Star Wars Episode IV - Overhyped ?

[Swordofmorning]

I am gonna get a major backlash for this, but here goes.
So, its all Star Wars going on these days. My friends are getting all excited about the new film and planning when to go see it and I haven't even watched the first film(yes, I said it). So, I decided to watch it, to see what all the hype is about and frankly, I was disappointed.( I had high hopes going into the film and it just wasn't what I expected it to be)

Firstly, I was thrown off by the name of the movie - Episode IV, yes you start with four, not say......,.. with one.
The CGI effects weren't that great( it might be great for that time but now it just feels lame) for eg- the lizards didn't create any footprints in the desert.( btw, the lizards were amazing)
The dialogues weren't that great either and some things just went over my head.
The people beings that carry off C3PO and R2D2 sounded just like Minions to me and Darth Vader like Bane from Batman, but I guess as Star Wars came first and can give that. 
Also, there were a few technical errors I noticed
- If you really want to keep your identity secret, would you just change your first name or your surname as well. Like, anyone could recognize Ben Kenobi as the old Jedi, but no one would guess it from say Ben Affleck.
- The stormtroopers (who have really cool uniforms, btw) won't leave at least one or two people behind after they kill Uncle Owen and Aunt whatever, to see if anyone comes there.
- After Obi dies, Luke is all like he should've been here but he doesn't ever say my uncle or aunt should've lived(people who he has lived with for almost 20 years).

- This bugged me the most, after Han and co. escape in the garbage section, why does no stormtrooper follow them? they just vanished in front of them and its not like they've barred the door.

- Another one, so this all starts when the rebels get a victory over the empire, but it isn't mentioned even once in the entire film, like we won a great victory but we still have a job to do.

*here ends my rant*

Its not like I didn't enjoy the movie at all, the performances by actors were amazing  - Leia, Han, Obi Wan and some things were cool, but most were really lame.

 

Edit - 

Finished Return of the Jedi and I am feeling a lot better than I felt at the end of episode IV.

This might've been becoz I had very grand hopes at the start which came down after IV, and then I went into V and VI with much less hopes, but V was really awesome and VI was also good.( Maybe I just got used to seeing weird lame animals after the IV )

I can understand that those who watched this film in '77 would've liked it much better as there was nothing like it then and that's why its got such huge fan following.

I liked the movies well enough especially episode V but still think Star Wars is a bit overrated(not as grand and perfect as its worshippers think). 

Also, thank you everyone for keeping it civil. I feared this thread will be locked immediately becoz its a really sensitive topic for all. I think Overhyped conveys my thoughts better than overrated.

PS - Many friends have said that the prequels aren't good enough and I shouldn't watch with them. So, should I bother with them?

[baxus]

Star Wars Episode IV is an iconic movie that set off one of the most successful movie franchises ever, one that has almost a cult-like following almost four decades after release and played a major part in defining SF movie genre.

Keep in mind that you can't judge an almost 40 year old SF movie's CGI based on today's CGI standards. First of all, it was NOT CGI it was all done with models starships and animals and stuff like that. It is a whole other ball park. It's as if you'd rate Johnny Weissmuller's swimming times against Michael Phelps' times. You CAN do that, but it would make absolutely no sense.

It is definitely not overrated and I'm not that big of a Star Wars fan.

[Davrum]

I am gonna get a major backlash for this, but here goes.
So, its all Star Wars going on these days. My friends are getting all excited about the new film and planning when to go see it and I haven't even watched the first film(yes, I said it). So, I decided to watch it, to see what all the hype is about and frankly, I was disappointed.( I had high hopes going into the film and it just wasn't what I expected it to be)

