Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) | FIRST TIME WATCHING! | Movie Reaction 

My patreon pals informed me that this is the remastered version! I make a few comments of how impressed I am about some of the effects and such, so this definitely makes sense! As a reminder, Patreon is a month ahead, so they received this reaction a month ago! I also have full uncut timer reactions there too. www.patreon.com/emmereacts

"Please don't kiss, please don't kiss, please don't kiss! Oh god, that was a close one." Yknow, I never realized how stressful these movies can get when you go chronological. Lol

One clarification: Owen *doesn't* believe that Obi-Wan is dead, he's just saying that because he wants to shut down Luke's questions about him.

I find it particularly heartwarming when obi-wan is fighting Vader & he then sees Luke and Leia finally reunited and you see him smile before he sacrifices himself. Gets me every time.

Obi-wan’s personality consistency is all thanks to Ewan McGregor doing an amazing job of representing Alec Guinness. His performance is the best part of the prequels.

"empathy for Anakin." That is EXACTLY how Lucas wanted people to feel. He said he wanted people to see Darth Vader for the first time and be like, "ohh man Anakin is still in that suit."

This movie was a cultural milestone. It's always delightful seeing how new viewers react.

“Yeah, Where’s your little death star now?” That had me laughing.

There was literally nothing like this in the ‘70s. Lines for this movie lasted for weeks. People would go to see this movie several times. There hasn’t been anything like it since that I can recall. The fact that it can still stand against the newer movies is a testament to just how cutting edge it was.

The attack run on the Death Star will always be one of the most iconic battles in Star Wars for me. Pure nostalgia from my childhood. That musical sequence with Luke taking that one-in-a-million shot gives me chills every time.

My two cents worth. I was 20 when this movie came out. You had to have been alive at the time to fully understand just how big this was. The effects were so far ahead of other movies at the time. The opening sequence of the HUGE ship seemingly stretching forever. The clever campiness still holds up today. The classic battle of Good vs. Evil. The Force. R2D2. C3PO. So many iconic moments, and movies, were created from this one movie. To come full circle, my son and I were given a private tour of George Lucas's home and private estate in Marin County in 2006. To see a FULL SIZE X-Wing fighter on a pedestal was too much! The library of specialized books, manuscripts, research materials, etc. available for use by up and coming movie directors was magnificent. To see so many iconic movie props in one place is a great memory. Finally, I had a custom smart home business and one day I got a call to install a satellite dish for a customer. I drove to the address and discovered it was George Lucas's old home in Peacock Gap in San Rafael, CA. He sold it in the divorce and moved to Lucas Valley. So the house was HUGE. It had top of the line A/V Home Theater, multiple TV's, Every bell and whistle. Another great memory. To see the youth of today enjoying this classic after 45 years is Great!

17:59 The Imperial in the white outfit just in front of Tarkin is actually Wullf Yularen the Admiral you see in The Clone Wars assigned to Anakin Skywalker. At the time of the Empire he was a member of the ISB "Imperial Security Bureau" pretty much the FBI of the Empire. Unfortnally he died in the deathstar explosion along with Tarkin and a bunch of other high ranking Imperials. So both Luke and Leia are 19 in this film with Carrie Fisher being just 21 by the time A New Hope released. Mark Hamill was only 24 at the time both extremally young actors. 3:57 So you've seen him before in both Episode 3 and Rogue One. Raymus Antilles was seen at the end of Revenge of the Sith on the Tantive IV the same ship you see in the opening of A New Hope. He's also in Rogue One at the very end of the film where he discovers the plans to Leia just before the start of A New Hope. So pretty much all the CGI you see was added later around the 90s to the 2000s when the Prequals released. Other effects like blaster fire and small details have been improved which looks great but people have always been mixed on the added CGI. The film uses mostly practical effects but from my understand A New Hope has had the most changes while Empire Strikes Back still maintains alot of the original it also has some improvements as well.

I loved that “It’s on the cheek, it’s ok!” Hilarious!

