Another odd factoid about the movie: Grand Moff Tarkin is played by legendary British actor Peter Cushing. Cushing, by all accounts, had a ball playing Tarkin and loved making a movie his grand kids would enjoy.
Patrick Sullivan
2019-09-11 21:36:11 +0000 UTC
It's been a really long time since I've seen a fresh face look at this film. Thanks Juli. I've watched this so many times that I never think to view it as a film analyst. It really is a masterclass in story structure, storytelling, characters, and revolutionary visuals/sound. It was ahead of its time for 1977 for sure. What I don't like are the Special Edition enhancements that stand out because the CGI from 1997 quickly became outdated, plus there are other adjustments that were absolutely unnecessary (I'm talking about you, Han and Greedo). Maybe someday we'll get an HD cut of the original film without all the alterations, or a version that includes only the alterations that improve the experience.
Jarrod Wild
2019-09-07 20:22:13 +0000 UTC
I think it's pretty cool that Lucas had the opening crawl translated into Spanish (and many other languages). It's more immersive for native speakers than just having a bunch of text at the bottom.
Jarrod Wild
2019-09-07 19:50:03 +0000 UTC
Cant wait to watch this tonight! My favorite series! I hope you enjoy it. We aren't all crazy! May the Force be with you!
PhillyJ
2019-09-02 23:16:19 +0000 UTC
The actor who plays Luke is Mark Hamill, and fun fact... He is the voice of Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar the Last Airbender π.
Edwin Wickey
2019-09-02 20:59:52 +0000 UTC
1977: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope" - Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan
40 years later.....
2017: "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope." - Phillip J. Coulson (to Hive)
Alvin Cura
2019-09-02 19:25:14 +0000 UTC
Just so you know, while this movie was originally released in 1977, there have been a few revisions since then. Most of them were just updating the effects, but there were some scenes added back in (like the Jabba one). Part of what made the effects hold up so well is that they used models, not CGI (except for some of the updated bits). For a lot of the stuff flying over the Death Star (as an example), they built a large model of it in a parking lot, then drove the camera by in the back of a truck.
Also, the actor who played Luke was the older Trickster on the Flash episode you watched recently.
Adam Nelson
2019-09-02 14:35:42 +0000 UTC
Thanks Heidi! I feel like you and I are always in the exact same places! I like your taste!
Edwin Wickey
2019-09-02 08:49:56 +0000 UTC
You have really interesting taste in movies. I was surprised to see that you liked The Rite. Not a whole lot of people have heard of that one. Oddly enough, I personally know the exorcist whose story that book, and therefore that film, our based on.
Alvin Cura
2019-09-02 07:07:26 +0000 UTC
You're very welcome. I am so happy you loved this movie. :) Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is one of my favorite movies, along with the rest of them in the saga. For their day, these movies were phenomenal and even for today times, these movies are loved by almost everyone. They are the biggest movies in cinematic history. It's why these movies are quoted in practically every other movie and TV show, and why there is so much merchandise for these movies too. If there is one movie that would forever be remembered when all others are forgotten, Star Wars would the one forever remembered. :)
In regards to your question about Obi Wan Kenobi... sadly he is dead. However, when he was fighting Darth Vader, he said that if he were to fall, he would grow to become even more powerful than ever before. The Jedi and the Force are far more powerful than you know.
As for the Force... it's every instinct, every thought, every feeling... all throughout the Universe combined into a power only few possess and can use for the good of all, or for the Dark Side like Darth Vader uses it for. It's far beyond telekinesis, telepathy, etc... It is the most powerful force throughout the entire Universe.
As for the characters...
Princess Leia is played by the late Carrie Fisher and she is phenomenal and beloved. I have always loved Leia from the moment I first began watching these movies back when I was two years old. I miss Carrie Fisher and was heartbroken upon learning she died. And what's worse... Carrie Fisher's mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, who I also love so much, died two days later and people say she died of heartbreak from losing her daughter. Leia is amazing and beautiful, and most definitely a very strong woman who I admire deeply even if she is a fictional character.
Han Solo is played by Harrison Ford of course. And yes... he is very young in these movies. These movies are actually among the first of his big roles and it's because of his role as Han Solo, that he became so famous in the years later. Han Solo is a beloved character like all the rest of these main characters and if I had to choose and absolute favorite... Han Solo would be it. I love him because he's so funny and he's a good guy despite acting so conceited. :)
Luke Skywalker is played by Mark Hamill and Luke is known to be the main hero of these films. He possesses the Force like Obi Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader, and has the strength and will to defeat the Dark Side. I love Luke and there's just so much more to learn about him, as well as the others throughout the sequels and prequels.
Darth Vader is voiced by James Earl Jones, and there are actually multiple actors over the length of the films who play this character. David Prowse is the man within the costume for A New Hope. As for the character himself... Darth Vader is known to be one of the most beloved villains in all movie history, as well as the most terrifying. And it's definitely true. I once had a nightmare where Darth Vader came into my room and he terrified me ever since. :) Your jokes about him looking like certain black appliances were funny. But I promise you there are reasons for him having to wear the suit and mask that will be explained in later movies. I love Darth Vader. :)
As for Chewbacca played by Peter Mayhew who also recently passed away... R2-D2 played by Kenny Baker who is inside the robot and has also died, and C3-P0 played by Anthony Daniels also inside the suit... I love them all as well. R2 is so cute with all the sounds he makes and while we can't understand him aside from what C3-P0 translates for the others, through all of his sounds you can get a good sense as to what he's feeling and thinking.
And lastly... Obi Wan Kenobi is played by Sir Alec Guinness. I love his character and I love the actor who plays him. And while he may be dead, he's still very much alive. There's so much more to him throughout the all the rest of the films.
The storylines throughout this movie for each of the characters are beautiful and these movies were among the first to really dive deep into the fight of good versus evil. These movies are powerful, emotional, beautiful, and so well acted by everyone within them. I have even cried in them. :)
Thank you so much again for reacting to A New Hope. And yes... I will absolutely sponsor you for the the movie, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back for September. I cannot wait!!! You're amazing, Juli!!! :)
Heidi Elizabeth Marcum
2019-09-02 06:03:54 +0000 UTC
Okay without really spoiling future movies let me try to explain Vader being called Lord and Darth. Bad/Evil Jedi's are called Dark Lords or Darth's hence him being called either Lord Vader or Darth Vader.
KMR
2019-09-02 05:59:58 +0000 UTC
So... George Lucas is the creator of this phenomenal saga and when he originally came up with the idea for Star Wars, the first movie was simply titled Star Wars. He wanted to write and create sequels and prequels for this movie because he had a really, really long story in mind, but only so much could be put into a single movie. However, when this movie was released, he didn't know how the audience would react to it, or if people would be willing to pay the money to make another movie, because science fiction movies were fairly new to movie cinemas and not widely liked.
Thankfully, people everyone fell in love with this movie and people were happy to make more. So, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back came next as a sequel to this beloved film, and Star Wars became Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.
As for why the numbers of the films are out of order... George Lucas had ideas for movies that take place years before the first original trilogy, with some of the characters from these movies when they are younger. However, Lucas wanted us to get to know these characters from this movie and the next two first. Plus... he also had certain creative ideas in mind for the special effects he wanted to see for these prequel movies, but the technology for special effects were not advanced enough back in the 70s, early 80s for what he wanted to see on screen for them. So he held off and waited for when the technology changed enough to make what he saw in his mind. And therefore, the the prequels for the next three movies in the saga begin with Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I hope all of this makes sense. :)