Revisiting Star Wars: A New Hope


Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens on December 20. It is meant to be an end to the saga we've known for more than 40 years, and that includes 10 previous movies (eight in series and two stand alone tales in the world). In the run up to that release, I'll be revisiting all 10 of the released Star Wars films and sharing thoughts as we prepare for the final chapter.

Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guiness, and Peter Cushing
About: This is the one that most commonly is just referred to a "Star Wars." In fact, that was the film's title when it came out. It was only later, when it became a franchise, there was a need to identify it by the chapter title that was always atop the crawl. When I was younger and watching the original trilogy, this was sometimes one I skipped over. I loved the big set pieces in "Empire" and in "Jedi." But this was also the first "Star Wars" film I saw in the theater. I remember I was a sophomore in high school when the 20th anniversary came and the films were re-issued. I remember riding the bus to downtown San Luis Obispo to be able to watch this film on the big screen, and it was amazing. I'd seen it before, but watching in a theater with all the fans, it was an experience I'll never forget. I loved watching all the original films on the re-issue. And as I've grown, and grown a new appreciation for these films, this is one that has steadily risen in my estimation. And I think it's almost under-rated now. It's not the best of the "Star Wars" films, but it was an incredible achievement. It gave us Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo, indelible characters we came to love. And there is a lot about this film that really works. If you haven't seen it in a while, pop this one in and give it another look. It won't take long until you're sucked into the story again.
Rating: PG for sci-fi violence and brief mild language.

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