"Jabba, you're a wonderful human being" in the original script jabba was human. When they changed it they took that scene out, but then they readded the deleted scene and CGI'ed Jabba in the original actors place

I’ve been so looking forward to this! I’m sure you’re aware but these are updated versions you’re watching with the special effects tweaked, a few deleted scenes added in (the scene with Jabba) and anything that looks cgi, like the stormtrooper riding the dewback, has been added. The original release movies did look amazing for their time though and were groundbreaking in their special effects. Something I’ve been wanting to say since the Phantom Menace, but didn’t want to say any spoilers, is that during that movie you commented on the scene wipes as looking archaic because they were from the late 90s. Actually the wipes in those movies were a direct homage to the wipes in these moves from the 70s. No one in the 90s was using those wipes. That’s one of the things I love about the prequels, that they kept the OG style by using those wipes.

You're right about this movie. When it first came out it was the only story and all or at least most of the backstory didn't exist yet so some things seem inconsistent. It's definitely a different point of view to watch them in story order rather than release order. Great reaction! Jabba was a human in the original but his scene was cut and CGI slug Jabba was added in later.

I love your delight at seeing all these characters again!

“I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn’t kill Anakin Skywalker….I did.” Even Vader shares Obi-WAN’s point of view.

LET"S GOOOOOOO. The OG trilogy! Super excited to see your reactions to all of the trilogy.

This movie was so cutting edge when it came out in 1977. Nothing even close to this had ever been seen by the public. It was so beyond anything else to that point that Hollywood studios didn't want to fund this movie ... hence the origins of Lucas Films. FYI: The actor playing the strange alien who spied on Luke and Obi-Wan was actually John Wayne. His last major motion picture appearance.

I watched Star wars for first time a year ago and I really love it! And keep watching it!

Oh, I remember seeing this when it was first released in theaters, back in 1977. There was nothing like it on the big screen. The opening shot of the Rebel blockade runner chased by a star destroyer still gives me chills to this day. Your reactions were a lot like mine when I was a wide-eyed kid seeing this (without any of the foreknowledge from the prequels.) Now, as an adult, I still get all wide-eyed and happy whenever I see this movie. A bit of trivia. You mentioned how big Tarkin's hand is. The funny thing is the actor, Peter Cushing, had large hands and feet and the boots he wore as a part of his costume were too small, and the shooting schedule didn't allow enough time for a refit or modification of the costume, so Peter Cushing suggested that they only show Tarkin in semi-closeup, so that you never see below his shoulders and chest. The main reason for that is because the actor, Peter Cushing, was wearing slippers. Also, he really liked working with Carrie Fisher and gave her high praise as an actress.

"Siblings kiss on the cheek all the time, it's totally normal" The Empire Strikes Back has entered the chat...

"You fought in the Clone Wars?" Audience in 1977: what the f-

So looking forward to you watching the OT! Just remember that while you did watch the special edition, 95% of the visual effects in this were STILL from the original 1977 movie.only a few moments here and there were new creations. So what you were watching is still an absolute marvel from that long ago. Can’t wait for you to watch Empire Strikes Back! Also, the music!

What the Jawas put on R2 is a restraining bolt. It keeps droids docile. If you look C-3PO has one on his chest. When Luke accidentally triggers the beginning of the message R2 says he can play the whole thing if his restraining bolt is removed. Once Luke removes it though R2 refuses to play the message. Luke didn’t put the bolt back on so as soon as Luke gets called to dinner R2 bolts to go find Obiwan. R2 is brilliant!

Highly interesting to see you watch the OT trilogy now not just in episodic order, but also having watched some of the shows and spin offs too

IM SO EXCITED FOR YOU TO REACT TO 5 and 6!!!! Edit: I’m crying at you finally asking if it’s Luke and it’s actually Luke

we're finally at the trilogy that started it all

This movie was so stunning when it came out in theaters. The big screen made it even more epic especially the beginning when the ships came in overhead. Great job on the reaction.

Luke carelessly activates a light sabre. "Why did I just get a jump scare?" He has absolutely no experience with that weapon, yet he just turns it on and starts waving it... Scary stuff. Han Solo was a new level of cool for a character when this movie came out. Everyone wanted to be a smuggler after he hit the screen.

