If there is ever a movie that does not need a review, it is this one. Star Wars (aka Star Wars: Episode IV -- A New Hope ) is probably the most popular film ever made, and it is certainly one of the best. It has a fantastic story, relatable characters, unforgettable visuals, and an overwhelming abundance of imagination. Throughout all of this are special effects millenia ahead of their time and enough fun and excitement for a moon-sized space station. There is also enough energy to keep it up for three full installments without wavering in the least. Perhaps the most amazing thing about all of this, something that only those who have seen these movies can understand, is that I am not exaggerating at all. This is a film that, because of its magnificent visual and narrative power, ignores infinite possibilities to show off technically, in favor of drawing the viewer in to experience, rather than merely watch, the world in which it takes place. Star Wars, along with the saga it would spawn, is as iconic as it gets.

It is hard to summarize the plot because there are stories on several different levels of the film. This is part of what makes it so good. There are roughly five main plots. The largest overarching plot deals with the conflict between the oppressive Empire, which now rules the galaxy (which consists of hundreds of inhabited star systems), and the freedom-seeking Rebellion. The next largest plot is that of the Empire's newest weapon: the Death Star, a space station capable of destroying entire planets. The Rebels have stolen the plans to the station, and are now trying to strategize an assault on it. Then there is the story of Princess Leia, who is captured by the Empire searching for their stolen plans and who is now being held prisoner on the Death Star. Fourth, there are the two main droids of the series, R2-D2 and C-3PO, who escaped from Leia's ship with the plans and who we follow through the story as they try to deliver them to the only person who can help. Finally, we follow these layered plots down to one character: Luke Skywalker, an ambitious young man who wants to join the Rebellion but is held back by his caretaking uncle, who needs him at home to help with the moisture farm.

Luke becomes the main character of this film and of the next two episodes. When the droids fall into Luke's caretakers' possession, Luke ends up stumbling into an old hermit named Ben Kenobi. Ben introduces Luke to the single most important element of the entire Star Wars saga -- the Force. The Force is an energy that permeates the entire universe and all living things within it. Those who are trained in the ways of the Force can manipulate it for good or evil (such as for foresight, reflex, or, we will learn, much more). Luke is particularly responsive to the Force and grows in its power fairly quickly. From here, we follow Luke right back up the plot-ladder, as he inadvertently becomes involved in the attempts to rescue Princess Leia, destroy the Death Star, and conquer the Empire.

The first thing to understand about Star Wars is that it is not simply a save-the-world movie. The main reason for Star Wars' success is that in it, director George Lucas has created an absolutely immense futuristic (even though it takes place "a long time ago") world that is, first and foremost, always one hundred-percent believable, even while it is mind-blowing in its imagination. This feat of verisimilitude is accomplished by providing both the important aspects of the story as well as the little details that, as far as plot goes, do not matter. When R2-D2 and C-3P0 are jettisoned onto the desert planet Tatooine (Luke's home planet, it turns out), one of the first things they encounter is the skeleton of some sort of giant dragon. The story, however, makes nothing of it. It is there to make the world fully living and breathing. There was a past that came before this story, even if it does not affect it. Later, when they visit the spaceport town Mos Eisley, one of the most memorable locations of the entire series, there are so many things going on that they are impossible to take in in a single viewing. In a lesser film, any one of the many creatures in this of scene may have been focused on extendedly, perhaps turning it into a plot point so as to be shown off to viewers. In Star Wars, however, they are treated as if there was nothing special about them -- because in this world, there isn't. These little touches are what make the film so great. They envelope the viewer in a state of awe for the dynamics of the world presented on screen.

This takes us to the film's special effects, which were revolutionary for the entire film industry. Most of the visual effects in Star Wars were so advanced that Lucas's crew actually invented new technologies to create them. Never before had we seen spacecraft dogfights as realistic as any documentary on World War II (which is what Lucas modeled the scenes after). Never had we seen sooo many bizarre creatures inhabit a single film. Never had we seen anything like a lightsaber be wielded with dexterity. And these things are all smoothly woven into the plot. Never are any of them here only to amaze viewers, though they always do. The spaceships are usually only means of transportation. Indeed there are no major dogfights until the finale. The creatures are often secondary or background characters, walking around only because they happen to be there, not because the film wants to digress and showcase them. And the lightsaber is not just a cool excuse for space-age sword fighting -- it is a weapon used only by Jedi (those who have mastered the ways of the Force), of which these original three episodes (IV - VI) contain only a select few. These Jedi use them because in trained hands they are much deadlier than blasters, the generic weapon of the galaxy. The lightsaber becomes symbolic of Star Wars, as it plays an important role in the film as a precise, "elegant weapon for a more civilized age," as Kenobi puts it.

The lightsaber reminds us of samurai films and adds an Eastern element to Star Wars. Another reason the movie is so loved is that it combines the best parts of two naturally exciting genres, the samurai and the western, and puts them in an even more pliable setting, space. The lightsaber is contrasted with the more Western blasters, which Kenobi describes as "clumsy" and "random." This statement automatically pits Eastern thought against Western thought. In this world, a lightsaber in the hand of a trained Jedi is far more dangerous than a blaster in the hand of even the most proficient soldier since it can deflect blaster shots when wielded by a trained Jedi. What results in all of this is a love letter to the days of sword fighting with an acknowledgment that guns are here to stay, even if they are less civilized.

Blasters are not just the weapon of dislikable characters, though. One of the most loved characters of the series, the smuggler pilot Han Solo, lives fully by his gun. Also, as we will learn in the subsequent films, the blaster is the standard military weapon of not just the Empire but of the Rebellion as well. In a final analysis, firearm-style weapons, such as blasters, are not particularly undignified but are the common man's weapon. Lightsabers, on the other hand, require utmost discipline. Within the Star Wars universe, they are therefore symbolic of dedication, patience, and, of course, a trust in the Force (which, as it is portrayed, is basically the force of God, or, for dark Jedi, occultist arts). The use of the weapon demonstrates the merits of those three qualities. In this light, even the dark Jedi deserve respect, though they totally abuse the power of the Force. There's nothing respectable, on the other hand, about an evil gun-toting villain.

The Death Star plot leads to the film's climax -- a seemingly futile Rebel assault on the station to destroy it once and for all. This is an exciting scene filled with spacecraft dogfights, but it, like the other parts of the film, is not just an attempt to show off. Instead of trying to win us over with special effects alone (which are nonetheless astounding), the story is more concerned with the camaraderie of the Rebel pilots. There are plenty of explosions and tense moments, but there is more radio chatter of pilots warning each other of incoming craft, congratulating each other on good shots, and discussing tactics. It provides a human element to the action and makes us feel more like a part of the attack and of the Rebellion itself. When I sat down and watched the film to write this review, during this scene I so enjoyed the action and interaction that I found myself smiling alone on my couch, despite the fact that I have seen it countless times before. The climax, like the film as a whole, is so well constructed that age does not diminish its impact.

Star Wars spawned an equally awesome trilogy and, later, a lesser but still respectable trilogy of prequels. It is the beginning of the greatest film franchise in history, and despite the greatness of episodes V and VI, in my opinion, it is the best installment of them all. It has all the action and adventure you could ever desire in a movie, but it also has a strong story, combining the classic themes of coming-of-age, good versus evil, and willpower over physical power. At its core, it is all of these things. On the surface, it is a wild exercise of the imagination and one of the most entertaining films ever made. If somehow you have managed not to see this film yet in your life, go buy it right now. You will be glad you did.