View Full Version : HCR Rates The Movies #50: STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE
So, our next film, Classic or Crud, Hit or Miss, what say you ALL?
Our next film open for discussion, and ultimately an Overall RATING by you all:
STAR WARS:
A NEW HOPE
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Let the discussions flow. Likes, dislikes, classic film or overhyped trash, and DONT FORGET to place an Overall Rating when youre done.
Its easy, just give a Rating from 1 (Jaws 4:The Revenge) to 10 (Jaws), and thats it. Course I'd love to have you all give reasons as to why you feel it deserves this Overall Rating, and more than encourage discussions with us all about them.
So, what say you all?
Next Film: ??????
And because weve reached a bit of a milestone here with #50, heres a few fun little facts about what weve all rated thus far:
Most Members Rating – X3: The Last Stand (24)
Least Members Rating – Rocky (3)
Most 10 Ratings Overall – Raiders Of The Lost Ark (12 out of 23)
Most 1 Ratings Overall – The Blair Witch Project (5 out of 15)
Best Ratio Of Perfect 10s – The Muppet Movie (8 out of 10)
Top Ten Scores (All Genres):
Jaws - 9.83
The Muppet Movie - 9.78
The Godfather - 9.56
LOTR: The Fellowship Of The Ring - 9.40
The Wizard Of Oz - 9.39
Ghostbusters - 9.34
Ben Hur - 9.28
The Shawshank Redemption - 9.21
John Carpenter's The Thing - 9.19
Halloween - 9.15
As always, thanks to Everyone whos participated in these threads, and lets see if we cant get these to #100 with Authority! Thanks all.
What else could I say about this film that hasnt already been said 1000 times over, by 1000 different movie critics and film reviewers since it opened. A true cinematic classic, not just in its genre, but in all of movies as well. Along with Jaws (which came out 2 years earlier), Star Wars helped create the idea of the Summer Blockbuster. It brought the Sci Fi film back to the mainstream audience with a BANG. It created movie merchandising like the world had never seen. It began such movie staples as ILM, THX, Skywalker Sound, and all these things outside the movie itself.
Within the film it created one of the most Classic cinema villains of all time (Darth Vader), one of the most classic music themes of all time (thanks to the genius of John Williams), and one of the most classic lines in film history with "Use The Force". Very Often imitated but Never duplicated, Star Wars shook the movie going audience on its ears, and created a massive boom in the Sci Fi picture, as well as the Summer Blockbuster, which we still have today, nearly 30 years later.
From the opening scene with the underbelly of a Star Destroyer, to Lukes classic stance on Tatooine staring out at the twin suns, to Vader and Obi Wans final duel, to the climatic destruction of the Death Star, this film is nearly as classic as it gets. Forget about what you didnt like about the Prequels, or Lucas' handling of certain things "Star Wars" in recent years, and remember the magic that Star Wars brought to movie goers all over the globe, and I think youll agree with all Ive said above, and possibly then some.
Star Wars: A New Hope - 10 / 10
What else could I say about this film that hasnt already been said 1000 times over, by 1000 different movie critics and film reviewers since it opened.
Well, many critics at the time passed it off as trash.
It was only AFTER having sneered at it, that they realised that they'd totally
underestimated what was happening, and that they'd have to bite the bullet
and pretend they liked it.
I hate movie snobs.
This film get's a 10 from me.
Alright. Being the total Star Wars Freak I am-- how can I give this movie [and any version of it] anything but a 10????
I can't.
10/10.
'Nuff Said.
Excelsior!
Yeah, it has its cheesy moments. Yeah, it has some bad acting & poor writing. Yeah, you can find all sorts of problems with it if you really want to.
But you know what? It doesn't matter!
This is one of those movies that everyone must see at least once. It completely revolutionized movies, for better or worse. It started the big merchandising link, epic effects, etc.
Not to mention that it is a great, fun movie anyway ;)
10 out of 10 for a combination of entertainment and importance.
After watching the flotsam that was/is Episode 1 and jetsam that is Episode 2 I'm convinced Lucas got lucky. As someone who remembers the quality polyester of Logans Run, Space 1999, and Star Trek this movie did a lot of things right... actually scratch that, most of the things right. There's just this problem I have with some acting and dialogue.
