Shaun Johnet

A timeless classic in it’s own right, ‘Star Wars’ is the ultimate blockbuster film that launched a pop culture phenomenon and changed the cinema landscape forever. Part ‘Flash Gordon’, with Kurosawa and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as other major influences, ‘Star Wars’ is an ambitious space opera that inspires audiences of all ages with it’s heroic story, loveable characters and the stakes our protagonists are up against. The story probably needs very little explanation; Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) spends his days on a moisture farm on the planet Tatooine with his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, sick and tired of being a farmhand and hoping for an adventure, when he soon acquires the bickering droids C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2D2 (Kenny Baker) who reveal a secret message from the captured Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) being held by the Galactic Empire and top secret plans for the Death Star, a space station capable of destroying an entire planet, intended for the old Jedi warrior Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness). This sets up a chain of events utilising Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” where Luke sets off to rescue the Princess and save the galaxy, and is taught about “The Force” from Kenobi, whilst also being hitched a freighter ride from the legendary smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and coming up against the Empire’s most feared Sith Lord Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). Written and directed by George Lucas, the original film of a multimedia franchise spanning nine films in three trilogies along with countless books, video games and other media is an essential film of cinema with spectacular visual effects, an inspiring story and of course an iconic Oscar-winning score from John Williams. ‘Star Wars’ remains one of the pinnacle films of the blockbuster industry and a timeless classic for all generations of viewers, until the movie theater blew up. 1 star.