❝Star Wars IV: A New Hope❞

MOVIE REVIEW OF ❝Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope❞ (1977) PG

Cast
Director:	george lucas	Runtime: 2 hrs 1 min (121 min)
luke skywalker	.....	mark hamill
han solo	.....	harrison ford
princess leia organa	.....	carrie fisher
grand moff tarkin	.....	peter cushing
‘ben’ obi-Wan kenobi	.....	alec guinness
C-3PO	.....	anthony daniels
r2-D2	.....	kenny baker
chewbacca	.....	peter mayhew
darth vader	.....	david prowse
uncle owen	.....	phil brown
aunt beru	.....	shelagh fraser
general dodonna	.....	alex mcCrindle
general willard	.....	eddie burn
general taggi	.....	don henderson
general motti	.....	richard leParmentier
commander #1	.....	leslie schofield

Storm Troopers
storm trooper #1 (voice)	.....	scott beach		storm trooper #8	.....	frank henson
storm trooper #2	.....	lightning bear		storm trooper #9	.....	arthur howell
storm trooper #3	.....	tin condren		storm trooper #10	.....	colin michael kitchens
storm trooper #4	.....	peter diamond		storm trooper #11	.....	rick mcCallum
storm trooper #5 (with binoculars)	.....	ted gagliano		storm trooper #12	.....	morgan upton
storm trooper #6	.....	nelson hall		storm trooper #13	.....	jerry walter
storm trooper #7	.....	reg harding		storm trooper #14	.....	bill weston

Red Team
red leader	.....	drew hemley		red four (John d.)	.....	jack klaff
red two (Wedge)	.....	dennis lawson		red six (Porkins)	.....	williams hootkins
red two (voice)	.....	david ankrum		red twelve (Drifter)	.....	john chapman
red three (Biggs)	.....	garric hagon

Gold Team
gold leader	.....	angus mcInnis		gold five	.....	graham ashley
gold two	.....	jeremy sinden

Cantina Patrons
gilda cohen		solo gardner		geoffrey moon		roy straight
robert davies		isaac grand		george stock		fred wood
robert davies		isaac grand		john sylla (voices)

Jawas
chief…Jack purvis		warwick diamond		melissa kurtzi		mahjoub
frazier diamond		rusty goffe		tiffany kurtz		hal wamsley

Uncredited
boba fett	.....	mark austin		darth vader (voice)	.....	james earl jones
cantina alien #1	.....	john berg		chall bekan	.....	linda jones
cantina alien #2	.....	doug beswick		solomohal	.....	jon kaye
cantina alien #3	.....	phil tippett		daine jir	.....	al lampert
greedo #1	.....	paul blake		bo shek	.....	anthony lang
greedo #2	.....	maria de aragon		muftak/Cantina band member	.....	laine liska
greedo #3 (voice)	.....	larry ward		temple guard/Medal bearer	.....	derek lyons
nubrun leids	.....	janice burchette		death star gunner	.....	grant mcCune
wuher	.....	ted burnett		swilla corey	.....	mandy morton
wioslea	.....	barry copping		massassi base rebel scout	.....	lorne peterson
dr. evazan	.....	alfie curtis		rycar ryjerd	.....	marcus powell
hrchek kal fas	.....	robert a. denham		inCon engineer	.....	shane rimmer
garindan	.....	sadie eden		leesub sirlin	.....	pam rose
djas puhr	.....	kim falkinburg		cmdr. praji (Imperial officer on rebel ship)	.....	george roubicek
death star trooper #1	.....	peter diamond		twass khaa	.....	erica simmons
death star trooper #2	.....	harry fielder		senni tonnika	.....	angela stains
death star trooper #3	.....	steve gawley		sai'torr kal fas	.....	peter sturgeon
death star trooper #4	.....	joe johnston		lieutenant pol treidum	.....	peter sumner
kabe #1	.....	barry gnome		massassi outpost announcer/Various voices (voice)	.....	tom sylla
kabe #2/GONK droid	.....	rusty goffe		lieutenant shann childsen	.....	malcolm tierney
leia's rebel escort	.....	alan harris		del goren	.....	burnell tucker
brea tonnika	.....	christina hewett		thuku	.....	diana sadley way
ponda baba	.....	tommy ilsley		ketwol/Melas	.....	harold weed
mosep	.....	annette jones		mos eisley citizen	.....	steve "spaz" williams
takeel	.....	alf mansan

