Monumental. Considering the manner in which special effects were done at the time, Star Wars was the greatest special effects sci fi movie of all times. Even with today's computer generated effects, it is hard to do any better than it was done then, 30 years ago. Impossible to not get enamored and seduced by the story and characters.

Good fun, and the only movie in this series I really enjoy. The two sequels are adequate and fun in places but don't have the spirit of this movie, and the prequels are pretentious nonsense.

I think this is the only film that successfully fulfilled the aim of making a space swashbuckler for all ages.  It could be enjoyed by child and adult alike.  Film buff and sci-fi geek could chew it over together, and it could be considered as light entertainment and or modern mythology.  As the series dragged on, the wieght of its pretensions dragged it down a bit.  But the films were still fun social events.

The movie that launched the phenomenon that is the Star Wars universe.

Of course I gotta throw a five! This is the one that started it all. The one that had to be good or geeks like me would have one less thing to do with our dismal lives!