IT’S FINALLY HERE!! It’s great to see your excitement for Han, Chewie and Obi-Wan from watching Solo and Kenobi before this 😂 Edit: It’s interesting Vader tells Obi-Wan in the Kenobi series that “You didn’t kill Anakin, I did”, which ties in better with what Obi-Wan tells Luke in this.

"oh god, that was a close one" made me spit out my coffee lmao.

Yet another entertaining reaction emme! Fun fact my grandfather is actually the rebel officer holding the medal case in the medal ceremony scene! Always cool seeing people react to that scene

When I first saw this movie (*cough* in the theater when it came out *cough*) it was like nothing ever before. We also didn't have any backstory like you have, so hearing how you interpret the movie having seen previous chronological stories is fascinating. This is also a "remastered" version. The lizard creature the stormtroopers were on and the scene with Jabba, they were not in the original movies. They were added in a remastered version in the 90s.

The actor that played Commander Tarkin. (The guy who was CGI'ed in a later movie) He played a villain and Hero in old Horror films in the '60's. The film production company was called Hammer Films. He is a great actor. His name is Peter Cushing.

As cassian said in andor, “you just walk in like you belong”

Love that you are viewing Star Wars in chronological order. Its fascinating to see a different perspective on the story experienced a different way.

"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." That line had nothing to do with Obi-Wan becoming more powerful in the force.. it meant he would become a martyr in Luke's eyes and more than anything that would ensure that Luke would NEVER join his father no matter what.

Star Wars 1977. The movie that changed cinema forever.

3PO had his memory wiped but R2 remembers everything. There’s even an Easter egg next movie where Luke tells R2 to stay with the ship and R2 completely ignores him. The reason he ignored him was because the last person who told R2 that was Anakin, just before his fight with Obi-Wan so he was never able to come back to the ship.

It was horrifying to see what the stormtroopers had done to Luke’s uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. I’m sure that Luke feels devastated having to see that.

It's wonderful that you can call these movies up anytime you want to. I like watching them in order now also. What you can't experience is the shock they were to us when they first came out. I was 18 or 19 and we'd sat down in the theater. It was the old, original giant cinerama dome in Los Angeles. Massive screen. Recently outfitted with the new THX sound system. The ads and previews played. The curtains closed again. The opened again as a signal this is the movie coming now.. Then... BANG! People were startled across the theater, and theme we all know so well now began to play, the words began to scroll up the screen... and my mouth was open... and what followed was something like we'd never seen before. And when it was over the people stood and applauded. A night I'll never forget.

Fun fact. The red astromech droid is R5-D4. He intentionally blew his motivator to not separate R2 and 3PO. He's later acquired by the Rebellion and serves during the fight against the Empire.

Your "R2D2!!!! ....and C3PO, I guess" was so relatable lmao

I saw this movie for the first time two weeks after it opened in 1977. Back then, you could only see it in the theater. I must have spent a couple hundred dollars going back to see it again and again, and I wasn't alone. This is the culture I grew up with. It's old hat to me now, and to watch it through your reactions brings me back to when I first saw that field of stars stretch across the big screen. Thank you for joining us, you are welcomed here.

"Where's your little Death Star now?" made me laugh so much!

Best line of the movie “OB1 we meet again at last, the circle is now complete”. “When I left you I was but a learner, now I am the master “

so excited for these next few reactions!!!

The time has come🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 And to any critics, there is no “right way” to approach this. It just evokes feelings at different times when you know something from one end of the overall story, or the other. Many roads but all lead to the same place

The OG Star Wars movies still look great even to this day, yes some remastering has been done, but nonetheless, the fact a lot of the effects used back then were practical means that they age really well.

Words cannot describe how awesome that was as a kid in the movie theater.

I'm very happy to see you watch these movies. Can't wait for the next 2!

Even though it has been remastered, this was still revolutionary in terms of special effects at the time. It's no wonder people were absolutely blown away by it and many returned to watch it several times in theaters. Being a 90s baby, that's an experience I'll unfortunately never get to have unless time travel is invented 😂

The guy who played Vader, under the suit, was David Prowse. A professional body builder, at the time. He was 6'6".