I was gonna say 9 but then I remembered this gem from Obi Wan Kenobi:
Who is more foolish? the fool or the fool who follows?
9.5
Gargantua
06/09/2006, 08:35
There's something almost magical about this movie. It's influence is huge, but it's far more than that. It just worked so well in so many ways. And it changed the life of a certain 9-year-old when it first came out way back in '77. After seeing that movie the first of countless times, I lived for Star Wars. I remember the feeling of absolute awe as I watched the first shot of the movie with the Star Destroyer as it flies overhead and just keeps coming and coming and coming. Had me from minute one.
The only reason I can't give this a perfect 10 is that what would I then give Empire, which is even better.
So 9.75 for me.
hail_eris
06/09/2006, 13:57
Ah, the comforting smell of nostalgia. This takes me back to a time when the biggest continuity problem we had was the "kiss for luck". (Dude! That's your sister!) Now we've got a pointless change in the birth order of the Skywalker twins, midochlorians, R2-D2's boot rockets, virgin births... I could go on, but this is *before* all that (I don't care what George says about having planned all the movies out from the get-go). This is the movie that started it all, and I'm rating it accordingly. As Gargantua said, Empire is a better movie (and, in my opinion, so is Jedi - the three plots overlapping and converging at the end is a technique that's virtually required in ensemble action flicks today). So I can't give it a 10, but I'll cheerfully give ANH an enthusiastic 9.5. May the Force be with us, always.
deadshot042
06/09/2006, 20:44
I fell in love with this movie as a small child and I still enjoy every moment of it. It is an amazing tale mixing a classic epic with wonderful characters and science fiction. A true masterpiece. What more is there to be said?
My Rating- 10
Prof. Aragorn
06/10/2006, 03:16
9.53
Great movie, has the classic evil Darth Vader, good epic but now its all gone trite.
Nevertheless this is one hell of a movie.
Maniac_nmt
06/10/2006, 13:26
8/10
I really do enjoy this film, although Empire is the best of the bunch. Han, Vader, and Obi can all act all right, but let's not kid our selves, Luke isn't that great an actor. The plot is fun, and the special effects are amazing for it's time.
Further tampering with the film has started to degrade it's quality (addition of CGI scenes definately drop the enjoyment, although the digitally remastered version is nice as it helped reduce some jerky ship movements, and clear up blue screen lines).
It's a good film, and a pioneer of the genre, but not a 10/10 film.
GreenLantrn128
06/10/2006, 14:49
10/10
8/10
I really do enjoy this film, although Empire is the best of the bunch. Han, Vader, and Obi can all act all right, but let's not kid our selves, Luke isn't that great an actor. The plot is fun, and the special effects are amazing for it's time.
Further tampering with the film has started to degrade it's quality (addition of CGI scenes definately drop the enjoyment, although the digitally remastered version is nice as it helped reduce some jerky ship movements, and clear up blue screen lines).
It's a good film, and a pioneer of the genre, but not a 10/10 film.
Star Wars got a 10 from me, and Im sure Im not alone, not just for the movie itself (a True Movie Classic, no doubt), but for what this movie did for films (and the movie going public) ever since. What its done for pop culture, toy and movie tie in merchandising, Sci Fi epics, Summer Blockbusters and special effects ever since it appeared in 1977. It literally rocked the world, came in with a BANG, like no film has done before or since. How many directors, great directors of great films, today say that they got "the bug" from this film? How many other movie/TV toy tie ins are there today because of this film? How many other films have ILM and THX added their magic too to make them the classics they are? Same with Jaws for me, the film got its Perfect 10 from me not just because of the movie itself, which like Star Wars IS a true cinematic classic, but for what it did for movie goers all over the world when it came out.
