Despite being Episode IV, Star Wars is actually the first of the Star Wars movies to come out. It has changed the ways movies are made, for better or worse. We have the summer blockbusters to blame because of this movie.

On the Tantive IV, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is captured by Darth Vader. Fortunately, an escape pod is jettisoned with C-3PO and R2-D2. The two droids’ fate collides with a young moisture farmer named Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). After a meeting with an old hermit named Ben Kenobi, Luke teams up with Han Solo (Harrison Ford) to save the Princess.

The plot is hardly complicated, but it always moves at a fast pace, unlike much of The Phantom Menace. The main complaint I have with the film is that the ending seems too long—it feels like the movie should have ended when Princess Leia was rescued! This would have made more sense because Return of the Jedi could have had the original Death Star, making the lame second Death Star nonexistent. The gigantic battle against the Death Star is effective however, although it seems to cut too much back and forth, as in this example:

INT. DEATH STAR

Darth Vader looks at some controls.

DARTH VADER: We are near the Rebel planet. They can not escape this time.

INT. REBEL BASE

A General looks at a computer display.

GENERAL: The Death Star is going to arrive in five minutes.

INT. DEATH STAR

Darth Vader looks at more controls.

DARTH VADER: Begin powering the lasers.

Overall, I highly recommend Star Wars—but prefer the original over the Special Edition.

I give Star Wars- Episode IV: A New Hope ***1/2 out of ****.