STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE Revisited - Looking Back At 5 Things That Worked And 5 That Didn't

Star Wars: A New Hope is rightly considered a classic, but we're now taking what's sure to a potentially controversial deep dive into everything that did and didn't work in George Lucas's classic movie.

By JoshWilding - Nov 08, 2023 01:11 PM EST

Filed Under: Star Wars

The Star Wars franchise returned to the big screen in 2015 with The Force Awakens, though this Galaxy Far, Far Away has since found greater success on television than in theaters. While Lucasfilm did announce three new movies earlier this year, the Hollywood strikes mean they're not really any closer to happening now than they were then!

None of them have definitive release dates, unfortunately, and it seems we'll have to continue turning to Disney+ for our Star Wars fix in the meantime (Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte are both heading our way in 2024).

To fill that Galaxy-shaped void in your lives, we're taking a look back at the Skywalker Saga, starting with the classic movie which started it all: Star Wars. For some of you, suggesting that anything in the opening chapter of this particular trilogy didn't work may be sacrilege, but thanks to this deep dive into "Episode IV," you may soon find yourselves coming around to our way of thinking.

So, to see what we did (and didn't) like about A New Hope, all you need to do is click the "Next" button below...

Did Work: Escape From The Death Star

It's easy to forget just how much of A New Hope takes place solely on the Death Star, especially as there are a lot of moving parts, all of which prove to be utterly fantastic for the most part.

An undeniable highlight sees Han Solo running into an entire battalion of Stormtroopers and quickly doubling back on himself with them in hot pursuit, while the interactions between a disguised Luke Skywalker and Han as they attempt to rescue Princess Leia ("Aren’t you a little short to be a Stormtrooper?") delivered plenty of classic lines.

Of course, the actual escape is perhaps the most memorable sequence as the two heroes blast TIE Fighters out of the sky, leading to the now also iconic, "Great, kid! Don’t get cocky."

Didn't Work: Darth Vader's "Demise"

When George Lucas was struggling to get Star Wars made, sequels may have been on his mind, but still unlikely at that point. Including Darth Vader in the final battle was an understandable decision, though making this his only time in a TIE Fighter was a surprise; the prequels made it clear that Anakin Skywalker was an ace pilot, but that honestly didn’t come across here.

The way he was dispatched was most disappointing, with a stray shot from the Millennium Falcon sending him hurtling off into space to his apparent death (which most assumed to be the case).

While this is ultimately far from a huge deal, it feels like little more than a convenient way to get Vader off the Death Star before it was destroyed by the Rebels than a truly compelling end for the villain.

Did Work: The Trash Compactor

After escaping from the aforementioned Stormtroopers, Han, Luke, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia find themselves in even greater peril when they end up in a trash compactor.

While they struggle to find a way out, things take a rather sinister turn as it becomes apparent that they’re not alone in there, and the walls soon start closing in on the heroic foursome.

Throw in C-3PO’s rather amusing belief that the cries of joy he could hear were actually the sound of them all being crushed, and this whole thing just worked perfectly. A pulpy and thrilling little sequence in the movie, it added some extra drama in a more unique manner than just another blaster fight.

Didn't Work: A Whiny Hero

Luke Skywalker is a fan favourite for many, but it's easy enough to appreciate why a large majority of fans came out of A New Hope way more interested in Han Solo. The key issue was with the way the future Jedi is portrayed as often seemed too much like a whining teenager (something he has in common Anakin, though that probably wasn't a deliberate decision by Lucas).

"But I was going into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters," he moans at one point before moping over the fact he has to clean up R2-D2 and C-3PO for his aunt and uncle.

Highlighting a moment like that may seem like a nitpick, and while far from a huge part of the movie, scenes like these did make Luke a little hard to relate to and root for early on in this story.

Did Work: The Opening Crawl

One of the most effective and amazing parts of A New Hope is also its simplest.

The opening crawl immediately immerses us into this Galaxy Far, Far Away, and perfectly sets the stage for what comes next. The way the camera panned down to reveal that gigantic Imperial Star Destroyer in pursuit of the tiny Rebel ship was breathtaking, and a moment as epic today as it was back then.

The way it just consumes the smaller spacecraft immediately makes it apparent that the odds are stacked against our heroes, and this stands out as arguably the best opening to a Star Wars movie out of the nine main chapters in Lucasfilm's often divisive Skywalker Saga.