No film in the history of cinema has affected people as much as this one. (heck, just one example is that this film, and its sequels, is how many people voted "Religion: Jedi" on their countries Cenuses) A truly classic movie villain, movie scores, and several classic movie scenes in and of itself, and this is easily placed in the Classic 9+ category for me. How many Top 10 or Best Of film lists in history list this film among them? Countless. Empire Magazine and its huge list of readers, including many popular directors and actors, named this film #4 of all time. Adjusted for inflation its the #2 top grossing movie ever (right behind Gone With The Wind)
Not a 10 / 10 film? My friend while I more than respect your opinion, I couldnt disagree with you more. (but then again you gave Raiders Of The Lost Ark a 7.5 as well) :) :laugh:
Maniac_nmt
06/10/2006, 23:17
Episode 1 and 2 were horrible though, the additions and changes to the original were not so great, the toys are hit or miss, and many of the games are pieces of junk (there are a few really good ones, but they are few). So, I'm not sold on the fact that it's huge success was so great.
Star Trek has tons of fanatical followers, does that make it the greatest tv/film series ever? No
I like Star Wars, the original trillogy are among my favorite films. They are not 10/10 material though.
I love John Wayne, he's my all time favorite actor. For pete's sake, this man was known as 'Mr. America' all over the world, with more fans, more movies, and a larger film impact than George Lucas will ever have (Westerns defined several generations, Star Wars does not). That doesn't make his films 10/10 material, or mean he act as anything other then himself. He did make a few that I would rate very high, such as True Grit or the Quiet Man, but 10/10? No.
Episode 1 and 2 were horrible though, the additions and changes to the original were not so great, the toys are hit or miss, and many of the games are pieces of junk (there are a few really good ones, but they are few). So, I'm not sold on the fact that it's huge success was so great.
Star Trek has tons of fanatical followers, does that make it the greatest tv/film series ever? No
I like Star Wars, the original trillogy are among my favorite films. They are not 10/10 material though.
I love John Wayne, he's my all time favorite actor. For pete's sake, this man was known as 'Mr. America' all over the world, with more fans, more movies, and a larger film impact than George Lucas will ever have (Westerns defined several generations, Star Wars does not). That doesn't make his films 10/10 material, or mean he act as anything other then himself. He did make a few that I would rate very high, such as True Grit or the Quiet Man, but 10/10? No.
It sounds as if youre taking the disappointments that were SW Episodes 1 and 2, and downgrading the original Star Wars because of it. Same with your less than accepted changes of the Special Editions, which this film is not. Try and base your votes, (everyone, not just you) on the film at hand and thats it. Not changes to that film that may have occured (which is kind of its own film itself), or let less than flattering sequels bring down the original (should we take away from the classic that is the original Jaws because its sequels werent all that great?)
And Im not saying the toys were great or not great, Im saying this film basically created TV and Movie merchandising on an epic scale. From action figures to bedsheets to garbage cans and T Shirts. This was another of the many examples of how massive the effect the original Star Wars had on pop culture and the general public as a whole, more over whether we liked or disliked the particular SW items that came out then or 30 years later (which is a massive feat of longevity in and of itself)
But hey, to each their own, and though I disagree with it, I more than respect your opinion on this film here.
CURRENT HCR MEMBER RATING:
Star Wars: A New Hope - 9.66 / 10
(11 members rating)
This movie had a big impression on me the first time I saw it, loved it then and after having seen it many times since I can still sit down and watch this end to end... Can't score it any less than 10 really.
petenbailey9
06/12/2006, 16:13
There's something almost magical about this movie. It's influence is huge, but it's far more than that. It just worked so well in so many ways. And it changed the life of a certain 9-year-old when it first came out way back in '77. After seeing that movie the first of countless times, I lived for Star Wars. I remember the feeling of absolute awe as I watched the first shot of the movie with the Star Destroyer as it flies overhead and just keeps coming and coming and coming. Had me from minute one.
Exactly my feelings. I too was 9 when this came out, and I absolutely loved it! Talk about huge influence...when Pete and I got married, we had Han and Leia as our cake topper, and were announced to the Star Wars theme (gives me goosebumps every time). We had a life size Yoda by our guest book also.
10/10 for me as well.
