Subject: REVIEW: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION) (1997)

From: [email-masked] (Ram Samudrala)
Date: 3 Feb 1997 15:51:00 GMT

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (SPECIAL EDITION)
                       A film review by Ram Samudrala
                        Copyright 1997 Ram Samudrala

If you've never seen Star Wars, I think you're in an enviable
position, as I consider it one of the most impactful sci-fi movies of
all time. If you've never seen it on a big screen before, you've not
seen Star Wars.  Before I left to see the show, I was told by a
friend: "What's the point?  It's a 70s movie with a 70s story.  You
may as well just go out and rent it."  After seeing it on a huge
screen sitting in the fourth row with THX sound, I can safely say that
the experience far surpasses a rental experience.

The plot is simple, and as a pre-teenager, it had a magical appeal to
me (a flashlight was my light sabre, and I personally preferred
playing the role of Darth Vader): the evil Galactic Empire attacks
Princess Leia Organa's (Carrie Fisher) ship and captures her.  Leia is
the leader of the Rebel Alliance fighting against the Empire.  Luke
Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is recruited by Obi-Wan Kenobee (Alec
Guinness) to rescue her and aid the Alliance.  Luke is instructed by
Obi-Wan in the ways of the force (an idea borrowed from various
Eastern philosophies) and with the aid of his new found knowledge, he
must destroy the Death Star, a massive space station built by the
Empire that can obliterate entire planets.

While I was thrilled whenever I watched the movie on video and heard
Darth Vader say "I find your lack of faith... disturbing" 10 years
ago, for some reason it seemed really corny when I saw it in the
theatre.  In fact, the rest of the plot also seemed pretty much dated
and out of touch with the times, and the underlying philosophy (which
I could now seriously appreciate having actually /read/ some Joseph
Campbell) was what moved me this time around.

Many people complain about the 4+ minutes of added footage.  I
personally thought it did little, if anything, to hurt the movie, and
for the most part, actually enhanced it.  George Lucas, the original
director, has played it safe here.  I think the real test for Lucas
will come when the prequels are released---whether viewers will be
able to reconcile the technology used to make the prequels with the
technology in episodes IV, V, and VI remains to be seen.

Besides the overall improved quality of the film and the sound, the
parts I liked the best were limited to the extra 4.5 minutes.  I was
impressed with the interaction between Han Solo (a young and dashing
Harrison Ford) and Jabba the Hut.  The crowded Mos Eisley spaceport is
another enhancement that I particularly liked.  The music by John
Williams is incredible, and listening to it through a high-quality
sound system is a definite plus.  The one enhanced part I didn't like
was the scene between Han and Greedo the bounty hunter (Diana Sadley
Way), which I think totally was out of sync with the rest of the other
changes.

Watching /Star Wars/, you can easily see how hundreds of sci-fi movies
that followed it have borrowed from it, and sometimes even improved
upon it.  It pioneered a new way of sci-fi film-making. I can't wait
for the next two episodes (which, in terms of story, I consider better
than this one). Until then, may the force be with you.

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