No. 10a - Star Wars (1977)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

Rated: PG (Parental Guidance) for sci-fi violence

Director and Screenwriter: George Lucas

Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones

Movie Introduction: The Imperial Empire, led by General Tarkan (Cushing) and his first-in-command Darth Vader (Prowse/Jones), hold Princess Leia (Fisher) hostage in their efforts to quell the rebellion. When a young lad Luke Skywalker (Hamill) receives Leia's distress call, he acquires the services of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Guinness) and cocksure pilot Han Solo (Ford). They form a plan to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and deal a crushing blow to the ruthless Empire.

Defining Moment: Mos Eisley space port

Luke, Obi-Wan and the two droids R2D2 and C-3PO, reach Mos Eisley, a small space port on the outskirts of the desert. They are looking for a pilot to take them off-world. They enter a seedy cantina populated with men and creatures of all shapes and sizes. The innocent Luke is immediately targeted at the bar by two grotesque alien bullies. The elderly Obi-Wan steps in to defuse the situation and calmly offers to buy the ruffians a drink. They refuse and immediately draw weapons. In a flash, Obi-Wan disarms them, one quite literally, with his light saber. Not a word is uttered. Just like that, the fight is over. (watch it on YouTube)

Something subtle you might have missed:  a space opera

Star Wars is often referred to as a "space opera". As the author of this website’s reviews, I can attest to the value in creative Thesaurus-ing. That skill can sure spice up your movie evaluations. Star Wars has also been called a "Western is space", which is warranted, as the film does display many of that genre's same elements: the mysterious bad guy, the young upstart, the confident gunslinger. Like our space film, Westerns are similarly referred to as "horse operas".

So where was I going with all this? Oh, yea, it is the use of the world "opera" I find odd. Because, nobody in any western or space film would be caught dead wearing a tutu or singing an aria.

Memorable Quotes:

"Listen, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate it. But there's nothing I can do about it right now... It's all such a long way from here." - Luke Skywalker

"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid." – Han Solo

"I find your lack of faith...disturbing." - Darth Vader

Dad's Review:

I have to admit that I arrived late to the Star Wars party. I was not part of the original throng that waited hours in line, dressed-up, and made silly Big Foot noises. In 1977 I was seventeen. It was all about my hair, rock and roll, being cool and impressing the ladies. I had no intention of letting it slip that I was a closet sci-fi fan. This "kid movie", as it was marketed and marketed, was just not my thang back then. So, initially, I turned up my nose and stayed away (yet deep inside I wondered what all the hype was about).

I finally discovered Star Wars about two years later.

Mom and I made the long ten-hour trek from Abilene to El Paso to visit my sister and her two young children, my nephew and niece. As you can imagine, their rooms were literally covered in Star Wars merchandise – toys, models, t-shirts, curtains, plates, posters. To myself, I scoffed, “See, just a way to sell dumb toys”. To this day, film over-merchandising bugs the crap out of me.

Anyway, the two young, energy-filled zealots wore me down and I agreed to watch the dumb film to appease them.

As the end credits rolled, I thought, "Wow, that was pretty good." It was surprisingly well-done. The acting was believable. The robots were not too annoying. I had this strange urge to give Chewbacca a hug - what was wrong with me?! There was no way I could let it slip that I actually liked this movie! What would my "cool" friends think?

I am so glad that I (sorta) grew up.

By now, I have watched the original trilogy (my kids call it the "OG" trilogy, whatever that means) many times. So what is it about these films? What is the magic?

I think the answer is different for every fan. For me, I relate to Luke most of all. It’s his story. He is a person with a good heart, who wants to help. But he feels small, unimportant, unable to get to the action or make a difference. I’ve felt that way. Some days I still feel that way. But you know what? He still keeps trying. He allies himself with people that can help him. He learns about his capabilities and finds ways to impact the larger picture.

This is the pure essence of Star Wars, again, for me. All the ships and ray guns and aliens – that’s fun, sure, but it’s window-dressing. I love the film because of Luke. He is the film's heart.

Star Wars: A New Hope (which it is called these days) was produced on shoestring budget. The story of its making is an incredible story itself. The film does have some imperfect effects. Years later Director George Lucas would tirelessly work on fixing these “errors” when he prepared the film series' "Special Editions". Personally, I like the original versions better, flaws and all.

Final Note: Regarding the relevance of this film and why it resonates with people, I feel centers on the evil Empire. Unless you are a 1%'er, you have at some point been steamrolled by the "Big Machine". You feel the weight of it daily: taxes, laws, corrupt officials, people being treated unfairly. Some days I feel like we are a breath away from total collapse and tyrannical rule.

As great as America can be, something feels broken. Why do the rich get away with crimes? Why are business executives allowed to pay and influence our lawmakers? Why are companies allowed to form huge monopolies? Aren't there laws being broken?  Why the hell are we even talking about rights? – we should all have the same rights – THAT INCLUDES EVERYONE regardless of sex, race, and who you fall in love with!

Sorta feels like things are being run by an evil Empire, don’t it?

You see, we, and I mean the hard-working, good-hearted people of America, are the Rebel Alliance. We face almost impossible odds. We feel small and unimportant. To that I say: keep the faith my friends. Continue to resist. Be thankful that we live in America, and can still do one very important thing: VOTE! Democracy will prevail, if we resist.

Onto No. 10b... The Superpower Attacks Again