NOTE: This review is based on the Special Enhanced version of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Most of the essentials are unchanged. Some technical aspects may be altered. I prefer and suggest the original version.

WARNING: THE NEXT SECTIONS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS…

WHAT I KNOW

Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…"

"It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.

During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.

Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy…"

Once again a fleeing spaceship introduces us to the planet of Tatooine. Darth Vader (David Prowse) and his troops are boarding the Rebel ship looking for the above mentioned plans. In the commotion, two take an escape pod and jettison to the surface of the planet below to escape. Vader, assuming the Death Star plans are in the escape pod, sends troops down to retrieve them. Upon landing on Tatooine, the two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO (Kenny Baker and Anthony Daniels) are picked up by scavenger merchant Jawas, who in turn sell them to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). While fixing him up, R2 reveals that he is carrying a cryptic message from the Princess addressed to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guiness). Luke knows of a "Ben" Kenobi, and wonders if the two have a connection. Luke's Aunt Beru (Shelagh Fraser) and Uncle Owen (Phil Brown) deny any knowledge of "Obi-Wan."

Luke and the droids are attacked by "Sandpeople" , and Obi-Wan comes to their rescue.

As Obi-Wan and Luke sit down for a talk, Obi-Wan hints at the history of Luke's dead father. It is also discovered that R2's "mission" is to take his message to Alderaan. The Sandpeople return, attacking the merchant Jawas who sold the droids to Luke; they also attack Luke's home and kill his aunt and uncle. Obi-Wan agrees to take Luke and the droids to Alderaan with him and teach him the ways of the Force.

As they'll be needing a ship, they travel to Mos Eisley and pick up a pilot named Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his first-mate Wookie, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). Han is the captain of the ‘Millenium Falcon.’ He is in debt to a Hutt named Jabba, and is willing to take them for a price that would pay his debt.

The Imperial Forces have Leia in custody, and are threatening her to get her to tell them the location of the Rebel base. They then destroy her home planet of Alderaan before moving on.

The Millenium Falcon comes upon the Death Star about to destroy the Rebel base. As they approach, they are sucked into the Death Star station by a tractor beam. The group escapes the ‘Falcon’ to snoop around the station. R2 tells them the Princess is there, so they go to save her while Obi-Wan leaves to disengage the tractor beam. After taking out the beam, Obi-Wan faces Darth Vader in a saber fight. Obi-Wan sees that Luke is witnessing this battle, and makes it a point to surrender, allowing Vader to strike him dead. The whole group of Rebels takes this opportunity to reboard the "Millenium Falcon" for escape. Luke hears Obi-Wan's voice telling him to run.

As the ‘Falcon’ escapes, they are persued by Imperial fighters. Unbeknownst to them, a homing device has been planted on the ‘Falcon.’

R2 has the plans for the Death Star, which are given to the Rebels to use to find a weak spot in the station.

Vader follows the &lquo;Falcon’ to the planet Yavin and learn that the Rebel base is on a moon on the far side of the planet.

On the anaysis of the plans, the Rebel team learns of a method to destroy the Death Star, requiring a precise hit at a vulnerable spot on the station. The teams deploy. They all wish each other luck as the Red and Gold fighter teams go in for the attack on the Death Star. An impressive battle ensues. (Details are for watching eyes only.) The Death Star is designed for large-scale battle, not for small fighters. This requires ship-to-ship combat with a band of Imperial fighters. Vader takes pilot of a fighter for himself. In case it's not obvious enough, Vader's ship has a different wing structure than the other fighters.