“I’ve been looking forward to this.” - Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus

6:32 - That is the skeleton of a Krayt Dragon. Judging by the size, I'd say it's a juvenile. Adult ones are a good bit larger. Fun fact: That skeleton is STILL in the desert in Tunisia where this was filmed at. 7:40 - Close. These are Jawas. The ones you're thinking of are Tuskins. Oddly enough, their lineage, when traced far enough back, does intersect. They both originally spawned from the same species native to Tatooine. And yes, this IS Tatooine. 8:35 - Don't forget, you're watching the "current" version of the movie. In the original theatrical version (pre-1997) the Dewback (as the creature is called) was a static model. You're seeing the "Special Edition" version which was digitally animated. 10:40 - Threepio is a blabbermouth. R2 is well documented to be able to keep secrets. That droid is loyal to a fault. 13:45 - Same species, different tribe. Remember, Anakin killed them all. Not just the men.... but the women.... and the children, too. 19:45 - Heh. Us Gen-X kids saw way worse than that on the evening news. Remember, in the context of the time, Vietnam had ended (badly) just a couple of years before this movie came out. We saw a lot of unedited footage from the battlefields of Vietnam with no warning of "don't let your children see this". We saw it. Technically, these days, that scene would likely garner a PG-13 rating, but since PG-13 didn't exist until 1984.... it was PG. 20:06 - Interrogation droid. 39:57 - The creature is actually called a Dianoga. We learned this when the Death Star Playset came out. (Yes, I had one) 46:07 - That smirk, originally was because Kenobi knew they were about to escape. Retconned, it's because he saw Anakin's children about to escape, right in front of him. 46:23 - Obi-Wan did as Qui-Gon did before him. He became one with The Force. So, yes, he DID physically die, but he also became immortal at the same time. 56:25 - Remember, when this movie was released in 1977, there was no guarantee that it would be a success, let alone become a phenomenon. What is now called Episode IV was simply called "Star Wars". It was made as a "stand alone" movie, because even Lucas thought it would flop. It took the country, and the world, by storm. I was 10 years old at the time. The "target audience" for this movie, and it was a game changer. Going to the movie theater to watch a movie was a "special thing" for my family, and after seeing this, the next time going to a theater was suggested, I literally demanded we go see Star Wars again. I would rather watch a movie I had already seen, than to see another new release that year. Once you finish the "Original Trilogy", I highly recommend you watch the documentary "Empire of Dreams", as it tells the story of making the original trilogy. Of course, it will contain spoilers, which is why I say to wait until after you've seen Episode VI. Also, it documents the ORIGINAL theatrical versions, not the added digital effects put in when the Special Editions were released in 1997. But there IS a documentary on that, as well.

The sticks that needed to be used to simulate the light sabers were very delicate due to the process used to put the effect on film. David Prowse and Alec Guiness broke more than their share in filming the fight sequence, that's why the scene appears very mild. You should look at this after watching the movie: Star Wars SC 38 Reimagined

Chronological is an interesting way to experience Star Wars

I saw this movie over eight times at the cinemas when I finished high school in 1978. It was booked out at cinemas in late 1977 in Australia. It was a big hit with everyone, especially with sci-fi fantasy fans. You are watching the newly restored, remastered edition with some added scenes and not the theatrical version that I saw in 1978. I still can vividly recall every scene from that theatrical version in my mind.

First time I've seen your channel and I'm a massive original trilogy fan. Fascinating to see the reaction from someone who already saw the prequels and spin offs, something I could not experience so thank you so much for that. Gave me a great new perspective. At the start I found you a bit 'distractive' in your commentary - but of course that's the whole point, to interject. Anyway watched the whole 58 minutes with you and you added to my happiness, thanks for that. Of course you have a new subscriber 🙃

In case nobody has mentioned it yet, it's worth it to track down the "Despecialized Editions" so you can see what the original trilogy looked like when it was first released in theaters. The effects in the Special Editions may be more impressive, but the editing, particularly for A New Hope, is superior. Marcia Lucas (George's first wife) and the rest of the editing team really earned their Oscar for A New Hope.

Leia gave R2 the Death Star plans on a memory card, but the Rebels had to download the plans directly from R2. My assumption is that when the Jawas shot R2 with that electro-gun, it fried the memory card and the only plans left were the ones R2 had backed up into his internal memory. That's why R2 is MacGuffin of the chase rather than the card he's carrying.