Didn't Work: Greedo Shoots First

Like it or not, Han no longer shooting first is officially part of Star Wars canon (despite the latest edit on Disney+ attempting to make things a little more ambiguous).

At the end of the day, these films did belong to George Lucas, and it was really his choice what he did with them. That doesn’t mean we have to like it of course, and the filmmaker’s belief that heroes don’t shoot first is what led to him switching things up so that Greedo is the one who initially fires his blaster at Han, leading to the Millennium Falcon pilot taking him out in retaliation.

It’s a decision by Lucas which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and while it doesn’t exactly ruin the movie, it’s an alteration which fans hate. Of course, one person who couldn’t give a damn is Harrison Ford, so maybe we should all chill out about it. It's still a hard one to accept, though.

Did Work: Darth Vader's Introduction

A New Hope kicks off with an epic battle between the Rebels and Empire, and while that’s an effective and exciting way to start the movie, things take an even greater turn when Darth Vader makes his first big screen appearance.

The contrast of this huge figure clad in black on the white ship and surrounded by the white-clad Stormtroopers is startling and instantly establishes Vader as someone the audience should sit up and take notice of. He also looks downright terrifying, and that’s not something you can say the same of in the case of the majority of movie villains these days.

George Lucas nailed this introduction, and following it up by having him choke someone to death with one hand was pure brilliance as it established that the Sith Lord wasn't someone our heroes should trifle with.

Didn't Work: A Little Too Much R2-D2 And C-3PO

R2-D2 and C-3PO are admittedly iconic, but their hijinks in this movie are, well, tedious.

Even though it’s not exactly a huge chunk of the movie and is necessary to kick off the events of this story, their bickering is tiresome, and it t came as a relief when they were attacked by Tusken Raiders (Lucas' sense of humour has always received something of a mixed response; just look at Jar Jar Binks in The Phanom Menace).

Of all the ways to spend the first act of this movie, it would have been much better to show Luke’s flying skills or more of Ben Kenobi. Extra time with Darth Vader would have been nice, but the point is that we spent far too much time than was needed with these two when other characters could and should have been highlighted here.

Did Work: Assault On The Death Star

The movie jumps fairly quickly into the final assault on the Death Star, but that’s no bad thing given how downright amazing a sequence it was. The battle between the X-Wings and TIE Fighters is awe-inspiring, though there are two highlights which made this final fight so exciting.

The first comes when Han Solo makes his surprise return ("You’re all clear kid, now let’s blow this thing and go home!"), while the second follows happens almost simultaneously as Luke Skywalker channels the force to destroy the Death Star with the help of the fallen Obi-Wan Kenobi.

These are two extremely satisfying moments which define who both of these characters are, and it still feels like an incredibly rewarding moment for fans of this iconic franchise.

Didn't Work: Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Darth Vader

Without taking the other Star Wars movies into account, this lightsaber battle in A New Hope is...fine. While Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader jumping around like their younger selves would have looked a little silly, the observation from fans that this scene essentially looks like two old men pointing sticks at each other isn't far wrong, and fan edits have vastly improved it.

There’s certainly a lot of drama here, though the prequels have made this scene problematic because there really should be a lot more dialogue between them (especially after Obi-Wan Kenobi). Still, it works, even if the way Obi-Wan sacrifices himself again feels like an all too convenient way to remove him from the equation and turn him into a Force Ghost; having got to know him, he deserved better.

A New Hope should never be remade, but upping the action here should have been a priority for Lucas when he decided to start tinkering with his original trilogy all those years ago.

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

Recommended For You:

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

DISCLAIMER: SFFGazette.com is protected under the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) and... [MORE]

SFFGazette.com, and/or the user who contributed this post, may earn commissions or revenue through clicks or purchases made through any third-party links contained within the content above.

Do you have what it takes to write for us?

Want to contribute?

3 Comments

DevilsDreams - 6/15/2022, 4:48 AM

If I remember correctly, it wasn't just a "stray shot" from the Falcon, it was one of the wingmen in the other tie fighters that clipped him sending him off.

Humby - 12/26/2022, 7:37 PM

@DevilsDreams - Not to mention, we see Vaders tie fighter stabilize as he flies away. And it has been that way since 77. No one ever thought Vader died.

Swab12 - 11/9/2023, 5:12 AM

Because no teenager ever whined about not getting to do what they wanted do rather than doing what they have to do. Also, the Vader/Obiwan fight worked just fine for back then. We can’t judge it based off of what the prequels, cartoons, and books gave us later.

