Star Wars




Remember, the force will be with you ... always.

I always wonder what it would be like to see a movie for the first time in theaters, not knowing exactly what will happen. But by the end there is little doubt that you've just watched a great movie. Then, as time passes, you come to realize that you've watched a classic unfold. Some are hailed by critics but ignored by the masses. Star Wars never had that trouble.

It's always difficult to rank movies, especially on the impact they've had on movie making and viewing in general. However, Star Wars is no doubt one of these. George Lucas was the hot new director of THX-1138 and especially American Graffiti, but he still had difficulties getting it made. Looked upon as impossible and foolish, it was rejected many times before Lucas' dream was approved. It could have ended up being the end of his career, but we all know what happened.

The movie is a combination of several of his tributes to different genres, most notably the space opera. The elements are all there: young guys finds out he's special, saves princess, saves the world (or the galaxy in this case), meets some friends and defeats some bad guys.

This has to be one of the most well known plots I can think of, so I'll keep it sparse. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is a wistful teenager on the desert planet Tatooine, and wishes he could be anywhere else. This all changes when two droids end up at his place with plans to an awesome weapon, the Death Star. The owners of these plans, the evil Empire, is hot on their trail and are determined to get the plans before their enemies, the Rebel Alliance, do. Circumstances bring Luke out in the wilderness where he is attacked by the local creatures.

It is then that Luke meets Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), who teaches him about the concepts of the force and gives him his first inklings of his father. Meanwhile, Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) has captured Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), who gave the plans to the droids in the first place.

Before long Luke and Obi-Wan are on their way to return the plans. They hire Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to fly them there, and soon they are on board the Death Star.

Boasting probably the largest cult following ever, the series has been kept alive for these last twenty years by the sequels. Though it doesn't measure up to The Empire Strikes Back, it easily beats out the rest. This should have been the first and last Star Wars film directed by George Lucas.

Having cast unknowns, it is understandable that only one really ever made it big afterwards. People like Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher will always be Luke and Leia. It is ironic that the two biggest stars thought that it was all a little silly.

But what is that really makes this movie a classic? A classic can't go on influence, impact and the box-office alone. This movie works in all the devices of a science fiction movie while keeping away from focusing on the gadgets. Instead of spending two hours watching the Enterprise come into view, we have the Millenium Falcon, described as a piece of junk. We don't have to strain our imaginations, Lucas does that for us. Everything is believable and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. It isn't the gadgets at the heart, but it's something as abstract as the Force that forms the core. It's the unforgettable characters, perfect opposites who play off each other. It's the style that has become the norm for more than just science fiction movies. It's all the things any fan can relate to when they hear the name Star Wars.



-The Gnome