A New Hope Review

Part 1: Setting the Table

It’s hard to find things to say about A New Hope that haven’t already been said, so I’ll leave the opening at this: This may just be one of the best openings to a movie. It’s quick, to the point, explains what’s going on, and keeps going. It’s all so very well done. Darth Vader is presented as such a menacing and almost inhuman force, while still being very logical and driven. You can see his impulsivity in “accidentally” killing the rebel he interrogated too (war crime speedrun any%)

The presentation of Tatooine is also very intriguing. the skeleton of a giant snake-like creature in the desert sets the stage for what a dangerous place C-3PO and R2-D2 are in. The Jawas are interesting and still lowkey cute. The setting is very Dune-like, from the shape and scale of the sandcrawler to the troops in the desert. I find myself having difficulty stopping to write about this movie because I’m so immersed in the story. It’s remarkable how some 50+ years later, this story still is gripping, intriguing, and immersive in the same way it was back in its original release.

The treatment of droids in this world is also interesting. They are, in many ways, more capable than humans, but also limited in the ways we tend to measure humanity. They have personalities, but still lack a certain aspect of human depth. It lends itself to the way they are discriminated against and generally disrespected. It’s a great example of how you can tell a story and explain a world without giving direct dialogue references.

Another example of good world building and character exposition is the organic way that the rebellion comes up. C-3PO mentions being part of it and Luke immediately perks up and asks questions with great intrigue. This coming after Luke playing with a model space shuttle really adds to the picture of Luke having dreams of getting off this planet and doing something interesting in this grand galaxy.

The knowing looks and references to Luke’s father by his aunt and uncle are well-placed and cause you to wonder for yourself what the story is there, rather than be annoyed by the lack of context. These factors blend together to really show Luke’s frustration over his boring farm life. This is something that I think many viewers can relate to, coming from a variety of different backgrounds.

That being said, I must say that it is awfully convenient that the two droids just happened to end up on the planet where Luke and Obi-Wan are living. Ben’s character is mysterious yet charming, which add to his intrigue before you even really know who he is. It’s also never explained how he makes such weird noises to scare the sandpeople away!

Watching this movie with the context of all the Star Wars lore is a bit crazy. It feels like this solid movie is the foundation of a building much bigger than the foundation was every planned for. Expansion of the line about Obi-Wan serving with Anakin in the Clone Wars creates weird borderline contradictions with Obi-Wan not knowing R2 or 3PO. It still kinda works and is explainable, but it just makes it feel like this burgeoning universe all weighs on this “indie” movie.

When I was a kid, I never made sense of any of the Imperial meetings but they do make a lot of sense and add a lot to the story! I love how Vader’s point about the Force being more powerful than the Death Star is supported by his ability to choke the Imperial leader. It shows Vader’s attitude, his role, and his commitment to his beliefs. Brief, yet effective in multiple ways.

It’s interesting to examine Obi-Wan prodding Luke towards the fight against the Empire, while acting as neutral as possible. It’s also fascinating to see how the deaths of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru act as a sort of “no turning back” notice to Luke. He now has no family/business to keep him from leaving to join the Rebellion. It’s clever because it shows the Empire unintentionally beginning their own demise.

Luke is ultimately a dutiful man. His duties to his family have been destroyed, so now he wants to be dutiful to a large scale cause. He may be whiny, but he is inspiring and relatable. Side note: wow these CGI additions by Lucas’s revisions are atrocious.

It’s so hard to make notes on this movie because so few things really take me out of the action. There are just a lot of little things that help retain the immersion into the world, and make the story believable. The way the Cantina reacts to a man’s arm being sliced off in a scuffle and Greedo being fried by Han, the way Han conducts himself when meeting with Luke and Obi-Wan, the way droids are not allowed in the Cantina, these things all just flavor this setting so well.

“Maclankey!” - Greedo, I guess

I much would have preferred Jabba to stay as a human, as he was in the original version of the movie. I understand the desire to show new and weird aliens, but I feel like big fat slug guy just… Isn’t that scary or interesting. The weird jittering step on the tail is just soooo immersion breaking, and Han calling Jabba a “wonderful human being” just… doesn’t make sense.

Blasters were so much more powerful in this movie. In the confrontation between Han and the stormtroopers before they leave Tatooine, Han’s blaster causes huge sparks and explosions on walls. I miss when Star Wars made things this impactful. Han’s explanation of the importance of setting your course before jumping to light speed really gets disregarded by modern Star Wars. It’s honestly kind of depressing to see how even things like this are treated now.

Part 2: Call to Action

This section of the movie gives even more great character and world exposition. Grand Moff Tarkin’s interrogation of Leia very effectively portrays him as a very cruel, tactful, and threatening leader. He understands how to leverage people to get what he wants, without giving anything in return. This does so much to show just how the Empire is and operates.

Luke’s lightsaber training against the remote also offers a great moment not only for the characters to breathe and interact with each other, but also for Obi-Wan to explain more about the Force, and for Han to express his doubts about its existence. Thinking of this in context of the prequels is interesting because it shows just how effectively the Empire has killed off the traces and influences of the Jedi in one generation.