Please log in to post comments.

Don't have an account?
Please Register.

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

2 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

JoshWilding

3 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Related Headlines

Star Wars

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

MarkCassidy

2 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

JoshWilding

3 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

MarkCassidy

3 days ago

Star Wars

OBI-WAN KENOBI TV Series Reportedly Earned STAR WARS Creator George Lucas' Approval

JoshWilding

4 days ago

Star Wars

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Director Jon Watts Shares Show's Premise, Premiere Window, And More New Details

JoshWilding

May 07, 2024 02:05 PM

Star Wars

Game of Thrones

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Trailer Unleashes Another Fiery War On Westeros

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

The Lord of the Rings

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Has Sauron On The Loose And Some Big Easter Eggs

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Latest Headlines

Movies

WICKED: Everyone Deserves A Chance To Fly On New Poster For Jon M. Chu's Musical Adaptation

MarkCassidy

4 hours ago

Game of Thrones

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Trailer Unleashes Another Fiery War On Westeros

JoshWilding

4 hours ago

The Lord of the Rings

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Has Sauron On The Loose And Some Big Easter Eggs

JoshWilding

6 hours ago

Dune

DUNE: PART TWO Announces Max Streaming Date - And It's Set To Premiere Very Soon!

MarkCassidy

6 hours ago

Movies

MEGAOPOLIS Teaser Trailer Sees Francis Ford Coppola Bring The Fall Of Ancient Rome To America

JoshWilding

11 hours ago

Dune

More Comic Book Movies ►

INSIDE OUT 2: New Clip And Posters Released As Tickets Go On Sale For Pixar Sequel

More Cartoons & Animated ►

TOMB RAIDER Live-Action TV Series Officially A Go At Amazon With Phoebe Waller-Bridge

More Anime & Manga ►

THE SHROUDS: First Teaser Trailer For David Cronenberg's Latest Is Not Meant For The Living

More Horror ►

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

More Action Movies & TV ►

KING AND QUEEN OF THE RING Tournament Continues On RAW - Here's Who Advanced To The Semi-Finals

More Pro Wrestling ►

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Star Paul Walter Hauser Teases His Very Distinct Character In MCU Reboot

More Comic Book Movies ►

More Cartoons & Animated ►

More Anime & Manga ►

More Horror ►

More Action Movies & TV ►

More Pro Wrestling ►

STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE Revisited - Looking Back At 5 Things That Worked And 5 That Didn't

Star Wars: A New Hope is rightly considered a classic, but we're now taking what's sure to a potentially controversial deep dive into everything that did and didn't work in George Lucas's classic movie.

Did Work: Escape From The Death Star

Didn't Work: Darth Vader's "Demise"

Did Work: The Trash Compactor

Didn't Work: A Whiny Hero

Did Work: The Opening Crawl

Didn't Work: Greedo Shoots First

Did Work: Darth Vader's Introduction

Didn't Work: A Little Too Much R2-D2 And C-3PO

Did Work: Assault On The Death Star

Didn't Work: Obi-Wan Kenobi Vs. Darth Vader

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

THE ACOLYTE: New Teasers Feature More Of Mae Vs. Indara; Possibly Confirm Recent Rumor - SPOILERS

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

STAR WARS: Rey's First Post-THE RISE OF SKYWALKER Dialogue Revealed Via Disneyland Collectible

OBI-WAN KENOBI TV Series Reportedly Earned STAR WARS Creator George Lucas' Approval

STAR WARS: SKELETON CREW Director Jon Watts Shares Show's Premise, Premiere Window, And More New Details

LEGO STAR WARS: REBUILD THE GALAXY Trailer Introduces Us To The Official Version Of Darth Jar Jar!

Popular Headlines

STAR WARS: 10 Ways George Lucas' Prequels Are Way BETTER Than Disney's Disappointing Sequel Trilogy

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Director George Miller Addresses Charlize Theron And Tom Hardy's Long-Rumored Feud

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Has Sauron On The Loose And Some Big Easter Eggs

First Footage From THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM Set For Annecy

THE WITCHER: First Look At Geralt Of Rivia Revealed Via BTS Photo

WICKED: Everyone Deserves A Chance To Fly On New Poster For Jon M. Chu's Musical Adaptation

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Trailer Unleashes Another Fiery War On Westeros

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Has Sauron On The Loose And Some Big Easter Eggs

WICKED: Everyone Deserves A Chance To Fly On New Poster For Jon M. Chu's Musical Adaptation

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Season 2 Trailer Unleashes Another Fiery War On Westeros

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2 Trailer Has Sauron On The Loose And Some Big Easter Eggs

DUNE: PART TWO Announces Max Streaming Date - And It's Set To Premiere Very Soon!

