Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (Full Screen)
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List Price: $14.97
In Theaters : 1977 |
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Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (Full Screen) Customer Reviews
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The film that introduced the world to Star Wars
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Star Wars (1977.) AKA Episode IV - A New Hope
A long time ago, in a galaxy, far far away...
The first film in the Star Wars saga was released in May of 1977. Thirty years later, this series, the brainchild of the legendary George Lucas, is as popular as ever. The result of years of rewritten drafts, countless hours in the editing room, and numerous filming delays and budget issues, the film made an almost immediate impact on the moviegoing public - and the world of cinema hasn't been the same since.
Star Wars stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford. Co-stars include Alec Guinness, Kenny Baker, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, Peter Cushing, and James Earl Jones (voice.) George Lucas directs and Gary Kurtz produces. John Williams provides the musical score.
This was the film that introduced the world to Star Wars, and right from the get-go, this is a series that won audiences over from the beginning. The storyline stars in the middle of a galactic civil war, between the corrupt Galactic Empire who has ceased control of the galaxy, and the Rebel Alliance, a small group of freedom fighters who aim to restore democracy. It's a simple storyline but it works - and it's been ripped off countless times over the years.
This is one of those movies that is praised constantly by fans and critics alike, and it deserves it all. Lucas gives us a science fiction universe filled with interesting locales and characters - some good, some evil. Unlike the technologically-superior prequels that would follow some twenty odd years later, the "classic" trilogy is not bogged down by subplots and politics that detract from the viewing experience. It's not quite as good as its sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, but it serves as an excellent introduction to everyone's favorite galaxy far, far away.
John Williams serves up an excellent musical score, arguably the finest of his career. With the film, he creates a classical-style score that suits every scene of the film perfectly. Perhaps the most notable aspect of his score was the use of leitmotifs, something he'd use throughout the saga. Quite honestly, I can not imagine this film without Williams' score.
The cast is well-chosen, from the big roles right down to the minor, sidelines characters.
Mark Hamill gives a good performance as Luke Skywalker, a character who in this early phase of the trilogy, is weak and vulnerable - a far cry from the headstrong Jedi Knight we'd see in the final film of the classic trilogy. And Hamill plays this younger, more fragile version of the character just right.
Carrie Fisher's performance of Princess Leia is excellent. Of the three films in the classic trilogy, this is easily her best performance is Leia. While a good deal of the plot revolves around her rescue, she's certainly no damsel in distress. In plenty of the action scenes, she's the one blowing the bad guys away. She plays the character excellently in all three classic trilogy films, but this performance is by far her most memorable in the series.
Of the "big three" characters, it's Harrison Ford who steals the show as Han Solo. Cocky, arrogant, and only caught up in the film's plot because of the potential for a substantial monetary reward, this is the character who will stand out in your head the most after you've seen the film. Ford gives one of the best performances of his career, and like Carrie Fisher's Leia, this is the character at his best.
David Prowse, a six-foot-plus British bodybuilder, dons the armor of the villainous Darth Vader. His imposing, towering frame, definitely works in his favor for this role. While Prowse did speak the character's lines on set, they were ultimately unused - definitely a move for the best. Instead, the character's voice comes from James Earl Jones. His deep voice suits the villain well, and conveys the character's menacing nature perfectly.
The droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are played by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker, respectively. The love-hate relationship between these two characters adds comic relief that makes this more than just a typical sci-fi action adventure. It's something that would be key not only in this film, but in the rest of the classic trilogy, and even the prequels that would eventually follow.
Minor characters are also played well, and thankfully not neglected or forgotten. Sir Alec Guinness does a solid job playing the aging Jedi Knight Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi, who while well past his prime, serves as a mentor figure to Luke. Sadly, the relationship between the two doesn't get the emphasis it should have. Veteran actor Peter Cushing portrays Tarkin, the devious Imperial commander who outranks even Vader, and he too fits the bill nicely. It's just a shame his character doesn't appear in the later films!
The film's length and pacing are just right. It's not an overlong movie, and it's definitely not too short to be interesting - it's just the right length. The prequels that would follow were far too long and, at times, filled to the brim with unnecessary scenes. Every scene in A New Hope belongs, and contributes something to the overall film. In addition, the pacing of this film builds up the characters and the suspense perfectly, another thing the classic trilogy far surpasses the prequels in.
The 1997 Special Edition and 2004 DVD releases of the films made some additions/alterations/etc. to the films. These are a few of the changes these two editions made to A New Hope (besides the remastering and picture improvements):
-Rather than Han killing Greedo before Greedo can shoot, they shoot at about the same time.
-A new shot of the exterior of Obi-Wan's home.
-Various CGI wildlife around Mos Eisley.
-Some new aliens in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
-A new scene of Han Solo conversing with Jabba The Hutt, outside the Millennium Falcon.
-The scene of a reckless Han chasing Stormtroopers results in his encountering an entire hangar bay full of them.
-Various alterations/improvements/etc. to the way lightsabers look. But because of this, Luke's appears green instead of the proper blue during the Millennium Falcon training scenes.
-New explosions for the Death Star and Alderaan.
-A pre-Death Star dogfight scene of Luke conversing with his old friend Biggs.
-Various CGI editions to the Death Star dogfight.
I should also probably point out that the long lost "Luke watching the Tantive IV/Star Destroyer battle" and "Luke and his friends at Anchorhead" scenes were NOT restored for these releases, nor are they on the disc in any shape or form. Additionally, the rare 1977 theatrical mono mix (with some alternate dialogue and a different actress doing Aunt Beru's lines) is missing.
As far as DVDs for the classic Star Wars Trilogy go, get the SEPARATELY SOLD versions, as they feature the original theatrical cut in addition to the 2004 remaster. Regretfully, the theatrical cuts have no remastering, and it's obvious the masters used have degraded seriously. But still, these sold separately versions are the way to go - DO NOT get the box set, as it does not include theatrical cuts!
The end result of the first Star Wars film is a masterpiece for the ages, often imitated, never duplicated. This is a series that was solid from day one, and it shows. There is a reason this film is as popular as it is, and has never declined in popularity. A New Hope changed the face of cinema forever, and its impact on the sci-fi genre is everlasting.
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Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope (Full Screen) dvd movie.