Friday, July 8, 2011

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Review










Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope


Release Date: 27th October 1977 – Australia


Production Companies
20th Century Fox
Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia


Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 121 minutes
                125 minutes
                (Special/2004
                Edition)


Budget: $11,000,000

Box Office Gross: $775,398,007 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
After the Jedi are all but extinct, the Galactic Empire now rules the galaxy by tyranny. The only thing standing in their way is the Rebellion. After stealing the technical readouts of the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance had hidden it in one of their droids, R2-D2. Darth Vader, the Empire's deadly chief enforcer, is after the plans while also attempting to locate the Rebels' secret hideout. A young farm
boy, Luke Skywalker, discovers
a hidden message within
R2 sent as a distress call
by the captured Rebel
leader, Princess Leia.

Seeing it as his true destiny, Luke accompanies an old Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, a cocky smuggler named Han Solo, his faithful Wookie companion Chewbacca, and the droids R2 and C-3PO. Together, they must rescue the princess and stop the Empire from destroying the Rebels.


Cast
Mark Hamill – Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford – Han Solo
Carrie Fisher – Princess Leia Organa
Alec Guinness – Ben (Obi-Wan) Kenobi
Peter Mayhew – Chewbacca
Anthony Daniels – C-3PO
Kenny Baker – R2-D2
David Prowse – Darth Vader
James Earl Jones – Darth Vader (Voice)
Peter Cushing – Grand Moff
Tarkin
Phil Brown – Uncle Owen
Shelagh Fraser – Aunt Beru
Jack Purvis – Chief Jawa
Alex McCrindle – General Dodonna
Eddie Byrne – General Willard
Drewe Henley – Red Leader
Denis Lawson – Wedge Antilles
Garrick Hagon – Biggs Darklighter
Jack Klaff – Red Four (John D.)
William Hootkins – Red Six
(Porkins)
Angus MacInnes – Gold Leader
Jeremy Sinden – Gold Two
Don Henderson – General Taggi
Richard LeParmentier – General Motti
Leslie Schofield Commander #1
Paul Blake 
– Greedo (Uncredited)
Maria De Aragon – Greedo (Uncredited)
Larry Ward – Greedo (Voice)
(Uncredited)
Alfie Curtis – Dr. Evazan (Uncredited)
Tommy Ilsley – Pondo Baba
(Uncredited)
David Ankrum – Wedge Antilles
(Voice) (Uncredited)
Malcolm Tierney – Lt. Shann
Childsen (Uncredited)
Peter Geddis – Captain Raymus
Antilles (Uncredited)
Peter Sumner Lt. Pol Treidum
(Uncredited)
Burnell Tucker – Del Goren
(Uncredited)
Shane Rimmer – Rebel Crew
Chief (Uncredited)
Derek Lyons – Temple Guard/
Medal Bearer (Uncredited)
Phil Tippett Cantina Alien
(Cameo) (Uncredited)
Jon Berg Cantina Alien
(Cameo) Uncredited)
Doug Beswick Cantina Alien (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Joe Johnston Death Star Trooper (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Steve Gawley – Death Star Trooper (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Grant McCune Death Star Gunner (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Peter Diamond – Stormtrooper/
Tusken Raider/Death Star
Trooper/Garouf Loube (Uncredited)
Lorne Peterson – Massassi Base
Rebel Scout (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Anthony Forrest – Sandtrooper (Uncredited)
Nick Joseph – Major Arhul Hextrophon
(Uncredited)