MEGAOPOLIS Teaser Trailer Sees Francis Ford Coppola Bring The Fall Of Ancient Rome To America

DUNE: PROPHECY Casts Legendary Indian Star Tabu In A Recurring Role

Comic Book Movies & TV

THE FANTASTIC FOUR Star Paul Walter Hauser Teases His "Very Distinct Character" In MCU Reboot

AVENGERS #17 Will See Marvel's Most Electrifying Mutant, Storm, Officially Join The Superhero Team

RUMOR: The Disney+ Series Scarlett Johansson Is Developing With Marvel Is THE BLONDE PHANTOM

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: Westeros Rides To War In Epic New Season 2 Trailer For GAME OF THRONES Prequel

LONGLEGS: Nicolas Cage Is In Seriously Unsettling Form In Hair-Raising Full Trailer

TOMB RAIDER: Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Live-Action TV Show Moving Forward At Amazon With Series Order

Cartoons & Animated Features

INSIDE OUT 2: New Clip And Posters Released As Tickets Go On Sale For Pixar Sequel

CREATURE COMMANDOS Confirms First-Look Reveal Headed To Next Month's Annecy Film Festival

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Shares Final "Homework" For Fans And Reveals Why Deadpool Isn't In The Series

THE SIMPSONS Showrunner Al Jean Reveals Why 2024 Will Decide Whether We Finally Get A Movie Sequel

X-MEN '97 Showrunner Teases Original 5-Season Plan And Addresses [SPOILER]'s Cameo In Episode 5

X-MEN '97: Beau DeMayo Shares Cryptic Hint About Next Week's Season Finale - SPOILERS

Gaming

TOMB RAIDER Live-Action TV Series Officially A Go At Amazon With Phoebe Waller-Bridge

MARVEL RIVALS Devs Apologize For Banning Content Creators From Posting Negative Impressions

ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS (Codename Red) To Be Revealed On Wednesday

Chris Pratt Teases SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE Sequel Plans And Shares Excitement For Other Nintendo Film Projects

THE LAST OF US Season 2 Set Photos Feature Bella Ramsey And Isabela Merced As Ellie And Dina

New CALL OF DUTY Releases May Launch On Xbox Game Pass

Anime & Manga

NEPTUNIA GAMEMAKER R:EVOLUTION Is Coming To Xbox Series X|S In 2024

ONE PIECE Star Inaki Godoy Reveals The Three Anime Scenes He Wants To Recreate In Live-Action

DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA HASHIRA TRAINING ARC Now Streaming; Opening Season 4 Theme Released

RICK AND MORTY: THE ANIME Coming To Adult Swim And Max This Year; New Preview Video Released

SWORD OF THE DEMON HUNTER: KIJIN GENTOSHO TV Anime Premiere Date Announced

SHOGUN May Be Getting A Second Season After Series Star Hiroyuki Sanada Signs New Deal

Horror

THE SHROUDS: First Teaser Trailer For David Cronenberg's Latest Is Not Meant For The Living

LONGLEGS Full Trailer Might Be One Of The Most Unsettling Teasers Of All Time

THE MUMMY Director Stephen Sommers On Why He Was "Insulted" By 2017 Reboot Starring Tom Cruise

NIGHTBITCH: Amy Adams Has Got That Dog In Her On First Official Poster

IN A VIOLENT NATURE "Buckle Up" Trailer Features Terrifying New Footage

FALL's Grace Caroline Currey To Star In Remake Of Wes Craven's THE BREED

Action Movies & TV

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Production Designer Pawas Sawatchaiyamet On Working With Dev Patel

MONKEY MAN Exclusive Interview With Mask Designer Eddie Yang; Dev Patel Film Now Available On Digital HD

Tom Cruise's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 8 Adds SEVERANCE Actor Tramell Tillman

A24's CIVIL WAR Was The #1 Movie In America For The Second Week In A Row

JAMES BOND: Henry Cavill Isn't Closing The Door On Playing 007; "Maybe I'm Too Old Now. Maybe I'm Not..."

Alex Garland's CIVIL WAR Is The #1 Movie In North America- Opens To $25.7M