Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope - Review

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope" – A review of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. 

I was recently horrified to learn that a work colleague of mine had never seen a Star Wars film. How?! How does one go through their entire lives and hit adulthood without experiencing a lightsaber battle? That's when another work colleague – who is roughly my age (okay, younger than me, but who's counting) – pointed out that when we were kids, there were a maximum of six Star Wars films to watch, and now there's a huge franchise full of multiple films and series, which makes it a little overwhelming to even start. This revelation did two things to me; first of all, it made me feel absolutely ancient and secondly, it made me sad for an entire generation who risked looking at some of the most fun, cheesy science fiction films ever made and thinking "eh, can I be bothered to start this?"

Originally named Star Wars before being rebranded as Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the film was released in May 1977, written and directed by George Lucas and produced by Lucasfilm. The film follows a young farm boy named Luke Skywalker who is thrown into an adventure when he intercepts a distress call from Princess Leia, of the Rebel Alliance, who is being held captive by the tyrannical Galactic Empire. Aided by a Jedi Master named Obi-Wan Kenobi, a smuggler called Han Solo and a Wookiee named Chewbacca, Luke sets off become a jedi, master the force, rescue the princess and destroy the mighty Death Star, an Imperial battle station used by the Empire capable of destroying planets.

This is an absolutely phenomenal sci fi adventure. The film explores themes such as hope, rebellion, found family and faith, whilst retaining perfect pacing, brilliant writing, and moments of triumph, comedy and tragedy.

The chemistry between the cast is one of the many reasons that this film works as well as it does. Mark Hamill was the perfect Luke Skywalker; earnest and passionate, Hamill portrayed Luke as the perfect protagonist, a farm boy eager for adventure if initially naïve to the realities of what this can lead to. Harrison Ford played Han Solo with charisma, delivering sarcastic lines with an undeniable wit, his reluctant hero persona perfectly contrasting with Hamill's Luke. Peter Mayhew played his friend, the Wookiee Chewbacca, and despite the full body costume Mayhew was still able to give a warm, fiercely loyal feel to the character.

Now for one of my childhood heroes – Carrie Fisher was nothing short of perfect as Leia Organa. She was only nineteen at the time and yet she delivered the role with so much ferocity, coming across as genuinely commanding, rebellious and no nonsense; Leia was no damsel in distress but a princess not to mess with, and no one could have played her like Carrie Fisher did.

You can't talk about the characters without acknowledging one of the most iconic film villains of all time – Darth Vader, played by David Prowse, a bodybuilder who brought a physically imposing, intimidating physical performance, and James Earl Jones, who delivered the iconic, modulated, instantly recognisable voice in post-production. I absolutely love Vader – I genuinely think he is one of, if not the, best science fiction villain ever created. There really isn't a bad performance in the film; Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker all also contribute brilliantly expressive performances (yes, including R2D2 and C3PO – these are in fact the droids you're looking for) and I can't imagine any role in this film being cast any differently.

This review has been something of a love letter to this film. Sure, it's aged – special effects have come a long way since its release, as has set and costume design – but the plot is engaging and fun, the dialogue is witty, the set designs are creative and escapist, and of course the music is iconic and instantly recognisable. If you are one of those people who have yet to give the Star Wars films a go, I implore you – trust in the force and begin your journey. The Rebel Alliance needs you.

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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