I know I'm giving a rather underwhelming review to a beloved film that started one of the world's biggest franchises but I still consider it to be more good than great. So without further ado, I'll address the good, bad and ugly about this movie
The Good 1) Darth Vader is an excellent villain (especially given how little screen time he actually has) 2) Han Solo is a great character 3) I like Obi-Wan Kenobi 4) I like R2-D2 5) I like Leia arguing with and eventually falling in love with Han. (Not so much her as a character but that aspect of her.) 6) Even if the effects haven't aged that well, there are pretty neat action scenes The Bad 1) Hamill's performance is wooden (I know it improved in the sequels) 2) The Death Star is an idiotic plot device 3) Repeatedly (explicitly) describing the Empire as "evil" is far too corny for my taste (at least in a movie which plays it straight.) 4) With the obvious exception of Han Solo, most of the characters are generic and forgettable
The Ugly
The ending includes forced set-up for a sequel though I can honestly live with that given how rare movie sequels were in 1977, I can let it slide.
Conclusion It has its fair share of flaws but it's a good movie nonetheless.
The Good 1) Darth Vader is an excellent villain (especially given how little screen time he actually has) 2) Han Solo is a great character 3) I like Obi-Wan Kenobi 4) I like R2-D2 5) I like Leia arguing with and eventually falling in love with Han. (Not so much her as a character but that aspect of her.) 6) Even if the effects haven't aged that well, there are pretty neat action scenes The Bad 1) Hamill's performance is wooden (I know it improved in the sequels) 2) The Death Star is an idiotic plot device 3) Repeatedly (explicitly) describing the Empire as "evil" is far too corny for my taste (at least in a movie which plays it straight.) 4) With the obvious exception of Han Solo, most of the characters are generic and forgettable
The Ugly
The ending includes forced set-up for a sequel though I can honestly live with that given how rare movie sequels were in 1977, I can let it slide.
Conclusion It has its fair share of flaws but it's a good movie nonetheless.