Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

PG

Released May 25, 1977

2h 1m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

Fantasy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

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206 Reviews

96%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the companionable droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy.

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Critics Consensus

A legendarily expansive and ambitious start to the sci-fi saga, George Lucas opened our eyes to the possibilities of blockbuster filmmaking and things have never been the same.

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Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

George Lucas' Star Wars is not a film that readily leads itself to comparisons, so it may as well begin with the superlatives. This captivating science fantasy is the finest pure entertainment to reach the screen in ages.

Apr 23, 2025

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Not a great movie in the sense that it describes the human condition. It simply is a fun picture that will appeal to those who enjoy Buck Rogers-style adventures. What places it a sizable cut above the routine is its spectacular visual effects.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 23, 2025

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Pete Hamill

New York Post

This Hamill's name is Mark and we are not related. He plays a kid named Luke Skywalker, who is the classic dumb hero, and he plays that dumbness with terrific conviction. A true family gift.

Apr 23, 2025

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

The special effects pushed the boundaries of what anyone thought possible in 1977, yet audiences were so swept up in the imagery, the adventure, and the momentum of the journey that they never stopped to marvel at the technological achievement.

May 4, 2025

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Wayne Harada

Honolulu Advertiser

A cinematic toy, a blissful concoction of wit and imagination, the brainchild of George Lucas of American Graffiti fame. It quickly is becoming everybody's movie of the year -- and add me to the list. But rightfully so: It is an out of this world delight.

Apr 23, 2025

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David Denby

Boston Phoenix

It's both a loving parody of banality and an awesomely beautiful work of imagination -- a throwaway, comic-book epic. Lucas's joke is first-rate.

Apr 23, 2025

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Patti C

Best movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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Rebekah S.

Last time I watched Star Wars it was brand new in theaters :) I had been to Washington DC in 1976 to celebrate the bicentennial. We went to NASA during that family vacation, I was fascinated! Then to see Star Wars a year later, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. I tried to take myself back in time while watching the Star Wars trilogy today in 2025. The story is excellent, its humor is timeless and the special effects are impressive considering they’re almost 40 years old. I also liked how the Darth Vader, the bad guy, was just that- not some totally whacked out, demented, gruesome killer, you often get these days. I loved it! 5 STARS

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/06/25

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Francesco A.

There’s a constant stream of opinions and conversations about Star Wars on the internet—positive, negative, insightful, toxic, but ultimately endless. Discussions about the prequel trilogy, the sequel trilogy, the spinoff movies, the animated shows, the live-action series, the games, the comics, the books. It’s easy to forget that it all began with one film. One film that changed everything. One film that changed cinema. One film that changed the world. One film that changed history. I put this on as a palate cleanser, a comfort film—something I trusted, something fun and easy to watch, something I would truly enjoy. And it made me smile. I loved it. It’s fun, it’s comfort, it’s cinema, it’s movie magic, it’s storytelling at its best. It’s everything.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/03/25

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Dominic W

One of the best movies ever made. Period.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/26/25

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Kimmo K

It's alright but overall pretty boring.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/21/25

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Zane M

This the the start of it all, it is the start of the best media franchise in history and the best media franchise that will ever exist. It was just a basic story that spawned the best media franchise ever. This movie is a great sci-fi and adventure movie/story and a great simple rescue mission that lead to the destruction of a super weapon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/17/25

Full Review

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George Lucas

Director

Mark Hamill

Luke Skywalker

Harrison Ford

Han Solo

Carrie Fisher

Princess Leia Organa

Alec Guinness

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Peter Cushing

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope: Teaser Trailer 1

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Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

The Imperial Forces -- under orders from cruel Darth Vader (David Prowse) -- hold Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) hostage, in their efforts to quell the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford), captain of the Millennium Falcon, work together with the companionable droid duo R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) to rescue the beautiful princess, help the Rebel Alliance, and restore freedom and justice to the Galaxy.

Director: George Lucas
Producer: Gary Kurtz
Screenwriter: George Lucas
Production Co: Lucasfilm Ltd.
Rating: PG
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 25, 1977, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 13, 1982
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $345
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround

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