Hyperspace fitting the Falcon out in the remains of Alderaan is also an effective visual representation of the damage the Death Star can cause. The power of the tractor beam to shake the ship is another thing I miss from Star Wars. Obi-Wan’s line “You can’t win, but there are alternatives to fighting” expresses so much of his perspective and causes you to wonder what exactly he is referring to. There’s just so much to read into with this movie, it’s fascinating. That’s the power of good worldbuilding.

I love Obi-Wan as a character, particularly in this movie. He understands the mission objectives, is attuned to the Force, and knows how to steer Luke. He’s not given a crazy amount of dialogue, but he does so much with the lines he’s given. He’s a stark contrast to both Vader and Han. Vader is also mission-focused, but in total opposition. Han is selfish where Obi is selfless. Han is a greedy traveler where Obi is a simple hermit. Han improvises where Obi plans. Han discourages Luke where Obi encourages him. He gives Luke what he needs to keep going, in an extremely effective mentor role.

The trash compactor scene is kind of odd. I don’t even mean that in a bad way, it’s more like it feels like a little side mission for the characters. It’s strangely charming and I think the reason for that is that we tend to lack scenes like this in modern movies. What I mean by that is that it’s a bottle episode in a movie to a very limited degree. It sticks most of our main cast in a tense scene where they are trapped in a room with very apparent stakes that raise over time. The tension really makes the cast seem to hate each other, but their victory over the trap actually strengthens their bonds with each other and gives a strong moment for them to rally together from.

Next, we have the stupid chasm that Luke and Leia find themselves in front of. I really hate this scene. I think it’s entirely to blame for like 3 of the most overused jabs at Star Wars. The first is that stormtroopers cannot aim. They should have shot Luke and Leia like 100 times by the end of the scene, but they don’t because of movie logic. The second is the “haha incest” bit because Leia kisses Luke before they swing to the other side of the chasm. The third is that scenes don’t have to make sense in order to be iconic or important to characters. It just ain’t true, man.

Obi-Wan’s death is really interesting, both as an element of this movie, and also as an element of the canon as a whole. In some ways, his death is one of the most significant events to ever take place in Star Wars. In this movie, it represents: The severity of Vader, the stakes of the mission, a big step in the Hero’s Journey, and the turning point of Luke needing to be his own man. In this canon, it represents: Vader’s closure of the Jedi Order by killing his master and old friend, Luke’s galvanization to fight the Empire rather than assist the rebellion, the introduction of force ghosts to the universe. I love this scene for this. I miss when Star Wars was good.

Part 3: Rebellion and Redemption

The TIE fighter shooting sequence after the escape does a great job of breaking up the emotional tension of Luke’s low spirits after Obi-Wan dies. It doesn’t feel too inappropriate, it feels like Han needs help and to bring Luke back to the reality of the situation. I feel that most movies would either linger on Luke’s sadness too long, or not at all. I like this, even though it risks undercutting the impact of Obi’s death. It works because it keeps things going while still showing the reactions. It shows that emotions don’t change the reality of the situation.

Leia getting upset at Han for only being in it for the money doesn’t make a lot of sense to me though. Mercenaries must be a common thing here, no? I like how Luke’s optimism and hope shine through the Rebellion’s debrief on the mission for destroying the Death Star. Leia comforting Luke’s frustrations about Han leaving them really doesn’t make sense considering that about 5 minutes ago in movie time, she was even angrier over the same thing. Maybe it’s just because I grew up with the LEGO versions, but I’ve always loved the look of the fighter pilot helmets in Star Wars. They’re so unique and cool to me, especially the marked up ones.

The Death Star bombing run really is an exciting and gripping fight. It’s such a great and fitting conclusion to the movie. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition to Luke’s place at the beginning of the movie. I do have one minor issue with it though. The explanation of how Luke is not only capable to pilot an X-wing, nor only allowed to pilot an X-wing, but also be perhaps the best pilot in the fleet is just… hard to buy! It’s a great moment and the film does provide dialogue to support it and establish it through Luke talking to his pilot buddy who joined the Rebellion. However, the support doesn’t mean it’s totally sound.

Regardless, we get a great third act out of it! The tension is very well-set, with the lack of music in the first section of it, followed by tense yet upbeat scoring, which then builds to tense moments, with Luke nearly dying to Vader. Obi-Wan speaking to Luke adds a great touch to the movie, leaving the viewer with questions about whether Luke is imagining Obi-Wan, or if he is actually speaking to him. Han’s return to save Luke from Vader is predictable but still sweet. The movie really feels like it’s wrapped up well with a nice little bow. It manages to be self-contained but still open enough for a sequel without any on-the-nose sequel teases. It’s just fantastic.

This movie truly is one of the greats. Hard to believe it’s almost FIFTY years old. Timeless classic in spite of being very timely and “visually dated”. 9/10

Thanks for not reading.