Capsule Review: Star Wars (1977)

While Jaws ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster, a year later the special effects extravaganza took hold with the release of George Lucas' Star Wars, after which film (and film marketing) would never be the same. The story – heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress – it's an entertaining sci-fi yarn about a farmboy who gets to save the universe with the help of a roguish smuggler and an assortment of odd creatures and robots, but the characters – particularly the evil Darth Vader – became immediately iconic. Even with re-releases and revamps, prequels and sequels, the original Star Wars is a captivating and exciting piece of pulp that is packed full of memorable characters and images, and is still plenty of fun.