This was the movie that started it all. The reason the Star Wars saga still influences us in our daily lives was because of this one movie. Thank you George Lucas for giving us a masterpiece and creating the best saga ever!

Only a cult nerd would enjoy this poorly composed film, George Lucas, please don't make any more movies!

Star Wars (Episode IV - A New Hope) is an old movie yet it's one of the most awesome movies ever! if anyone wanted to watch other popular sci-fi stuff I would recommend Star Trek, or BBC's Doctor Who (i meant no offense)

How many other films do people watch over and over?

fantastic

If i know my star wars, this is probably the original version. if it is, then i would like to say this is way better than that crappy special edition one.

Star Wars will forever be that timeless film we can watch time and time again and still feel the same way about it as we did in our youthful years.

Sorry, guys. I grew up with Star Wars, loved it as a kid, but two things have finally made me realize that it really wasn't a great movie: 1. The Special Edition, or whatever they called it. What garbage. 2. The three prequels. What garbage. It's been a long time since I've seen the actual, originally released Star Wars. But I suspect that it isn't half as good as a remember it being when I was twelve.… Expand

The best movie of the decade and almost best of the century. The excellent characters, first rate performances and John Williams perfect musical score make it near perfect.

Michael. H., you are in denial. this film happens to be the most successful and popular movie ever made. i guess everyone's a nerd, because everyone's seen star wars.

I'm not sure what happened to the two sequels to this movie on Megacritic, but they were superb too. But the prequels were piles of crap. The story of the original Star Wars is the reason why I'm proud to say that I love the Star Wars franchise. Except for episode 1-3. Oh well.

I emerged from the theater a changed 6 year old. Despite some bad acting and average directing, this movie remains one of the greatest in sci-fi.

Anyone who says this movie is crap is crazy. Star Wars IV a New Hope is and will always remain an epic classic. It's so well done with a nice balance of action, comedy, and a brilliant story. A New Hope is like nothing you've every seen or will see. It remains to be the best of the Star Wars franchise.

The first star wars i saw the commercials for the special edition in 1997 and thought it was a new movie then my mom tells me that's already out and she went to the local video store and rented it i most of watched it ten times before returning it to find their where sequels...i actually saw return of the jedi before empire..which was confusing..but this movie i now today live by the jedi way or at least try i am a fanboy and feel foolish not to of seen it till i was 8 now i can't comprehend not knowing it i even have a darth vader tattoo on my should so this is the one that started everything and is still amazing today.… Expand

This is indeed the best sci-fi film ever. I loved this movie when I was three and still love it to this day. A great story.

This was great and behind empire strikes back is the best star wars film.

Incomparable. The best single movie ever made.

I've grown up with this movie still echoing through our culture - the quotes that never die, the influence it has had on Sci Fi, visual effects, computer gaming, advertsiing, fan culture etc... I have to ask myself - would I still love this movie as much if it hadn't been for the relentless hype that has surrounded it and other SW movies?

Magical, captured me in 1977 and never let go.

GMDK, you my friend are an idiot. Considering this movie was made in the 1970's, it singlehandedly brought a special effects and action revolution to American Cinema. All of the movies you named have been made in the last 5 years, of course they are going to have better special effects than star wars. Star wars is 30 years older. However Star Wars is one of the best movies ever made, and it always will be. No other sci fi film has brought the amount of attention as Star Wars. 30 years later, this movie's greatness still stuns audiences, and is one of the most popular movies ever. period.… Expand

As a stand-alone film, it's the best of the Star Wars series by far. Great script, none of the idiotic ramblings that plague the prequels, perfectly cast, actors all do a great job (you can argue that mark hamill isn't acting, but he's playing the wide eyed farm boy to perfection), state-of-the-art (at the time) special effects. Yes, Lucas CAN be accused of jacking some material from Tolkien. BUT in the end, does it matter? Nope. Phenomenal film.… Expand

