- Sensibility: Surprisingly sensible for sci-fi. Only hangups are the Millennium Falcon evading detection on the back of a star destroyer and some of the typical poor aim from the stormtroopers.
- Cinematography: Production design is genuinely unbelievable. Every planet is so uniquely designed, with brilliant wildlife and costuming for each environment. Sound design is unbelievable and the score is one of the all-time greats. The
visuals of this film are probably the primary reason for the franchise's success.
- Energy: This is probably the best paced film in the franchise. The story is told so succinctly that you can miss things if you aren't paying close attention to the dialogue. There's almost no unnecessary scenes or moments.
- Narrative: This is the most important film in the franchise. It introduces the concept that makes this film literally and metaphorically span generations. The story finally gets to show us what the force has to offer. The use of varying environments and the spiritual connections Luke experiences with Ben, Yoda, Vader, and Leia are archetypal and play into the narrative beautifully.
- T-Points: The film received five bonus points: one for the sequence on hoth where Luke is captured by the wampa, one for Yoda's training Luke on Dagobah and Luke's vision, one for the incredibly shot and choreographed fight sequence between Vader and Luke ending with the most famous line in Sci-Fi, one for unforgettable genre-defining production design, and one for the incredible sound design and score.
Seeing this film for the first time as an adult, I was blown away. It's an unbelievable spectacle. No wonder my standards for film are so high, when the things I watched as a kid are
some of the most brilliant examples of visual storytelling ever.
Number of Watches: 3