"Please don't kiss, please don't kiss...oh God, that was a close one..." LMAO!

I'm thinking that part of the reason why the lightsaber duel in this movie is so much less dynamic than all the others is that these lightsabers were probably quite delicate. They were made using colored retroreflective tape on a spinning shaft, which works quite well without requiring post-production visual effects, but this design is fairly fragile. By the next movie, I believe they made some improvements in the design that made them a bit sturdier.

When this movie was written, it wasn't cemented in Lucas' mind that A) Vader is Luke's father & B) that Luke & Leia are siblings. Therefore, it was up for grabs whether Leia would choose the farmer or the rogue! When this movie grossed hugely in the theaters & George Lucas got the green light for a sequel, he set about finalizing the Luke/Vader connection, but I'm not sure he'd decided that Luke & Leia were siblings, yet. So, there are some scenes that will make you extremely uncomfortable! Leia was on a transport owned by her adoptive father. Threepio & R2 were owned by him. Vader was told that his wife died in childbirth with no survivors. He assumes his child, singular, is dead. If he perceives at all that the princess of Alderaan is a Force sensitive...well, there are many Force sensitives (like the blind monk in Rogue One)! Infiltrators stealing unwary soldiers' uniforms to get past enemy soldiers is an old trope going back to the beginnings of cinema. When this movie came out, it was originally titled just Star Wars (since Lucas thought that episode titles would be too confusing), with the result that film critics slammed the movie for using "wars" when all we saw were battles! This let Lucas publicize his rationale behind "Episode IV", adding that he had plans to make the first trilogy in the future; & that he'd started where he did because he thought this trilogy was the better story. Remember: at the conclusion of the first trilogy, Obi-wan was informed he'd be learning how to cheat death from his old master. Vanishing bodily is proof of his success.

Great job and fantastic reaction! Well done! Thanks for taking us along for this journey. I think that you'll love the next two films.

I've just kept up with your recent Star Wars reactions. Seeing this after all you know, and then watching you react to what started it all is really wholesome. Can't stop smiling ^^

One thing to keep in mind as you watch the original trilogy is that many of the major plot points you learned about in the first three weren’t even developed by the creators yet. Some of the relationships were developed as this trilogy progressed.

Had a great time watching your reaction. From a person that watched them in the order they were released, I can see how watching in chronological order may be sometimes disappointing from a special effects standpoint, but more rewarding in the storyline capacity. May the Force be with you as you continue the saga. Thank you.

Absolutely nice reactions! If there was an Emmy award for reaction videos, you would definitely win it!

“I’m going in, cover me Porkins.” I love that was put in the reaction😂

This is the most wholesome reaction channel.

Thanks for the reactions! It’s amazing seeing you enjoying

"How did my father die?" "He wasn't very good at playing the floor is lava".

Seeing your excitement watching this is amazing!! I’m sooooooo excited for your journey over the next 2 films!!

You don’t have to react to it on the channel but you should check out ‘scene 38 reimagined’ on RU-vid. A group of fans/filmmakers put together a remake of the Vader vs obi wan fight and really makes up for what was missing in this one, definitely worth a watch

Great video.

I was 5 when this was released and it immediately took over my life. You have to remember back then there was no real hope of seeing it again once it left the theaters. No cable tv, no streaming, no dvds, not even vhs yet. I saw this 17and1/2 times in the theater. (1/2 for the time my dad messed up the showtime so we got there half way through so just stayed again for the next showing). One time I tried to bring a big cassette recorder into Raiders of the Lost Ark. Being a kid and not knowing anything about copyright law I didn’t even try to hide it. The ticket guys was like “ you can’t bring that in here”. I said “no, you don’t understand, all I want to do is record the movie so I can listen to it at home”. He said “oh, I get it. You can’t do it”.