Raleigh:Star Wars movies are the best movies in the world.nobody can reject them.Star Wars will always rule the world.I love Star Wars and will always love it.Its like my life.i want to have 4 kids.first,a girl. i will name her Padme. then, i want a boy.i will name him Anikin.then,i want to have twins. the boy first, named Luke. then the girl,named Leia. josiah:i think Star Wars movies are the best movies made in the world. olivia:i adore Star Wars. when #3 came out, i had to watch it. i didnt care if it was pg13.i wanted to see Luke and Leia being born. when i watched #3, the Saga was complete. when i have twins,i might name them Luke and Leia.i think raleigh would need to marry a fan of Star Wars.… Expand

Yes, I hate this release because it's the SPECIAL edition verions. And before you start flaming me, ask yourself what goes through your head when you watch the SPECIAL added scene in Jedi at Jabbas place and the band starts singing the most annoying song in a galaxy far away. I could go on for days but you ALL know what I'm talking about, those who don't are living in a river in Egypt. I bought the original VHS off ebay...that's what I grew up with. First Lucas messes with the original 3 movies, then he comes back with the steaming pile called phantom menace. Lucas, you suck.… Expand

It really isn't that bad, but it deserves a zero because it brang about the end of cinema, that took years to come back to standard, and because their are those bloody annoying geeks who worship it, because it doesn't seem like Lucas was even there when it was made, because the acting is atrocious, because it ended Carrie Fishers career and kickstarted Fords, because it put a curse on any sci-fi blockbuster yet to emerge. The most enteretaining thing about watching this movie is wondering if Lucas will be brave enough to return to directing, and prove to the world how terrible he really is. Episode I and II were VEEERRRYYY bad (jar jar binks for christs sake)… Expand

Ignore the crappy sci-fi effects this was the late 70s but this is a film classic not to be missed....

The worst of all the star wars movies. The problem with this star wars film is that it has a long boring decendency that if you start watching it,your eyes will hurt. There isnt the action that makes your heart leap (for example:LOTR trilogy,the incredibles,harry potter 3). If i become a star wars fan any day, it wouldnt be by this boring sci-fi.

I first saw this film in 1984 .I was living in Puerto Rico with my mom. It was on video. I remember the subtitles were pink. I fell in love with this film back then and 21 years and six chapters later it still holds a place in my heart. It is my fourth favorite now, but back then before Empire And Jedi. Before Menace, Clones, Sith. It was the only one that mattered then. It opened a new window into the movies for me. Being not only the First Star Wars movie but also my very First movie. Well.. At least that I recall. This movie lets your imagination run wild. Besides the amazing Revenge Of the Sith. NO movie has come close to matching its fun and fast pace. Well maybe a couple.… Expand

It's a TEN. What more can me said about it. Whoever hasn't seen it, it's a crime. It's a moral imperative that every human person on this planet catch the magnitude of this story. It's too bad that this is not on DVD. It's a shame that we will probably never see it on DVD. Unless you can find it on VHS, younger generations will never truly appreciate the development of our heroes from this film to it relevant sequals.… Expand

Excellent.

Awsome period. the birth of the best series ever.

A fun and exciting movie. I hated to see Ben die.

This film changed my life & the lives of thousands of kids who were receptive to the story this film told. We all wanted to be luke skywalker, to save the princess & defeat the Empire. I was an 18 year old lad & filled up as Luke stood before the twin setting suns of tatooine, whishing he could leave the moisture farm & join the rebellion. This film will never be bettered.

Pretty much flawless. The best film ever made in my opnion. I would love to see a new trilogy chronicling the story of Solo's and Leia's children in the style of the original trilogy, without the over reliance on CGI of the new trilogy and witty diologue and characters you actually care about.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Special Edition Re-Release. Wow. I thought it was a 2004 Re-Release. The thing that made me take several points off was that the graphics during the rematch Ben Kenobi Vs. Darth Vader were not clear. Otherwise, the story was perfect. The birth of Star Wars was great, after watching the film, American Graffiti. It was a fun and exciting movie, but, I prefer Revenge of the Sith.… Expand

Star Wars: A New Hope is one of the few All-American science fiction movies that you can call "glorious entertainment." That is an cinema achievement right there.

There is no sci-fi film better than star wars.. although i did prefer episode 3 :D, but i suppose thats due to my generation.

