Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
1977
****
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew

As the Rebel Alliance is locked in a battle with the Galactic Empire, led by the evil Darth Vader, young Luke Skywalker meets a retired Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi who tells him about the Force. The unexpected commercial success of George Lucas' space opera transformed the movie industry for good, and turned Star Wars mythology into a pivotal part of popular culture. These days, massive multi-part movie franchises geared for the teenage audience are the norm rather than the exception. The first, or, well, the fourth, episode in the series offers a simple and somewhat silly story, some dubious acting and clumsy special effects, but it's great fun all the way through. It earned seven Academy Awards for technical merits and for the unforgettable John Williams score. Followed by The Empire Strikes Back.