Imagine being 6 years old, seeing this on a 60 foot screen with Dolby sound. This was everyone's introduction to the saga. Mind blowing.

hello there

Chronological order is the best order. You're doing it the right way! The relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan is vastly more important and interesting than the other big reveal. Especially when you start watching videos fans have made, like "Before the Dark Times" which intercuts Obi-Wan's talking about Anakin to Luke with scenes from the prequel trilogy, really fleshing out his words and the horror/sadness behind them you don't get if you haven't seen the prequels. Then there's "SC38 Reimagined" where they re-do the battle between Obi-Wan and Vader on the Death Star. It's such an amazing job and really hits the emotional points perfectly.

Remember at the end of Rogue One, when Leia is handed the plans to the Death Star... Someone asks her what that is and she responds: "Hope!"... The title of this episode, "A NEW HOPE", refers to the plans they've just obtained, and what they end up doing with them. :)

You really can’t imagine what it was like to see this movie back in 77. The global hype was so full on and for a while it was like super bowl Sunday everyday at the cinemas with ques around the block everywhere on the planet. The effects were mind blowing back then, with many classic techniques and new technology being developed and combined for the first time.

I love your reactions. It’s so awesome to see you becoming such a Star Wars fan. Looking forward to seeing your other reactions to the other movies as well.

The release order is considered best because if you watch in episode order, things don't all make sense or add up. The "story" was developed in "real-time" order so changes were made as each episode was released.

Funny story about Peter Cushing (Tarkin). The boots that the costume department got for him were way too small. He had huge feet. After the first day of filming, he could not continue with the boots so they got some house slippers for him and did not shoot any film that showed his feet. Sir Alec Guinness (Obi Wan) and James Earl Jones (the voice of Vader) were both offered the same compensation deal of either 5000.00 dollars or royalties for life. James Earl Jones took the 5K and Sir Alec Guinness, who had been in so many other hit movies, decided to play the long game and take the royalties. He ended up making millions over his remaining life. The guy who lost his arm in the Cantina is the same guy who Jyn runs into on Jedah on Rogue One.

This was so fun to watch! I’ve been a fan of these movies since the original release of “Star Wars” (Back when it was ONLY “Star Wars”) in 1977 when I was little. It’s so great seeing younger fans like yourself be introduced to the original (or at least as close to it as possible) movies that grabbed hold of me as a little kid. I’m really looking forward to seeing your reactions to the rest of The Trilogy!

All right, finally here. I am glad you did it this way. There are so many people in this world that is good to see people see it in different ways. You will love it, I promise.

We owe Lucas a lot. God bless that genius of a man. Shame on Disney for not trying to consult with him on every SW property while he is still alive and well.

Seeing the Falcon after watching Solo: WHAT DID YOU DO TO THE SHIP, HAN?!

Your reactions are delightful to watch hahaha. You have such a bright presence I adore it.

It's nice to see someone watching these movies in episode order instead of release order.. It is also nice to see a reaction video from someone who actually has not seen the movie yet! Almost every reaction for "A New Hope" you can tell the reactor has seen the movie already. It's really cool to see someone who is falling in love with this story for the first time! Too bad they don't have 5 year olds do reactions to this because that's how old I was when this movie came out and at the time it was the most amazing experience of my life.. it changed me forever!

FINALLY !!! ... i cant lie, its so interesting to see it from the eyes of a person who watched it in chronological order

I remember watching this in the late 1970s with some fellow university students. Most of the audience looked about 13 years old. They were good -- kept quiet and watched attentively. But they cheered loudly when the Death Star blew up. (They also sang along with one of the well-known ads shown before the movie started -- which was funny).

I found your Channel looking for Star Wars reactions. I was 13 Years old in 1977 when I saw Star Wars in Movie Theaters. This Movie was incredible.

Since I have seen this movie hundreds of times growing up and all other star wars many times as they came out, I am loving your commentary and reactions as you piece everything together for the first time. It honestly makes me wish I had of seen them all in order of timeline instead of year created.

39:10 Leia is just as badass as was her mother 46:16 that was foreshadowed in the 2nd episode by Obi-Wan

In the original Episode IV, the scene where Solo shoots the guy in the bar was a big deal, because he shot the guy first, under the table before that guy ever drew his gun. In doing so his lack of morals and character are shown. So they went back and digitally made it look like the alien shot first.

“That’s embarrassing. Where’s your little Death Star now?” 😆😆😆