Star Wars (1977) dir. George Lucas

Boy oh boy. I am not looking forward to this review...

!!!!!!

Since this is probably one of the most talked about, analyzed, beloved, adored, and popular franchises of all time, I really am at a loss of what to say about it. I don't think I this will be a very long review. Or a review. 

I'm gonna be honest with you guys. I didn't even bother watching the film for this review. I mean, I've seen it before, obviously. I think I may have actually only seen it once all the way through. But I've been so exposed to the series that I don't have it in me to write a review for this. I'm not a part of the Star Wars fandom. I like the movies well enough, but I am pretty removed from them. I have none of the merchandise and no nostalgia for it. This also goes for The Empire Strikes Back. That's on the registry, too. The rest of this review is pretty much for the whole series. 

It's a very entertaining movie with one of the most beloved protagonists ever. Luke Skywalker is right up there with Abraham Lincoln, Davy Crockett, all those American heroes. He's humble, honest, kind, and very loyal. He seeks the truth, he does what's right, he wants to know how to be the best he can be. 

And sometimes he's susceptible to being influenced by the dark side. Just like many of us, despite how good we think we are, can find ourselves becoming what we hate in the pursuit of righteousness and truth. Yet, he is able to identify those influences just in time, access his own perception of self, and repair what he has almost broken. And in the end this allows him to win. And good triumphs over evil.

Luke is like that really nice, really popular guy in high school who loved sports but was also a really amazing singer. He showed up to everyone's parties, and despite his best friend since kindergarten hanging out with the chess club/orchestra crowd, he still hung out with him almost every weekend. One time he almost got into a fight with a freshman, but he later apologized and then got the freshman laid. 

You know? Those people who are just automatically successful and popular but are impossible to hate because they are just so nice? And then everyone is shocked by their flaws and human moments?

I really like Luke Skywalker. I couldn't really care less about the other characters. Darth Vader is pretty cool, but that's about it for me. As for Han Solo, the only thing I really like about him is that he's actually kind of dangerous. He's a killer and a criminal.

He fucking shot first.

And that's what draws me to him, not how handsome or "badass" he is, but the uncertainty of him. In fact, I begin to like the second and third movie less and less because he becomes more and more good. 

So yeah. Luke is a really great protagonist. He embodies all of the characteristics of a hero in the form of a young, unsure orphan. He's sort of like Frodo, only more like a teenage boy. Which makes him more relatable. In fact, if you search "Luke" in Google, the first thing that comes up in the suggestions for me is "Luke Skywalker". And I've never searched that before, so it probably does that for a lot of people. 

Significance
You'd have to be a blind and deaf donkey to not know why this movie is significant. 

That said, I'm not totally sure what made this movie so significant. 

Well, I mean. It had great special effects. The story was modelled after old action/adventure serials that were very popular in the country (as was Indiana Jones). It had interesting and compelling re-working of common character archetypes like the young hero, the rogue with the heart of gold, the damsel in distress, the villain, the old sage, etc. 

It came out with so much merchandise and toys that kids didn't grow up with the movie, they grew up with the world. 

But is that it? Can that really be it? 

There has to be something more to this. 

And the closest I've come to understanding it is watching The People vs. George Lucas. I just finished that documentary in preparation for writing this review. It was pretty fascinating. It's the closest I've come to seeing the rationale behind Star Wars fandom. I've never understood it, though always appreciated it. 

I love seeing people who are obsessed with the franchise. I wish I had that. I almost wish I was apart of the fandom, the yearning, the wonder. I don't have that. I watch Star Wars and I'm like "Cool. Not bad."

So I guess just go watch The People vs. George Lucas. It said everything a lot better than I ever could.