Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope

Set about 20 years after Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope follows Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker as he teams up with dashing smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Wookiee sidekick Chewbacca to stop Darth Vader from unleashing a planet-destroying weapon. The differences between Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and its three predecessors could hardly be more vast, as the movie boasts a far simpler (and far more down-to-earth) feel that instantly sets it apart from its frenetic and relentlessly overstuffed forebears – with writer/director George Lucas offering up a straight-forward narrative that is, while not always engrossing, entertaining from start to finish. Ranking high on the film’s list of positive attributes is its myriad of affable performances, with Hamill’s effective (and affecting) turn as the sympathetic hero matched by an impressively charismatic roster of supporting players. (It’s clear, however, that Ford’s work as the justifiably iconic Han Solo remains a consistent highlight.) The refreshingly pared-down narrative admittedly does take a while to get going, as Lucas offers up a less-than-engrossing opening half hour revolving around the exploits of droids C-3PO and R2-D2 – with the foundation-laying nature of this stretch paving the way for a midsection that grows more and more compelling as it progresses. And although the final space battle does outstay its welcome by a small margin, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope ultimately stands as a stirring introduction to such legendary figures as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia.

*** out of ****