‘Star Wars’
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If the success of a film can be measured largely by its longevity, then none has stood the test of time as well as 1977’s “Star Wars.” When it came out, I was blown away by this film that crossed so many genres: action movie, Western, fairytale, sci-fi, and more. An orphaned farm boy, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), joins forces with ageing Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), roguish pilot/smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Chewbacca the Wookie, two droids, and — of course — the formidable Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), to save the galaxy from the evil Empire’s world-destroying battle station: the Death Star, commanded by one of cinema’s greatest villains, Darth Vader. Few action movies of this time (or later) had women in them as anything other than pretty scenery to be romanced or menaced. Leia was a leader both in politics and on the battlefield. “Star Wars” is a rite of passage. My 12-year-old niece now watches it repeatedly with the same enthusiasm I did on its release.
Peter Harrison
‘Toy Story’
