DIRECTOR: George Lucas

CAST: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, David Prowse, James Earl Jones (voice)

REVIEW:

Out of the innumerable films that have been released since the late 1800s, not many stand out as trailblazers that changed the entire cinematic landscape, but George Lucas’ Star Wars (the rest of the title wasn’t added until later) is inarguably an example. Not only is it a rousing adventure in its own right, but it revived science fiction as a major movie genre that could attract a large and passionate following, kickstarted a special effects revolution (giving birth to Industrial Light and Magic, the dominant special effects company of the 1980s and 1990s which contributed to everything from Star Trek to Jurassic Park) and arguably gave raise to the modern blockbuster (and things that come with it, like merchandising, mass marketing, and collectible action figure mania). It’s impossible to estimate the full pop culture impact of Star Wars. Even casual fans or virtual neophytes know phrases like “may the Force be with you” or know who Darth Vader is.