall
• A true adventure that entertains as much as it takes us on a journey

Retro Rath's Review Score | 9/10