This movie has to be the best movie ever made by man, this was probably the birth to almost 50% of the good movies we have today. This movie definitely changed the world.

Possibly the best and most original movie (series) to ever grace the industry. It hit the world with an outstanding BOOM. It's legacy prevails for almost 4 decades now. Comedy from Harrison Ford is remarkable and makes him an unforgettable character. Drama and Music are the best from the series (who would EVER forget the Main Title Theme? Let alone, the "I am your father.") With the re-release in 2004, it makes up for it's one flaw (but not back in 1977) bad CGI. Also, the ending is revisited and puts Anakin from Episode III next to Obi-Wan and Yoda, as spirits. A perfect ending. I felt complete after watching this movie, it would be great, but, I'm fine without any sequels.… Expand

If you were a young child in the 70's then this is the first movie that left you in utter jaw dropping awe, the opening scene is classic, as are so many other scenes. It beats out all other movies becasue it's ground breaking WOW factor. After that no other movie could or would becasue our expectations were raised by that movie like no other that has come after it. The greatest film of the 20th century… Expand

The film was genius. Just a low score on graphics, even when it was remastered.

The boringest, terribly edited Sci-Fi film to date.

It was so interesting, I like the jedi light sabre.

I saw it in the theatre when it premiered the first time, when I was eleven years old. This was just as good. I wouldn't have got the value of the updating if i were now a kid, but as a mom i appreciated it. My kids were more into the prequil, which i approved of less.

You may have heard of this one. Nothing I can say will change your opinion of whether or not you will like or even see it again. I'm simply voting a 10 on Metacritic to show appreciation for a film that has served me well many, many times.

This is very good movie. I wouldn't say it is one of my favorites, but this is pretty good! This is the film that raised the standards for Sci-Fi space films. Before this film, Sci-Fi space films were very hoaky, and let's face it, ridicuously stupid! Space films before 1977 also made space look clean and more sterilized than a dental office. But in Star Wars, they actually showed space trash!They didn't try to make the future look clean and beautiful, they potrayed it as being a dirty, scary place, which it probably will be. The plot was very interesting for it's time, and still is today. I really like this film, and I would reccomend it to other people (80% of the people in the country have already seen it though). I really like the George Lucas digitally remastered special edition version though. It was re-created a little, and more scenes were put it. (1 February 2003)… Expand

I dunno know about the force but the purse was certainly with lucas. this megablockbuster franchise could well be called Big Bucks Rogers. on the one hand, the movie takes no chances, recycling fantasy and sci-fi cliches. yet, in 1977, the obvious staleness of the material was eclipsed by what was then mindblowing special effects. special effects have advanced by a lightyears since then, and for new generations of kids the first star wars movie will probably seem not so special. and for those who've seen many sci-fi movies since then are likely to take more notice of the threadbare plot and characters. anyway, though i don't want to revisit the galaxy far far away, it does hold a special place in my memory. it served as a sci-fi santa claus to a generation. and lucas seems to relish the role of santa to a whole new batch of young kids. … Expand

I find myself in a quagmire! I have long felt The Empire Strikes Back to be the best of the Star Wars trilogy and possibly the best sci-fi adventure ever made. As a kid I didn't care - they were all great. However, ever since I could turn half a critical (albeit clumsy) eye to movies, I have been torn between the flawless sequel TESB, and the artistic tour-de-force that is Star Wars. I watched both only recently and I still can't decide. In fact, it's harder than ever! Star Wars was one of those pivotal milestone films, not just of the 70's but of all-time, of the kind like The Godfather and Citizen Kane and The Exorcist; landmark films that not only broke new ground in technique and technology, but also quite simply set the standard for filmmaking excellence and quality. I look at Star Wars in simple diagnostic terms: the story sweeps you up immediately, discreetly and relentlessly; the music grabs your soul in a smooth embrace and dances with it; the visuals wink invitingly and ignite the fantastic in your imagination; the action scenes play so plausibly they are subliminally authentic; and amongst all this the characters read like your most familiar friends (and foes) from your favourite fable. Sound impossible to instill all this in one film? Mr Lucas did with Star Wars. It was probably the first, arguably the best, undoubtedly the most important. If you have never seen Star Wars, first of all, where the heck have ya been? And secondly, do yourself a favour...… Expand

There is nothing special about the Special Editions. Lucas should have listened to his fans and given us the option of watching the movies as they were orginally made.

