Review – Star Wars Episode Four: A New Hope

This movie is almost impossible to review, mostly because after it first came out it swiftly became a cultural phenomenon rather than just another cheap sci-fi flick. Furthermore, in 1977 I was at the perfect age to fall for it lock, stock and barrel. Of course I’m much older now, many years past the height of my science fiction phase. But even my older, more jaded self can still get a kick out of watching it over again on video (not to mention remembering more of the lines than I really care to admit). I also note that some of my students, who weren’t even born when this film first came out, are just as enthralled by it and its sequels as I was at their age. And to be completely fair, this wasn’t just a trip down memory lane for me, either. I hadn’t seen the new release with the cleaned-up prints and extra added computer effects. I can’t honestly say that the new stuff added much to the overall drama, but it was kinda cute. Oh, and it took me until 2005 to finally break down and use George Lucas’s new naming system. Before that this was just plain ol’ Star Wars. Buy the tape