Rating: 
Summary: It stinks.
Review: American Graffiti is no different from any other 50's movie ever made. The only thing different is that it was directed by George Lucas (the creator of the miserable Star Wars saga). Nothing about this film appealed to me. 10 min. in I was checking my clock. It went on and on yet I somehow got through it. After I took the disk out of my DVD player I vowed never to watch it again. And I haven't and don't *ever* plan to. American Graffiti was the worst film of 1973, the best film that year was the immortal Exorcist.
Rating:
Summary: Lucas' best film.
Review: 'American Graffiti' is easily George Lucas' best film. Not because of poor direction verging on the sloppy, killing any momentum with inept editing and boring compositions. Not because of a leaden script with no sense of structure, that prevents some decent actors from even thinking about characterisation, and which places the burden of period atmosphere and emotional resonance on the soundtrack. Not because of Lucas' usual preference for machines over people, or his misguided assumption that a string of tedious anecdotes makes a compelling, 'real' and nationally symbolic story. No. 'American Graffiti' is George Lucas' best film because it is 11 minutes shorter than 'Star Wars'.
Rating:
Summary: What a Stinker
Review: George Lucas is a great director, but this is not his best work. I found it tedious and maudlin. Far too disjointed, and slow paced. I have NO idea why this is so highly acclaimed. A real dud. A much better film of the same 60's genre is "The Hollywood Knights." Funnier and with better music.
Rating: 
Summary: THE BEST NIGHT OF CRUISIN' IN MOVIE HISTORY
Review: Teenagers cruise the town of Modesto, California (director George Lucas' hometown), comtemplating the future, wondering if they should leave their nest to go away to go to college. One of my favorites, saw it several times in the years when it first came out. A few years after it was originally released, the movie was re-released with new footage of a car salesman having fun with Terry the Toad. The feeling this film generates, its like a dream, I want to go back, if only for a night. George Lucas wrote and directed a movie, THX 1138, a few years before he wrote and directed American Graffiti. John Milner's license plate in Graffiti was THX 138.
Rating:
Summary: A truly incredible movie
Review: I'm not sure what it is, but alot of films that deal with the past and nostalgia (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) have held a fascination with me. Just the differences, no information age, cars that looked cooler, and the styles and music weren't as grained down and commercialistic as today. American Graffiti was a film I had heard about quite a bit (being a Star Wars fan), and it was last fall during the early morning hours that I sat down and watched it. Well, the people who love it are not kidding: it really is a great film! Taking place in Modesto, CA (a nod to George Lucas's hometown), we begin at sunset (redone for the special edition, the once overcast sky is now ablaze in orange and blue) at Mel's Diner. Here, we meet Terry, Steve, Curt, and Curt's sister Laurie. Tonight is the last night before graduation, and some of them are wondering what the future holds for them. As the sun sets, Steve and Laurie begin to question their future together (Steve wants to go to the East Coast for college, and Laurie is unsure of their relationship), Terry is loaned Steve's car, and picks up a cute blond (he manages to convince her that the car is his, and that he is of legal age to buy alcohol!), and Curt spends the entire night, tracking down a girl in a white Ford T-Bird(one of the most intriguing plots of the movie!), as well as getting into some fun trouble with a gang of teen punks. The plot also includes John, almost the image of the teenage rebel, who cruises down main street in his bright yellow hot rod (with his THX1138 license plate), and Carol, the only girl out of a carload next to him that wants to ride with him. However, John did not know that she was 13! But, the play off of John's toughman compared to Carol's "I know everything, I'm 13!" attitude is great dialogue. In a slightly cameo role, Harrison Ford plays cowboy hat-wearing Bob Falfa, driving a 56 Chevy, cruising for a drag race with John. Lucas does an incredible job piecing these teenager's stories together, with everything taking place from the dusk of one day to the dawn of the next. As you watch, you almost wish the night would never end. The town seems so small and almost intimate, it's an entitiy in itself, from the downtown crusing streets, all the way out to Mel's Diner. Right now, there are some parts that words just can't describe what I mean about the film. But, I can't say enough about the soundtrack. I hadn't enjoiyed a timeline soundtrack since the 2-CD set of Forrest Gump. All the music is great, not a bad song in the bunch. The music fits in the entire film's continuity, being croadcast by The Wolfman, a radio entity that almost everyone has an interpretation of who he is (but only one of our teens finds out, but I'm not going to say which one). The film was Lucas's first major hit, and it almost did not get made. If you can believe it, Lucas worked like a dog on this film on the tightest of schedules and budgets (the same type of mood on Star Wars almost led him to a total breakdown). But, out of the complexity of his work came this hit. Almost none of the studio executives had confidence in it, except for Lucas, his friends, and Francis Ford Coppola (a man who is credited for helping Lucas in his early days). DVD is the best way to experience this film. In terms of teen movies, I'd choose this hands down over the 90's films being released today. Instead of a picture cranked out by studio execs leaning to make a buck, Lucas made Graffiti with his past and nostalgia in mind. It truly deserves to be seen and heard.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie!