Elizabeth
Inbetweener
06/12/2006, 21:01
Well, it's been a while since I've posted but this is the right time to peak my head in...Star Wars is a great film but I do believe episode V to be the one and only shining example of the superior sequel. I think Empire is the greatest sci-fi film ever made but that has no bearing here as that is typically what us hardcore fans say...Episode IV: A New Hope is even larger than that...it is Star Wars. It's the first of it's kind and an introduction to George Lucas's amazingly robust imagination as well the introduction to our very own imaginations in many cases. I can honestly say that these films made my childhood and I wouldn't be the big kid I am today...I've seen them dozens of times and they never get old. Star Wars' cultural significance is even larger than it's effect on me individually...it's huge. No film was ever marketed like this and arguably no film that followed it would be approached in the same way is was before it. I could get into more but I won't ramble and bore everyone. :)
Rating: 10 (big surprise)
Gargantua
06/12/2006, 22:41
when Pete and I got married, we had Han and Leia as our cake topper
Wow. That's even more fun than our Mickey and Minnie.
Mieir Link
06/17/2006, 04:40
This movies has a few things that always turned me off about it.
one is the main character Luke, I never liked him, he always seemed like a whiney punk to me, not exactly sure why, i would have been like 4 the first time i saw this movie, but i remember not liking Luke, and if I don't like the lead character its hard for me to get into the movie.
the other thing is i always saw this as a 70's movie, and for some reason while i was growing up anything that i associated with the 70's i just plain didn't like, sorry, not sure why but I just didn't
plus you guys do know that lucas stole most of the ideas for this movie, right?
I'll give it a 7
This movies has a few things that always turned me off about it.
one is the main character Luke, I never liked him, he always seemed like a whiney punk to me, not exactly sure why, i would have been like 4 the first time i saw this movie, but i remember not liking Luke, and if I don't like the lead character its hard for me to get into the movie.
the other thing is i always saw this as a 70's movie, and for some reason while i was growing up anything that i associated with the 70's i just plain didn't like, sorry, not sure why but I just didn't
plus you guys do know that lucas stole most of the ideas for this movie, right?
I'll give it a 7
So...as a 4 year old growing up in the 70's, what decade were you wishing it was
while you were busy hating the fact that it was the 70's?
Mieir Link
06/17/2006, 16:12
So...as a 4 year old growing up in the 70's, what decade were you wishing it was
while you were busy hating the fact that it was the 70's?
I was born in the eighties, but 4 was around the first time i remember seeing star wars for the first time
This movies has a few things that always turned me off about it.
one is the main character Luke, I never liked him, he always seemed like a whiney punk to me, not exactly sure why, i would have been like 4 the first time i saw this movie, but i remember not liking Luke, and if I don't like the lead character its hard for me to get into the movie.
the other thing is i always saw this as a 70's movie, and for some reason while i was growing up anything that i associated with the 70's i just plain didn't like, sorry, not sure why but I just didn't
plus you guys do know that lucas stole most of the ideas for this movie, right?
I'll give it a 7
Ouch. :(
So you hate everything thats 70s? Jaws? The Godfather? The Exorcist? Airplane? Some of the best movies of their genres came out in the 70s, actually.
Mieir Link
06/17/2006, 20:38
Ouch. :(
So you hate everything thats 70s? Jaws? The Godfather? The Exorcist? Airplane? Some of the best movies of their genres came out in the 70s, actually.
No, not hate, but there is a certain quality about things that I group from that era that i didn't like. Like I said I'm not sure why, but it seems to be only associated with things that I've known about since I was a kid, I guess its something that has carried over from when I was a kid. But If I became interested in them later than the rule doesn't apply. So for example, my Dad doesn't like gangster movies so I never really payed much attention to them until I got a lot older, like I just saw the God father's 1 and 2 this year, and I loved them especially the first ( I think i expected too much from the 2nd after hearing it was the first). but as far as the rest goes on the list, yeah not really big fans, I mean i don't mind them, just not a fan. Also, I've never seen the Exorcist
Mieir Link
06/17/2006, 20:41
( I think i expected too much from the 2nd after hearing it was the first).
correction - I think i expected too much from the 2nd after hearing it was BETTER THAN the first
Revolutionary! I saw this as a (kinda) wee lad (you know how they re-did and re-released it in the nineties) and it totally blew me away. It has problems, you say? La la la la la! Not listening! I'm not a movie snob, I simply watch movies to enjoy them.