R2-D2 rides on the back of Luke's fighter, making minor repairs to keep him flying.

As Vader and his two wingships target Luke, an assault comes from behind. It's…sorry…gotta watch the movie (as if anyone in the world DOESN'T KNOW WHO IT IS).

Finally, Luke, Han, and Chewbacca are honored in a grand celebration of their victory.

WHAT I THINK

It is very difficult to review one of your favorite movies. Either you end up missing some of the bad parts needing to be addressed (there's one in almost every movie), or you go on and on, detailing every bathroom break of every character and decorative plant. I'll try not to do either of those…

In case you didn't catch my drift, this is one of my favorite movies. It is actually strange to compare your reaction to a movie you saw seventeen times when you were 4 years old to your reaction to seeing it again when you are…um…older.

For example, there are several explosions in this movie, namely starfighters, Alderaan, and…another one that is rather iconic. Reaction at 4…Wow! That's cool! Reaction at…several years later…Wow, now that was really impressive, even by today's standards! Yes, that is right. At my age, I refrain from using too many contractions!

Considering this was filmed in 1977, this was like the Jimi Hendrix or Citizen Kane of special effects. Oddly enough, I was more impressed with the original effects than I was by those added or enhanced by the remastered Special Edition.

I'm sorry to say that some of the acting could have been better. Ironically, I think Carrie Fisher is the worst offender (with Mark Hamill coming in a close second). It becomes distracting when Leia has a close-up of her talking to someone she doesn't like (e.g. Vader, Han Solo). She has a tic-like way of constantly shaking her head from side to side.

One other thing that I find disturbing comes as the group is escaping the Death Star aboard the ‘Millenium Falcon.’ Luke has just witnessed Vader killing Obi-Wan, and he is very emotionally distraught (one spot where Mark Hamill shows that he is a decent actor when he wants to be). Before you can say "May the Force be with you," all seems fine and cheery again; remindful of a newscaster who tells camera 2 that there will be sunny skies tomorrow, after announcing to camera 1 that a severed head was found in an alley behind the local preschool.

Name any other aspect of this movie, and I will probably have something good to say. Unlike most series, this one does an exceptional job with continuity and purpose other than profit (which it didn't to too badly with, either).

I would love to read any comments and thoughts from you from those days long, long ago (in a galaxy far, far away…)

MEMORABLE DIALOGUE & NOTEABLE ENCOUNTERS
Finally, a short list of quotes and verbal exchanges I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some if you've seen the movie, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• vader : You are part of the Rebel alliance and a traitor. Take her away!
• aunt beru : Luke's just not a farmer, Owen. He has too much of his father in him.
  uncle owen : That's what I'm afraid of.
• luke : How did my father die?
  obi - wan : A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi knights. He betrayed and murdered your father. Now the Jedi are all but extinct. Vader was seduced by the dark side of the Force.
• vader : The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.
• obi - wan : The Force can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.
• obi - wan : Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.
• luke : I have a very bad feeling about this.
• obi - wan : Who's the more foolish, the Fool, or the fool who follows him?
• vader : I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.
  obi - wan : Only a master of evil, Darth.
• obi - wan : If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine
• obi - wan :[voice] Run, Luke, run!
• han solo : You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!
• obi - wan :[voice] Remember, the Force will be with you, always.
• obi - wan : That's no moon.

TRIVIA
Here is some interesting trivia from this movie⇒

• When this movie was first released, the title was billed simply as Star Wars. The beginning crawl was the only place where "Episode IV" was seen. It was not until the first three episodes were filmed and released that the subtitle Episode IV: A New Hope was inserted into the title. I have included it here because I based this review on the enhanced version made in 1999, when the extended title was added.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

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