A no-brainer for inclusion in this article (in several senses), George Lucas cheerfully straightforward space opera began life as the unwanted second film in a two film deal struck in 1971 in order to get American Graffiti to the screen. Although Lucas claimed when writing Star Wars (Im never going to call it A New Hope, so dont say a word) that he had enough scope to tell a full story covering nine films, of which Star Wars would be somewhere in the middle, the truth of the matter is that scope is all he had. Lucas ideas for the saga mutated radically on a monthly basis back in the old days. Before the series became a monolithic franchise with its own narrative throughline and continuity, it was all in his head, and subject to change with a whim. However, the first film (not fourth) and original story is a relatively simple one, a goodnatured epic fantasy with the trappings of science fiction instead of sword and sorcery. That conceit would prove the most complicated part of the story, detailing the heros journey of a farm boy who became the saviour of the galaxy. Long before secret twins, evil fathers and complex political shenanigans, Star Wars was about one kids efforts to make a man of himself while fighting against a tyrannical oppressor. The mythology may have sucked future generations in, but that simple, compelling story is what got them hooked in the first place, and simple, compelling storytelling never ages.