It seems people havent seen the dvd box set yet, everyone is talking about star wars in general...well, guess what....i havent seen the new dvd versions either!...wohooo!!!!! star wars is and always will be a masterpiece line of movies that changed how films are made for good and gave several generations an identity. not to mention all the cool toys that are associated with it. john williams and george lucas are the dady of us all. people write awful things about lucas because he "fixes" his movies over and over again...he deserves some negative critisim, sure....because we love the old movies but also he deserves praise, because we see a man trying to perfect his own vision...and we shall respect him and stand by our man. after all, if it wasnt for him; we would'nt have known star wars in the first place. … Expand

Great movies. And hate to say, but this is Lucas's work, Lucas story, and his complete right to tell it as he see's fit. After all, he came up with it all. So if he believes the special edition is the only true one, then that's his perogative. Anyways, great movies as usual.

You've seen it. You know.

Billions have seen it. As I am the first user on the planet to rate it, and you are the only person who hasn't seen it, let me explain: The opening spaceship encounter uses every square inch of screen to overwhelm and fill the viewer with anticipation. George Lucas proceeds to apply Kurosawa's excellent film "The Hidden Fortress" as source for nearly every plot element of the story. He converts two ignorant peasants lost in an invaded alien country into two droids cast away on an invaded obscure planet. A spear fight between samurai warlords becomes a lightsaver duel between Jedi masters. All the while, Lucas follows his source, keeping the action moving from one strange location to another at a pace found only in old matinee serials, interspersing the most basic inadequacies of human nature with a profound quest to harness the power and insight of the underlying matrix that binds life to the universe. The inevitable awards recognition is anticlimactic and disposable. The alternative would have been to return to the unfamiliar, but it left the door open to do so sequel-wise. In an odyssey to that destination it creates an enduring set of benchmark cultural icons that revolutionized movie storytelling. The only question raised but left unanswered is how many parsecs it would normally take to make the Kassel run. The special effects are now dated, and in terms of character development and critical reality checks it is a sitting duck, but as a total motion picture entertainment package it succeeds across the board. … Expand

The best film ever made. Period. Damn right it's better than Godfather and Casablanca!

Not having seen every sci-fi movie out there, i can't say that this is the pinnacle of sci-fi film-making. But it's bloody close. Awesome doesn't even come close to describing it.

Awesome film! One of the greatest!

My desert island movie. Never gets tiring.

After watching this move on DVD for about the third time i have to say the movie is overrated. The acting is average except for Alec Guiness-the robots are too cute- it lacks any sense of gravitas- but a good popcorn movie.

A modern day fable that thirtysomethings hang on to as a way to remember childhood. A classic film that will be seen by many future generations.

The best movie of time.

Just OK.

This was a revolutionary movie that established scifi as a financially popular genre and allowed many more movies to come to the fore. The backstory might even be better than the actual movie.

I don't think anyone can doubt the cult and classic status of this film. Great characters,original idea and an interesting storyline make it a good film. However, why not a 9 or a 10 then? Well, it probably doesn't help that I'm not the biggest fan of sci-fi blockbusters and to some people the chase sequence near the end is the best part but for me it goes on a little to long. Although vader is a classic image I don't think he is enough of an enigma. A shout out to Harrison Ford though,a great performance.… Expand

excellent sequel in the series.

Ok, movielonely94, you need to take a look at the DVD case again. A New Hope was the FIRST and the best of the STAR WARS series. Anyway, this movie has everything: story, actors, genius director, and the great mystery of Darth Vader. A-MAZING!

This was the best of the original series and all the others after those 3 were awful. I actually liked the originals before the digital remastering. At the end the theater yelled hooray and clapped. Well, way back when.

A outstanding movie and the best of all the Star Wars movies, a true classic that is still a blast to watch today again and again, and because of this it gets a perfect 10, you must watch this movie.

