Well, I feel I have to review this film, as it is THE film of my youth. Yes I wanted to be Han, Luke, hell even Chewie, I bought into George Lucas' epic space opera hook, line and sinker and have never looked back since. Some will decry this film as the end of the gritty, intelligent movies that the likes of Coppella, Scorcese, Freidkin and co had produced through the dark days of 1970s cinema (brilliantly captured in the classic 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls'), and in 1977 Star Wars effectively ushered in the idea of the 'summer blockbuster' (well with a little help from Speiberg and a rubber fish). However, that is simply movie history, and without Star Wars there wouldn't have been a lot of great films made that we know and love today (the Skywalker ranch and THX, Lucas' effects company born out of Star Wars, are responsible for many a fantastic revolution in special FX that is so dominant in the movies of today).

Okay, so that was Star Wars' cultural impact, but does the film still have impact and relevance in 2012? Well, the plot of the film is timeless ('A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far way'), essentially harking back to that age old story of the 'hero's journey' (although some fans will argue blue that the whole Star Wars saga is in fact a story of two droids, as they link all six films). This movie is of course about Luke Skywalker fulfilling his destiny, and is an allusion to rites of passage from boy to man, as we see his transformation from local farm hand to Empire defeating Jedi (mystical warriors in the Star Wars universe whose elegant weapon of choice is the eponymous lightsaber). This film has an all time great villain in Darth Vader, a character more machine than man, conveniently donned in an all black outfit and voiced with gravitas by James Earl Jones, and he is a formidable foe to Luke, more than willing to destroy an entire planetary system to destroy the pesky rebels and end any resistance to the Empire. Film critics have speculated that this pesky band of rebels could be likened to George Lucas himself and the other indie directors of the 70s and that the evil Empire represented the Hollywood studio system. This is certainly an interesting take on an otherwise very familiar story to most.

The film looks spectacular as well. The costume design, creature makeup and sets all look very believable (in a way that unfortunately the CGI prequels don't manage to capture). Lucas in interview has stated that he wished to make the universe of Star Wars lived in, droids had damaged parts and the odd scrape, the cityscapes of Mos Eisley look run down and beaten up, and this is where the film breaks new ground. The future (or in this case past) had always looked gleaming in sci fi previously, this film makes its setting look, well, plausible. It really helps you immerse your self in the film and story Lucas is trying to tell.

The film may on the surface of it seem fairly straightforward in plotting, but, a lot like Lord of the Rings and latterly Harry Potter, there is a whole mythology created by Lucas, involving magic and wizards (the 'force' and the Jedi Knights respectively in this case) and there is the history of an ancient conflict between good and evil in the form of the Rebel Alliance battling against all odds to defeat the Galactic Empire. This battle proves to be every bit as epic as those stories of old, characters transform and grow emotionally throughout the film, making this a satisfying story as you feel there is not only resolution but also the enticement of the greater story to be told in the form of two more sequels and then three prequels.

You've probably seen Star Wars, most people have, but revisiting it in either enhanced DVD or better still Blueray, you could do a lot worse and it still holds up just as it did 30 plus years ago when it first hit cinemas, there are few films in this genre that can still hold a candle to it, this is truly one man's inspiring vision thankfully for the rest of us realized forever in celluloid, don't miss out.