For those three or four among you reading this that haven't seen what is likely the greatest movie ever made, allow me to introduce you to a tale that combines modern age technology with ancient mythology. In a tale that snaps you out of reality from the first opening credits, which are now famous around the world, Star Wars - A New Hope set the bar to heights that have not been reached since.
Borrowing heavily from a mythological archetype known commonly as the "heroes journey," George Lucas expertly took this ancient myth and effectively transplanted it onto the modern movie screen. The hero, Luke Skywalker is the epitome of every hero in every story that has ever been told. Sometimes called the "reluctant hero," this character is called, almost against his will, to go on a journey that will forever change his life.
Our story starts out with a fierce battle between imperial troops and a small, under armed group of rebels. The evil forces of the Empire quickly overtake the rebels, but not before they send out a distress signal, to an old Jedi Knight, an order long thought extinct.
The message lands on a seemingly deserted planet, inhabited only by farmers, bandits and mercenaries. The message is picked by young Luke, who has no idea what he is getting himself into. He thinks he knows the old man that the message is intended for. When Luke meets this strange old man, he learns about something called "The Force," which is some mysterious energy which permeates everything. He also learns that here is a good side to the Force, and a bad side.
They must leave the planet at once, as the Empire, led by the Evil Darth Vader, who is a powerful practitioner of the bad side of the force, has learned the whereabouts of the droid, the small robot who contains the hidden message. And thus begins the classic heroes journey, as Luke and Ben set off to gather their forces together, and fight the evil empire.
They soon learn, en route to meet up with the rebels headquarters, that the Empire has constructed a "Death Star," a very large space station capable of destroying entire planets. The Empire will use this powerful tool to keep rebel planets in line. Together with his new found skills in the good side of the Force, and with his new friends, Luke Skywalker must destroy the Death Star, before it's too late. The DVD, which is a classic mythological story told to captivate a modern audience, should be in every DVD library.