A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy So Close to the Heart

Wow, where to start.  Star Wars: A New Hope is actually one of my earliest memories of movies.  I remember watching it so many times and being able to recite most of the dialogue.  The series always captivated me.  Even in 2nd grade, I went to the theater six times to watch the same one! 

As for A New Hope, what an incredible story.  Looking at the time it was released, and knowing some of the back story about its development, it is no wonder how it became so wildly successful.  The story follows Luke Skywalker, and his attempt to take down the Empire with a team of ragtag rebels.  While this seems like a broad and cliche story, the details are where the story becomes amazing.  The way George Lucas and his team created to many creatures from all corners of the universe, all with such believable personality.  The machinery and technology were unthought of at that time.  To me, this film alone was a massive turning point for Sci-Fi as a genre.  Space battles that didn't look like models hanging from wire against a backdrop.  Planets and environments with real foliage, metal, and rock, instead of painted sets.  These few points alone made this film so believable and memorable.  Even in my later years, I still catch new things from the series.  In A New Hope, I can understand Luke's motives better; I have a new perspective on his emotions, his loses.  I feel Star Wars is often looked over due to many seeing it as a pure Sci-Fi/nerd fascination, but in reality it is actually a deep storyline with a lot of work and thought put into its development.