Crew
Writer/Executive Producer/Director 
George Lucas
Producers – Gary Kurtz and Rick McCallum
(Special Edition)
Casting Directors – Dianne Crittenden,
Irene Lamb and Vic Ramos
Production Illustrator/Planet and Satellite
Artist: Miniature and Optical Effects Unit –
Ralph McQuarrie
Creature Conceptual Designer Ron Cobb
(Uncredited)
Additional Spacecraft Design: Miniature and
Optical Effects Unit – Colin Cantwell
Production Designer – John Barry
Art Directors – Norman Reynolds
and Leslie Dilley
Art Directors: Second Unit – Leon Erickson
and Al Locatelli
Assistant to Production Designer –
Alan Roderick-Jones
Set Decorator – Roger Christian
Costume Designer – John Mollo
Creature Design (Uncredited)/
Makeup Supervisor – Stuart Freeborn
Makeup: Second Unit – Rick Baker
and Doug Beswick
Director of Photography – Gilbert Taylor
Second Unit Photography Carroll Ballard,
Rick Clemente, Robert Dalva and Tak Fujimoto
Camera Operators – Geoff Glover and
Ronnie Taylor
Production Supervisor – Robert Watts
Production Manager – Bruce Sharman
Assistant Directors – Terry Manning,
Anthony Waye and Gerry Gavigan
Special Production and Mechanical Effects
Supervisor – John Stears
Special Photographic Effects Supervisor –
John Dykstra
Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM (Special
Edition) – Dave Carson, John Knoll, Joe Letteri,
Alex Seiden and Steve 'Spaz' Williams
Visual Effects Producers: ILM (Special Edition)
Ned Gorman and Tom Kennedy
Visual Effects Art Directors: ILM (Special
Edition) – Mark Moore and TyRuben Ellingson
Computer Graphics Supervisor: ILM (Special
Edition) John Andrew Berton Jr.
Effects Illustrator and Designer: Miniature and
Optical Effects Unit – Joe Johnston
Chief Model Maker: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit – Grant McCune
Model Builder: Miniature and Optical Effects
Unit/Digital Matte Artist: ILM (Special Edition) 
Paul Huston
Model Builders: Miniature and Optical Effects
Unit David Beasley, Jonathan Erland,
Steve Gawley, David Jones and Lorne Peterson
Stop-Motion Animation: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit – Jon Berg and Phil Tippett
First Cameraman: Miniature and Optical Effects
Unit Richard Edlund
Second Cameraman: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit/Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM
(Special Edition) Dennis Muren
Assistant Cameramen: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit Douglas Smith, Ken Ralston
and David Robman
Second Unit Photography: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit  Bruce Logan
Composite Optical Photography: Miniature and
Optical Effects Unit: (Praxis)
Robert Blalack
Optical Camera Assistant: Miniature and Optical
Effects Unit/Visual Effects Supervisor: ILM
(Special Edition)  Bruce Nicholson
Computer Animation and Graphic Displays:
Miniature and Optical Effects Unit – Larry Cuba,
Dan O'Bannon, Jay Teitzell and John C. Wash
Optical Supervisors (Special Edition)
Chris Bushman and Philip Feiner
Animator: Lightsaber – Nelson Shin (Uncredited)
Film Editors – Paul Hirsch, Richard Chew,
Marcia Lucas and T.M. Christopher (Special Edition)
Assistant Film Editors – Todd Boekelheide,
Colin Michael Kitchens, Bonnie Koehler and
Jay Miracle
Special Dialogue and Sound Effects/
Sound Designer (Special & 2004 Editions) –
Ben Burtt
Supervising Sound Editor – Sam F. Shaw
Supervising Sound Editor (2004 Edition) –
Matthew Wood (Uncredited)
Supervising Assistant (2004 Edition) –
David Acord (Uncredited)
Sound Editors – Gene Corso,
Gordon Davidson and Robert R. Rutledge
Sound Editor (Special & 2004 Editions) –
Teresa Eckton
Production Sound Mixer – Derek Ball
Digital Mix Technician (Special Edition) –
Gary A. Rizzo
Re-Recording Mixers – Les Fresholtz,
Robert J. Litt, Don MacDougall, Bob &
Michael Minkler, Richard Portman and
Ray West
Re-Recording Mixer (Special Edition) –
Gary Summers
Re-Recording Mixer (2004 Edition) – Tom Myers
(Uncredited)
Film Restoration Supervisor (Special Edition) –
Pete Comandini
Film Restoration Consultant (Special Edition) –
Leon Briggs
Advertising/Publicity Supervisor – Charles Lippincott
Titles Dan Perri
Music Supervisor Lionel Newman (Uncredited)
Supervising Music Editor – Kenneth Wannberg
Music – John Williams


Awards

1978 Academy Awards
Best Art Direction – John Barry,
Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley and
Roger Christian (Won)
Best Costume Design – John Mollo (Won)
Best Visual Effects – John Stears, John Dykstra,
Richard Edlund, Grant McCune and 
Robert Blalack (Won)
Best Film Editing – Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas
and Richard Chew (Won)
Best Original Score – John Williams (Won)
Best Sound – Don MacDougall, Ray West,
Bob Minkler and Derek Ball (Won)
Special Achievement Award – Ben Burtt (Won)
-----------------
Best Supporting Actor – Alec Guinness (Nominated)
Best Director – George Lucas (Nominated)
Best Picture (Nominated)
Best Original Screenplay – George Lucas (Nominated)


Review
Before watching A NEW HOPE (known as STAR WARS in its original release) as a kid, I saw a clip on the interactive movie guide of Cinemania on my dad's computer years before IMDb. A few years later, after I'd only watched its later two entries, I borrowed it on VHS and began seeing the rest of the movie for the first time.

STAR WARS: EPISODE IV  A NEW HOPE was a rousing space adventure and a brilliant movie to start the franchise. It was the first film of the original trilogy and (chronologically) the fourth in the complete seriesIt's no wonder that it left an impact on audiences when it first came out in 1977. I praise its classic visual effects, the extraordinary acting of Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Peter Cushing and Alec Guinness, and the memorable music score by John Williams. The movie contains famous scenes, such as the opening where the Imperials attack Princess Leia's ship, the shot of Luke seeing the two suns, and the climactic space battle on the first Death Star.

A NEW HOPE was my favourite Star Wars film, second only to The Empire Strikes Back and is one of the greatest science fiction movies. I recommend this movie highly to anyone, including Star Wars fans, young and old. May the Force be with you.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

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2 comments:

  1. This is my second favorite movie after The Empire Strikes Back. I have seen this at lest 50 times. Superb review.

    -James

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great movie and nice review.
    (Also Han shot first!)

    ReplyDelete