One of the best films ever made only topped by episode V . It begins the best Sc-fi series of films ever made. George Lucas' second best film. Enough Said :)

It started it all. This movie was the best back then and quite simply is just as magnificent and engaging now. It is a pivotal moment in American cinema and culture. You can't deny the genius of this movie

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, you have the film start with that really annoying and ponderous scroll up the screen. Not a fan of that. Then we're introduced to C3P0 and R2D2. Even way back at the tender age of 5 when I first saw the movie, I could sense that there was some sort of homoerotic partnership going on between those two droids. Very uh, very dainty mannerisms. Of course, it was pissing me off that R2D2 just made a bunch of clips and beeps. Didn't find him cute at all, just indecipherable. What's up with that? Who needs a trashcan with some beeping noises? Then we get the firefight that has a bunch of stormtroopers running in and dying because their armor does absolutely **** all. Luckily, the Rebel guards have about the same level of marksmanship and no armor. Darth Vader comes in... he's not bad, he's kinda cool looking. But uh, then we get to Princess Leia. And ya know, I just don't find Carrie Fisher attractive. She's not a good looking woman. Not a fan of her. You kinda get the sense she's trying really hard to stay skinny by vomiting after meals or something. Annnd then we get the two droids walking around this barren desert and bickering at one another. I dunno... it just seemed really... boring and mundane. Not much of a crowd pleaser. It's also a very one sided conversation, since the little **** can only make beeps and clicks. **** him... I really thought it was good that he got tasered or whatnot. So yadda yadda yadda and... we finally come to the hero of the entire film... Luke ****ing Skywalker. Our protagonist, if you will. A little whiny farm boy. Oh my God I cannot stand Luke. Or maybe it's Mark Hamill. Maybe Mark Hamill was the problem, but I didn't like him. And this was before his face got all mangled up in ESB. Dude really resembled some sort of mongoloid then. But in ANH, he was just really whiny and annoying and hard to stomach. The way he would just stare at those two setting suns like he'd never seen them before in his ****ing life. You just didn't see why we should care about this guy, who whines about wanting to go join his friends at some academy. Or he's going to Toshi to get water vapor machines or something... it just doesn't inspire any sort of liking to this guy. Later on, we find out he also has a thing for his sister. What the ****. We meet Obi Wan Kenobi. Ridiculous name, of course. I can't see why anyone would think that's a name at all. Just **** But whatever. He rescues Luke from those sand people. Which was sad, cause I really wanted them to kill Luke and maybe eat his entrails? But no, we get treated to more of Mark Hamill's hammy ass acting as he acts surprised to learn more about his father. We see the first scene with the lightsaber, which looks awful of course, because this was the original version of the film I saw, back on VHS. No special edition with the CGI yet. So yea, it just looks kinda like a bright snow sword at times. We go to the town and find Han Solo. Han Solo... really **** and smarmy. Not as bad a character as Luke, but still not all that likeable. Plus, he hangs around with this walking bigfoot ripoff named Chewie, who again like R2D2 doesn't actually say anything we can understand. That's just annoying, sticking in characters that can't talk. Then again, this is from a guy who gave us great lines like "I don't like sand. It's rough. Not like your skin, it's smooth. Not like sand." Or something to that effect. The Force. Sooooooo ridiculous. Crazy mumble jumble. What is it, what does it do? I dunno, whatever George Lucas pulls outta his ass, apparently. New Age mysticism turned into a pithy little catchphrase in cinema. And that's the thing with Star Wars, it's not sci-fi, it's just sci-fantasy. A wizard did it, it doesn't have to make sense. Whatever, I hate fantasy. The Death Star. Oh god, the Death Star. Why would you build a ginormous battle station with this one vulnerability that allows the entire thing to blow up? That doesn't seem like a very good design. The shaft somehow goes straight into the main core. Of course it does. It's the size of a small moon but they couldn't be bothered to have the shaft deviate in some sort of manner. It just goes straight. And no filters in between. Nothing to stop a missile or torpedo.… Expand

This is without a shadow of a doubt the finest sci-fi film ever made and, I dare say, the greatest overall movie of all time. Should have won the best picture oscar instead of "Annie Hall". Absolute Classic!!!