Firstly, I was thrown off by the name of the movie - Episode IV, yes you start with four, not say......,.. with one.
The CGI effects weren't that great( it might be great for that time but now it just feels lame) for eg- the lizards didn't create any footprints in the desert.( btw, the lizards were amazing)
The dialogues weren't that great either and some things just went over my head.
The people beings that carry off C3PO and R2D2 sounded just like Minions to me and Darth Vader like Bane from Batman, but I guess as Star Wars came first and can give that. 
Also, there were a few technical errors I noticed
- If you really want to keep your identity secret, would you just change your first name or your surname as well. Like, anyone could recognize Ben Kenobi as the old Jedi, but no one would guess it from say Ben Affleck.
- The stormtroopers (who have really cool uniforms, btw) won't leave at least one or two people behind after they kill Uncle Owen and Aunt whatever, to see if anyone comes there.
- After Obi dies, Luke is all like he should've been here but he doesn't ever say my uncle or aunt should've lived(people who he has lived with for almost 20 years).

- This bugged me the most, after Han and co. escape in the garbage section, why does no stormtrooper follow them? they just vanished in front of them and its not like they've barred the door.

- Another one, so this all starts when the rebels get a victory over the empire, but it isn't mentioned even once in the entire film, like we won a great victory but we still have a job to do.

*here ends my rant*

Its not like I didn't enjoy the movie at all, the performances by actors were amazing  - Leia, Han, Obi Wan and some things were cool, but most were really lame.

I love it but you'll get no backlash from me. I'm always curious about how it plays to new eyes.

Of course something to keep in mind about Star Wars is it's not science fiction, it's a fantasy epic that happens to be set in space, and fantasy epics are far more about emotion than logic, so a lot of that stuff slides as long as you're engaged by the characters and their goals/plights. 

It also helps if you watched it 140 times before you were 12.

[DaveSumm]

I'm sure you don't want to read all about the controversy of Lucas changing his films, but in a nutshell, the movie you watched was likely the special edition from the late 90's. The lizards were added, and it's interesting that you mention they look dated. They do by today's standard, and that'll only get more incongruous as time goes by. So yea, basically, we all hate the special editions just so you're up to speed.

It's a hard movie to rate objectively with it being so iconic. All the flaws you mention are valid, but to quote Principal Skinner: "It's Luke......and Obi Wan! And my favourite, Chewie! They're all here! We have a winner!"

[Howdyphillip]

Is the original Star Wars over rated?

 

NO !!!!

I feel a disturbance in the Force...

[Jon AS]

NO !!!!

I feel a disturbance in the Force...

...as if millions of nerds suddenly cried out.

 

Not everything added by the special editions is terrible (though a lot of it is), but mixing mid-nineties CGI with the older, practical effects makes it difficult to really appreciate the impact the original trilogy had. In my opinion it's well worth it to track down an original cut, and I'm still hoping that Disney is going to release a decent Bluray version some day.

[Martell Spy]

An entire generation of kids will think Greedo shot first.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

No, Star Wars is not overrated. It has plot holes, sure, but they don't hold the movie back IMO. Every time I watch it I'm amazed at the pace of it and how much they managed to fit in.

[HexMachina]

the effects in the OT might look a bit dated at times, but if nothing else the prequels ought to be evidence that newer effects aren't always better. 

[Arkash]

I dont think episode IV is overrated. For what it aimed to be and the context of its creation, it couldnt have been better.

BUT... there is one Star Wars movie that is overrated and is, imo, quite a failure : episode VI Return of the Jedi... I mean, for me it's the worst movie of the saga ! Even the Phantom Menace is better than the lame-ass (again, in my eyes) Return of the Jedi.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I dont think episode IV is overrated. For what it aimed to be and the context of its creation, it couldnt have been better.

BUT... there is one Star Wars movie that is overrated and is, imo, quite a failure : episode VI Return of the Jedi... I mean, for me it's the worst movie of the saga ! Even the Phantom Menace is better than the lame-ass (again, in my eyes) Return of the Jedi.

...

Those are some fighting words right there man.

