STAR WARS (1977)
Article #288 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 12-28-2001
Posting date: 5-14-2002

A farm boy finds himself embroiled with rebels fighting the empire when he encounters two escaped droids, one of whom is trying to deliver a message to a lost jedi knight.

No matter what anyone says about the role this movie has played in the decline of cinematic SF, I still think it’s one hell of a movie. I can never forget the wonder of seeing for the first time in theaters, especially the cantina sequence and its amazing variety of alien life forms. It’s also an effectively and efficiently told story; simple maybe, but exquisitely presented. Plus, it has Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing, even if they are in roles that aren’t a real challenge to them. Still, it is sad to consider the impact that this movie had in shaping a specific idea of science fiction in the minds of corporate moneymakers; fortunately, they aren’t the only ones who make movies.