Ten.
Out.
Of.
Ten.
I can't give it a 10 (why do you guys activate your laser saber :eek: :p ?) 'cause I prefer the Empire Strikes Back (remember what they say about it in Clerks ;)) but this movie is truly a LEGENDARY one so :
9.75/10
the itsy bit
08/10/2006, 08:32
9.75/10 and that's only so I can give the Empire Strikes Back a perfect 10 like most other people !!
seeing this movie and Star Trek the Original series has had me hooked to Sci-Fi for ever.
Antipathy
12/22/2006, 15:40
9.5/10
I enjoyed this movie a lot, but it wasn't as good as Empire Strikes Back, so I can't give it a perfect rating.
9.5/10
I enjoyed this movie a lot, but it wasn't as good as Empire Strikes Back, so I can't give it a perfect rating.
You can always give it a 9.75 then. :):laugh:
lensnart
04/20/2007, 17:58
This is the one that started it all, this movie had the largest impact on western pop culture that anything has had ever. I have never been as blown away by any movie as I was by this one the first time I saw it, never has an entire universe been brought alive to me like this.
This is the mark by which all sci-fi, fantasy and action films are measured. Of course Star Wars: A new Hope gets a 10 out of 10 from me.
I'm putting this one at an 8. It suffers from alot of the issues that origin stories have in movies, and the lesser funding and weaker special effects in this movie do hurt in a bit in comparison to Empire and Jedi in my eyes. It is far from a bad movie, I really enjoy it, but I do not put it as high as those two. It has that significance value of starting the franchise and the impact it made on cinema as a whole, but in terms of movie quality, not influence, it deserves an 8 from me.
Keep in mind the "weaker" special effects of this original SW film were Utterly Groundbreaking in the arena of motion pictures at that time. Nothing before had the same level of visual effects of SW, or even close, and if Empire and Jedi had better (which of course they did), its only because ANH paved the way for them to do so. (if I recall, this film actually helped create the Oscar Category of Best Special Effects - as well as it, along with Jaws, created the term for Summer Blockbuster (as before these 2 films, there was no such thing)).
AlienFlanders
04/23/2007, 02:56
I don't know that I can add much more to the conversation. I was blown away like most people at the start - the ship and then the Star DESTROYER, (I had a secret hope that Lucas would pull a similar stunt in the prequels).
I liked the original, the tweaks and additions to the rereleases annoyed me, but that isn't part of scoring, I give it 9.75.
Manchine
07/17/2007, 18:23
You know I forgot that star wars first movie was called "A New Hope". Even though I am one of the older crowd here. I never saw Star Wars in the Cinama. I saw Empire Strikes Back and loved it then. It wasn't until years later that I saw Star Wars. Have to say I was impressed. This was a great movie and The Legend was born.
10 out of 10
Pashmina
07/17/2007, 19:18
7.1 /10
Not a massive fan of Star Wars in general.
It was good, but I just didn' find it that engaging.
Star Wars a 7???
Manchine, Negative Rep charged and at the ready, Fire At Will! :)
(J/K, of course......sorta :p)
Manchine
07/17/2007, 23:08
LOL. No way not going there again. :)
iameleveneight
10/01/2007, 17:50
10/10 This is hands down the MOST influential movie ever made.
I saw this movie for the first time when I was 4 years old. I sat on my Dads knee, and hardly moved the entire movie. (according to him) That was in 1977. Over the next 5-6 years, I watched A New hope a further 29 times. To say that I loved this movie, would be an understatement. As a kid, Star Wars was it for me (well SW and hockey that is) I lived and died by it. I had almost every single Star Wars related toy in existence (well, a lot of them anyway) as a kid.
Looking back now, I still find the movie appealing, if somewhat dated. Empire never did it for me, but ROTJ was my favorite of the original 3. (such a disappointment when the prequels came out)
I really don't know what else to say? My son now loves the franchise (so cool to say that) and he's seen all 6 movies, and the 'Clone Wars' show/movie multiple times.
10/10
There is really nothing left to say about Star Wars.
9/10
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