[Swordofmorning]

 

Parts of it are dated, yeah, but you have to realize that it was made in the late 70s. Film-making standards have changed a lot since then, so it's going to be a bit jarring to watch Star Wars for the first time now. It's like reading Lord of the Rings after first reading all of the Tolkien imitators of the 80s and 90s.

You have to realize though that a lot of the cinematic experience that we have come to be familiar with today came about as a result of Star Wars. Star Wars and Jaws essentially launched us into the blockbuster age, and Star Wars especially created the first movie fandom that could match the size and scope of the TV/book/comic fan community. Some argue that this ultimately wasn't the best thing for film, because it heavily hampered the sucess of independent creativity in a lot of ways, but for good or ill movies like The Avengers and Lord of the Rings might not have come about as they had were it not for Star Wars.

Yes, maybe that why its so highly worshipped. It started the whole epic fantasy thing in the movies and the first of his kind. IMO, if I had seen the film in the 80s, I would've been utterly mesmerized. 

 

I love it but you'll get no backlash from me. I'm always curious about how it plays to new eyes.

Of course something to keep in mind about Star Wars is it's not science fiction, it's a fantasy epic that happens to be set in space, and fantasy epics are far more about emotion than logic, so a lot of that stuff slides as long as you're engaged by the characters and their goals/plights. 

It also helps if you watched it 140 times before you were 12.

 

 

I'm sure you don't want to read all about the controversy of Lucas changing his films, but in a nutshell, the movie you watched was likely the special edition from the late 90's. The lizards were added, and it's interesting that you mention they look dated. They do by today's standard, and that'll only get more incongruous as time goes by. So yea, basically, we all hate the special editions just so you're up to speed.

It's a hard movie to rate objectively with it being so iconic. All the flaws you mention are valid, but to quote Principal Skinner: "It's Luke......and Obi Wan! And my favourite, Chewie! They're all here! We have a winner!"

Yep, I liked the characters well enough - Han, Obi, princess Leia, C3PO. But with the high expectations I had, going into the movie, I wanted all aspects to be perfect, which I guess, weren't for me. 

 

Nah, I don't think it is overrated. 

For a start, what constitutes ''overrated''? Something that's not as good as people say it is? an ''objective'' approach to film, you can point out the flaws as in the OP. But Star Wars isn't like The Godfather or whatever in that it's meant to be enjoyed as a triumph of cinema, it's a triumph of storytelling. They aren't necessarily the same thing, and Star Wars is one of few films to transcend the medium it's told on. 

Plus, lightsabers man.

 

 

 

Precisely.

It excels at some things, fails at others.

Of Course, lightsabers!!!!!

[drawkcabi]

I'm always happy when someone who has waited until adulthood or near adulthood to watch Star Wars watches it and really likes it. But I'm not surprised when they don't or just feel it's overrated.

I think a big part of Star Wars is seeing it as a kid, even better seeing it in the theater as a kid. That's the best time to be captured by the magic that is this movie, again, it's not improbable to get hooked on it when coming to it as an adult, it's just more people who do that come out saying "What was the big deal?"

Once it grabs you as a kid it sticks with you and while flaws may become more recognizable as one grows older the enchantment never wears off (though the prequels did an awfully good job in trying to accomplish that!)

[jarl the climber]

Who's more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows?

[kuenjato]

as others have said, the historical context is essential in evaluating episode IV.

I work in a middle school and was asked to host a 'star wars' club, in anticipation to the release of episode VII. I played the theatrical "despecialized" versions for the kids (probably the first time they've seen these, outside youtube clips of unaltered scenes) and a couple thought that the original was sort of boring.

When Empire played, though, it was a packed house, and they were all riveted. It's amazing what quality direction, brilliant cinematography, an outstanding score and a tight script can do. I'm hoping E VIII strives for that bar.

[Aemon Stark]

Firstly, I was thrown off by the name of the movie - Episode IV, yes you start with four, not say......,.. with one.

Are you 12 or something?

