Why was Star Wars so loved?

[Gecko Brothers]

I rewatched the origional trilogy this Spring Break and I started thinking, "These actors and action sequence suck!" This was the first time I said that about any of the origional three. I mean like the two torpedoes going into the vent, the cheap imperial actors on the second one, or the ewoks and Lando's acting at the end of the last one. Is someting wrong? Or have the two new ones stained my taste for Star Wars or what?

[daveblackeye15]

Because they're CLASSIC PIECES of CINEMA!!!!(echo) That's about as simple as I can put it plus they're alot of fun to watch (for me at least.)

[ulthar]

At the time Star Wars was released, it was seen as revolutionary in terms of effects.  Plus, a LOT of people dug the story, and especially the characters.  It was probably the first major motion picture in which several of the main characters were not human, and 'good guys.'  I remember my Mom saying after she saw it the first time (on video a few years after its release) "R2D2 is cute."  There you go.

Ironically, it was not considered by movie makers that it was going to be a big hit at the time.  It has no 'big name' actors for 1977, launching careers rather than using known talent. Often, such movies do very well, as folks go see it for the story and action rather than just to see their favorite star.

Once SW caught on, it gained 'celebrity status' in its own right.  Now, folks just associate it as 'one of the best.'  It's like "The Wizard of Oz" that way.  Seen through the lens of todays effects and cinematography potential, TWoO looks very artificial with hokey acting and special fx a kid could do.  But, we are brought up to believe it is 'one of those films that is just good,' and so we watch it through eyes of awe and wonder.  SW is similar.

The effects are cheesy by TODAY'S standards, but not by those of 1977.  The story is engaging enough, and the characters have enough depth to be interesting for longer than they are actually on screen.

I cannot speak for anyone else, of course, but I remember seeing SW in 1977 right after it came out.  It was the first movie my parents let me go see by myself.  To a 12 year old boy growing up in the country (I saw it in a nearby big city where we were visiting my sister at Christmas time) who was into Star Trek and sci fi movies in general, it was awesome.  Just awesome.

[dean]

It's going to be a problem for the youth of today watching Star Wars and thinking 'why is this so special?' because we all say how cool it is [or was] I remember a discussion a while back about somebody wondering whether they should show their kids Star Wars by release date, or chronological order [one through to six instead of 456123!]


God I feel old saying that; I'm still a teenager for Pete's sake!!


Still, it'd be an interesting study into the culture of today: would the kids think the originals are better or the 'first' three?

[Prophet Tenebrae]

The problem with a film like Star Wars is that it doesn't tend to age so well... It's just an inevitability that over time, it gets cast by the way side - furthermore with the prequels being such a washout, there is something of a tide of sentiment against the original films these days.

I would never dispute that The Empire Strikes Back is a great film but that's because it's just so much better than the other two in the trilogy. ROTJ was almost prequelesque with its use of Ewoks and ANH was pretty good but I just can't stand to watch the trench run anymore.

It just seems that every generation has it's own must watch films - I suspect that LOTR could be the current generations. No doubt the Wachoskis' wanted to grab it with the bloated and lame Matrix Trilogy but they fell into the same hole as Lucas.

To answer the original question - well, that's been covered. It was revolutionary at the time. Perhaps in 25 years time people will look back at the original Matrix and wonder what all the fuss was about...

10

[raj]

Good story:  good versus evil (no trying to get in touch with Darth Vader's troubled childhood which turned him bad); young man stuck on a farm in the middle of nowhere who goes on to beat the evil one; and cool special effects (they were revolutionary at the time).  Yes there were special effects and things blowing up, but they weren't the point of the movie.

As for Ewoks, well, let's put them in the same closet as Jar Jar, and never speak of them again.

[Flangepart]

raj wrote:

> As for Ewoks, well, let's put them in the same closet as Jar
> Jar, and never speak of them again.

How about an air tight box? We can ditch it from orbit over Yavin, just before we hit hyperspace....

Yeah. I watched the first one 8 times when it came out.
It ruled!
And yeah, i still like it. How time changes some things, and leaves others alone, to age gracefully in our memories....amazing, ain't it?
Time is the obstical corse, and only the strong stories survive to become legend.

[-=NiGHTS=-]

I still really enjoy the OT, so much more than the Prequels.  The acting is a bit strained in parts, but it's not nearly as hokey as the new stuff--I could watch the movies for Ford's performance alone.  And tell me that the scene leading up to the 'No, -I- am you father..." line doesn't hit a chord with you.

[raj]

Flangepart wrote:

> raj wrote:
>
> > As for Ewoks, well, let's put them in the same closet as Jar
> > Jar, and never speak of them again.
>
> How about an air tight box? We can ditch it from orbit over
> Yavin, just before we hit hyperspace....
 
Ok.  I get to push the button!

[The Burgomaster]

Back in the 70s - "Oh, man.  That movie was incredible."

2004 - "Those storm trooper outfits look stupid . . . and the special effects look fake . . . and Mark Hamill is a terrible actor . . . "

I guess times change . . .

[Gecko Brothers]

I'd prefer the origional trilogy over LOTR, Matrix, or the new Star Wars. I think my new somewhat distaste of the origionals is probably caused by fan fiction comics and games.

[trekgeezer]

It was August 1977 and I was stuck in a transient barracks at the Naval Support  Facility in Seattle awaiting separation from the Navy.  I knew nothing about  this Star Wars movie but overheard a couple of guys talking about it and how it blew Star Trek away.  Later that week I was in Seattle checking up my car that was being repaired so I decided to walk around town and see what was happening.

I came by the Cinema 150 and guess what was still playing there? I went inside and I was blown away.  I grew up in the 60's watching The Outer Limits, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, and Lost in Space.  This was light years ahead of them on the effects scale.  When I got back home I proceeded in dragging every friend that  would listen to me about how great this thing was down to the theater.  I have seen Episode 4 more  times than I care to count.

Three years later I was working for a computer company in the DFW area when  The Empire Strikes back came out.  A friend from work had his wife go to the theater at noon and get tickets then wait for us to get there on opening day.  How many times  did I watch it ?  Over a year later  my soon to be and still wife and I were looking for something to do one weekend and she was looking at the movies the paper. She says "How about this Star Wars movie, have you seen it?"  Only about 7 or 8 times was my answer, but I was willing to go again.


The third one never had the same impact on me as the first two. But these are classics because at the time nothing could match them.  I feel sorry for young people now, because there doesn't seem to be anything these days to inspire any awe in them.

[rich andrini]

> .  I feel sorry for young people now, because there doesn't
seem to be anything these days to inspire any awe in them.


 i am only 19 so i guess i am still young but when i saw star wars when i was younger in the special edtion re-release in the movies and the orignals on tape i was pretty impressed by them. when i saw the new ones did i say wow this is bad.



"Dont be a fool for ur tool"

[Mr. Hockstatter]

Star Wars came out in the '70s.  We weren't prepared for a movie that had, as it's main objective, the idea of offering us entertainment.  We were so used to - and so f**kin' sick of - movies that pounded some dope-smokin' hippie political propaganda into our skulls with all the subtelty of a sledgehammer that, well, Star Wars just caught us off gaurd.

[jmc]

I think if people weren't around back then they just can't understand the impact the movies had at the time.  They changed everything.  I was just a little kid and even I knew it was a big deal.   The biggest thing was that you had to wait 3 years between films....which seemed like an eternity to a kid.  

Though  the movie series from my childhood that has really stuck with me over time isn't Star Wars, but the Indiana Jones films.