Yes, I am going to talk about
Stars Wars. Yes, the original. Yes, the one that came out in 1977 (May 25th, to be exact). No, not
everyone on the planet has heard about it. As a matter of fact, there is a strong likelihood that kids turning 8 in 2013 have never heard of any of the movies. The last movie in theaters (Episode 3) was released in May of 2005, it hit home release in November of 2005. So, if a kid was born in 2005, they would be turning 8 in 2013 at some point, and in their lifetime,
Star Wars has never been in theaters. Yes, I know there have been TV shows (notably the
Clone Wars animated show), and yes I know a LOT of people have the films on VHS/Laser-Disc/DVD/Blu-Ray/etc. However, I have met plenty of people in their twenties and thirties (mostly women) who haven't ever seen the movies either. Okay? This article isn't
FOR you, it's for
THEM. This article is for anyone who missed
Star Wars when it first came out (or was re-released, or re-re-released), or who missed (or stayed away from) the prequels (and I can't say I blame you, although I can tell you they did get better after Episode 1), or is too young to have seen any of it. All of the rest of you can either read this article for nostalgia's sake, or skip it -- and may the Force be with you :)
Okay, so, if you're still reading, I want to talk to you about
Star Wars: Episode IV. But really, instead of reading all this, I highly suggest you just go watch the film. It is an excellent film. But, if you need some convincing, please continue reading. Episode 4 is also frequently just referred to as Star Wars without the subtitle or Episode number. That is because the episode numbers (and subtitles) didn't really matter until the sequels started to get made. George Lucas decided to start this series of movies in the middle, with Episode 4. Throughout this article, I will alternate between calling it: Star Wars, Episode 4, and the First Film. Anyway, we get some history in the opening text crawl on the screen that lays the foundation for what's going on. Basically, the galaxy is in civil war, the rebels are striking against the Galactic Empire, and have stolen plans for a massive new super weapon the Empire has (the Death Star) which is capable of blowing up a planet. Princess Leia is being chased by the Empire and she has the plans on board her ship, and that's where the movie opens up. We then learn through conversations from the characters that the Jedi used to be the guardians of peace and justice, but they aren't around any more (we don't really know why, right now). We also learn that people are afraid of the Empire, and that they hate it.
So, with the stage set, I want to talk to you about the film, without giving the plot away.