Possibly the most fun anyone can hope to get out of two hours of film, although it can come off as a little cheesy, under-budget, and badly acted in some places. Ignoring these bad points (as I'm sure we all do when we watch it) Star Wars is a brilliant film. It's an exciting and vibrant space drama, where everything in it has been done before, but at the same time it feels very original. Harrison Ford and Alec Guinness both have decent turns as Hans Solo and Obi wan Kenobi (or maybe they just look good next to Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamil), and James Earl Jones makes the character Darth Vader into a bold and intimidating villain with his powerfully deep voice. The plot just sort of takes the characters from one spectacular action seen to another, but with this film Lucas created a compelling world and characters, things that would be expanded in future instalments.… Expand

Easily one of the greatest films of all time. A New Hope is a classic original sci-fi film that established George Lucas as one of the premire directors of our time. The only flaw is that the acting could have been a lot better.

It is always good to see a film that relies on character development, and this is what we get. A wonderful mixture of science fiction action and clever ideas, which not only accompanies a journey to destroy the Death Star, but also a quest to connect a brilliantly-acted group of characters. If you don't see this film, you don't known what good science-fiction is...

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..". This is the part where the dramatic music is supposed to play. But not wasting any time lets get started with the review. I have to say, one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. Also one of my personal favorites. I couldn't find anything wrong with this one. Except maybe the acting. The characters are spot on with there personality. So I was able to overlook the decent acting. Awesome special effects that changed film making for years to come. Started a huge franchise that I am personally a fan of. Star Wars took us on a journey light years away that made us believe that not everything in the future is shiny and brand new. My favorite part? Simple, when Luke blew up the Death Star. Imagine how that would have looked in a theater. In conclusion, I recommend this to movie lovers not just nerds.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Only a 7/10. As a 1977 movie, the production is quite good I guess. However the movie seriously lack depth... Failed to portrait any sort of emotions of characters particularly in terms of death of people: death of uncle/aunt of Luke, death of pilots, and eventually death of Obi-Wan which things I have to say make the movie pretty plain and flat. Storyline-wise, it's pretty straight forward - no surprise… Expand

Truly unique and inspired, Star Wars (A New Hope) is a hallmark in film making and one of the best films ever made, it redefines it's genre and and set the groundwork for 5 sequels (unfortunately only 3 where good), countless spin off video games and easily a multibillion dollar franchise.

Star Wars: A New Hope is a excellent piece of science-fiction that dreams big and never looks back.

Just watched it for the millionth time... as always, I wanted to watch it again right away. Very few movies give me that feeling. The story is predictable, but in all the right ways. Besides, the unpredictability was to be saved for the sequels... The acting? Does it LOOK like I care about the "bad" acting? Everyone is great. The characters are now so beloved, that there's no way for me to hate on them or the actors. Just go watch it again...… Expand

George Lucas tapped into greatness with the original Star Wars trilogy. A New Hope was truly revolutionary when it was released in 77, and it holds up very well, despite some out of date special effects. This is a movie to be cherished and remembered as one of the greatest science fiction films ever produced.

Star Wars is one of the most revolutionary movies ever. It was edited in the studio now called Pixar which has produced some of the most AWESOME kids' movies EVER. I think it mixed different true movie aspects very well, and it definitely hits the spot.

First off, I would give this movie a 9.5 out of 10. Great 70s scifi film. Acting great. Mark, and Carrie, and Harrison all did good In this movie. Score is great. Classical star wars music is great. The story is also really good. The effects are really good to. Considering the time perod, they're stunning. Overall, New Hope is a great star wars film. A great way to start a successful franchise.

Esta pelicula debio sorprender a aquellos que pagaron su entreda en el 1977. Es completamente fantastica!, Star Wars: A New Hope es un clasico de la ciencia ficcion. Una pelicula que marco esquemas y que se ha convertido en una de las mejores peliculas de todos los tiempos.La verdad es que cuando la vi, quede sorprendido por la calidad de sus efectos especiales y por la historia. Es super entretenida. Una joya de pelicula. Gracias George Lucas!… Expand