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Star Wars

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Star Wars (1977)

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Reviews Counted:17

Fresh:15

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: The action and special effects are first rate.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for sci-fi violence and brief mild language.

Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Theatrical Release:May 25, 1977 Wide

Synopsis: STAR WARS, George Lucas's stunning sci-fi masterpiece, is arguably one of the most inventive and entertaining films ever made, garnering generations of loyal fans who are forever imprinted with the... STAR WARS, George Lucas's stunning sci-fi masterpiece, is arguably one of the most inventive and entertaining films ever made, garnering generations of loyal fans who are forever imprinted with the memory of its characters and dialogue. As the adventure begins, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), an impulsive but goodhearted young man who lives on the dusty planet of Tatooine with his aunt and uncle, longs for the exciting life of a Rebel soldier. The Rebels, led by the headstrong Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), are fighting against the evil Empire, which has set about destroying planets inhabited by innocent citizens with the Death Star, a fearsome planetlike craft commanded by Grand Moff Tarkin (Peter Cushing) and the eternally frightful Darth Vader (David Prowse, with the voice of James Earl Jones). When Luke's aunt and uncle are murdered by the Empire's imperial stormtroopers and he mysteriously finds a distress message from Princess Leia in one of his androids, R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), he must set out to find Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), a mysterious old hermit with incredible powers. On his journey, Luke is aided by the roguish, sarcastic mercenary Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his towering furry sidekick Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) as they run into a host of perilous situations while trying to rescue the princess--and the entire galaxy. Magnificently referencing everything from Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI and THE HIDDEN FORTRESS to THE WIZARD OF OZ to John Ford Westerns and Joseph Campbell philosophies, STAR WARS revolutionized the cinematic world with its epic storytelling and amazing special effects. In addition to film veterans Guinness and Cushing, the movie also features an unforgettable performance from the young Ford, who would, of course, go on to become one of the biggest stars of the silver screen. Even today, Lucas's astonishing film leaves viewers wanting to see it again and again. [More]

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness

Starring: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Peter Cushing, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Phil Brown, Shelagh Fraser, Jack Purvis, Alex McCrindle, Eddie Byrne, Drewe Henley, Denis Lawson, Garrick Hagon, Jack Klaff, William Hootkins, Angus MacInnes, Jeremy Sinden, Graham Ashley, Don Henderson, Leslie Schofield, Richard LeParmentier

Director: George Lucas

Director: George Lucas
Screenwriter: George Lucas
Producer: Gary Kurtz
Composer: John Williams
Studio: 20th Century Fox

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Release:

Sep 12, 2006

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Reviews for Star Wars

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1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
10/18/08
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A grand and glorious film that may well be the smash hit of 1977, and certainly is the best movie of the year so far.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment 1 Comment
08/13/08
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A magnificent film. George Lucas set out to make the biggest possible adventure fantasy out of his memories of serials and older action epics, and he succeeded brilliantly.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
02/19/08
A.D. Murphy
A.D. Murphy
Variety
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It is, all in all, hard to think of a place or an age group that would not respond to the enthusiastic inventiveness with which Lucas has enshrined his early loves.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
07/09/02
Charles Champlin
Charles Champlin
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

George Lucas has made the kind of sci-fi adventure movie you dream about finding!

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Gary Arnold
Gary Arnold
Washington Post
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Like some indefatigable King of the Hill, it stands alone and triumphant, regardless of the many imitators that assail its position.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
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Backgrounds in some sequences are now more populated than they were, and it's fun to see all the creatures that make up the "wretched hive of scum and villainy" that Alec Guinness' Obi-Wan Kenobi describes.

comment Comment
01/01/00
John Hartl
John Hartl
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

None of these characters has any depth, and they're all treated like the fanciful props and settings!

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 47 Comments
01/01/00
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Compelling backstory, exciting action and pleasantly archetypal characters.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Louis B. Parks
Louis B. Parks
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Grandiose but good-hearted epic!

comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Wilmington
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
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A pop-culture landmark!

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
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Darth Vader and his James Earl Jones voice is a bad egg no matter how much we know about his screwy upbringing.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Peter Stack
Peter Stack
San Francisco Chronicle
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Lucas fills his screen with loving touches.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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A dynamic entertainment, efficiently and exuberantly setting up its mythic tale of heroes and villains, rebels and rogues, princesses and monsters, good and evil.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Sean Means
Sean Means
Film.com
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His work here seems less inventive than in THX 1138.

comment 10 Comments
01/01/00
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann
New Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Twenty years later, George Lucas' loved saga of the war between good and evil in a distant galaxy returns in digitally enhanced and augmented form.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's fun and funny.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 17 (sorted by date)
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