The CGI effects weren't that great( it might be great for that time but now it just feels lame) for eg- the lizards didn't create any footprints in the desert.( btw, the lizards were amazing)

A New Hope does not have any CGI... well, not really anyway. 

The people beings that carry off C3PO and R2D2 sounded just like Minions to me and Darth Vader like Bane from Batman, but I guess as Star Wars came first and can give that.

You're saying the Jawas are like Minions? And Vader is like Bane??? From 1977? The movie is 38 years old. 

[Joe Pesci]

BLASPHEMER!

[felice]

Firstly, I was thrown off by the name of the movie - Episode IV, yes you start with four, not say......,.. with one.

The episode number (and subtitle "A New Hope") were added after the initial release, though before Empire came out.

The CGI effects weren't that great( it might be great for that time but now it just feels lame)

There is no CGI.

- If you really want to keep your identity secret, would you just change your first name or your surname as well. Like, anyone could recognize Ben Kenobi as the old Jedi, but no one would guess it from say Ben Affleck.

He's a hermit, though; who does he use the name with? He's an old friend of the Lars family, and Owen and Beru know enough not to spread his identity about. Luke probably isn't as careful, but even if he tells his friends the occasional story about the old hermit Ben, they're unlikely to be so thrilling that the news gets around to Imperial ears. Luke using the name Skywalker is more risky, but that isn't established till later films; Vader has no reason to go there anyway, and he's probably the only one who'd get the significance of the name.

- The stormtroopers (who have really cool uniforms, btw) won't leave at least one or two people behind after they kill Uncle Owen and Aunt whatever, to see if anyone comes there.

And at the Sandcrawler? If Stormtroopers left people behind everywhere they killed someone, after a while they'd run out of troops.

- After Obi dies, Luke is all like he should've been here but he doesn't ever say my uncle or aunt should've lived(people who he has lived with for almost 20 years).

He's obviously pretty upset about their death (though he does seem over it by the time they get to Mos Eisley, but if he'd spent the whole film in mourning, it would be quite a downer); I don't think he's required to say those specific words, and he may have done so off screen.

- This bugged me the most, after Han and co. escape in the garbage section, why does no stormtrooper follow them? they just vanished in front of them and its not like they've barred the door.

The stormtroopers aren't stupid enough to dive into a sealed trash compactor 8) And they don't know the fugitives have a droid on the station capable of letting them out. It would have made sense to send troops to keep an eye on the compactor door just in case, but they might not even know it has a door.

- Another one, so this all starts when the rebels get a victory over the empire, but it isn't mentioned even once in the entire film, like we won a great victory but we still have a job to do.

The victory was acquiring the Death Star plans, which is pretty much the focus of the whole movie. Where in the film would you have wanted to add another reference to it?

[DaveSumm]

Luke not really mourning his Aunt and Uncle is nothing compared to Leia's reaction to her entire planet being obliterated, presumably with her whole family. I think the next line we see her say is "you're a little short for a Stormtrooper, aren't you?" 

[Swordofmorning]

 

Are you 12 or something?

8, to be precise

A New Hope does not have any CGI... well, not really anyway. 

Whatever it was, it wasn't all that great

You're saying the Jawas are like Minions? And Vader is like Bane??? From 1977? The movie is 38 years old. 

Yes, I know the movie is 38 years old, I just mentioned that the sounds of Jawas and Vader were pretty similar to that of the minions and Bane.

If you will notice, i also mentioned in the OP, that of course Vader is the original one.

 

BLASPHEMER!

Yeah, this is what I meant by overrated. It is not that great, IMO, that people are worshipping it.

Luke not really mourning his Aunt and Uncle is nothing compared to Leia's reaction to her entire planet being obliterated, presumably with her whole family. I think the next line we see her say is "you're a little short for a Stormtrooper, aren't you?" 

Yes, there are numerous inconsistencies in the story like this and it kept bugging me.(For such a worshipped franchise, the film ought to be totally perfect.)