Review: I'll love and protect this movie until death do us part. "American Graffiti" is one of my all-time favorite movies, if not most favorite. It's just so great that it's incredible, it's just about perfect. It's one of the most honest unpretentious depictions of youth in the history of the movies or of any other art form. All of the characters in the movie are almost too real to even be in a movie. George Lucas really is a genius without a doubt, even if he had never done "Star Wars". I love this movie so much that I have to see it at least once or twice a week. It's filled with fun, confusion, conflict, cars, girls, hamburger joints, high school, dancing, music, etc. Also, I have to say that the cinematography by Haskell Wexler and the cameramen is beautiful, the acting by the entire cast Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Paul Le Mat, Candy Clarke, Cindy Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, and everybody else. The soundtrack is also incredible and revolutionized the way sound and music is used in the movies, sound supervisor Walter Murch, using more than 40 rock'n roll songs to guide the movie instead of a conventional composed score. Only Martin Scorsese used rock music in a similar way in "Mean Streets" the same year of 1973, however, not to extent of "American Graffiti". The "Collector's Edition" DVD is great, I highly recommend it to everyone who loves the movies and has a DVD player. The picture and sound could have been a bit better, but, overall it's very good especially since it's presented in it's original aspect ratio in widescreen so you can see the entire picture. Also, it has a great making of documentary that includes a wealth of information on all aspects of the movie's production, as well as interviews with George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Walter Murch, and all of the stars of the movie, and more great stuff. There are also some other bonus information on the people involved and the production, and the theatrical trailer. Get this DVD, if you're not sure about putting up a few bucks, than rent it first and decide for yourself afterwards. This movie is a genuine gem and a blessing, I'd like to thank everyone involved in making "American Graffiti" and for the priveledge of being able to see it on DVD as many times as I want to. It's too bad that all of the movies that tried to copy and immitate this movie ever since aren't even half as good.
Rating:
Summary: Pual Lemats best
Review: A great movie, It's defenatly my favorite,ive seen it about 10 times so far. My dad told me about it, it was his favorite show. My favorite charachter is John Milner(Paul Lemat), he is the best. The music is great, it's The old time of rock and roll. Not any of that new rap or heavy metal stuff. Its a movie that just lights you up. I think all the actors did a awsome job. It was probaly Paul Lemats best. I think another great part of the movie is that some famous stars today were just starting out, like Harrison Ford or Richard Dreyfuss,and Ron Howard. The plot is basicly teenagers after graduation just staying out and having a fun time, like all night. Is it exciting you ask? Are you kidding! Fighting ,fast cars, custum hotrods,dancing, true love, drag racing, freindship, hold ups. A lot of good stuff. It's a realy entertaning show. I thank every one who made it or helped make it. I would like to see another sequel.
Rating:
Summary: American Graffiti
Review: The first movie to have an ambient musical soundtrack (there is perhaps a word for that), much like the sound that would later announce the arrival of the storm troopers in Star Wars, Lucas makes a very funny film. The best scence is when the nerd in the movie is trying to steal some beer and is shot at by the store owner; perhaps what makes it so hilarious is the complete disparity between the act and its punishment. In the end, the greaser dies and Richie Cunningham lives and stays in Modesto, and Richard Dreyfuss flies away on a plane, still searching for that blond in the convertible. The greaser is reborn, however, in Happy Days as Fonzi, but Richie Cunningham gets to play himself again. How old is Fonzi? If he is old, then he is a very creepy, and if he is young, then he is terribly miscast. Either way, the working class greaser gets magical powers in his Happy Days afterlife: he can snap his fingers and the girls come running, or turn on the jukebox by hitting it just right. Otherwise he would just be a sad figure of pity, living upstairs in Mrs. C's attic, the greaser glory just so much motor oil. Better to die in a not-so-tragic accident at the end of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Those Were The Days
Review: This film has a little bit of everything in it. The acting is great - Richard Dreyfus is superb. The cars are fantastic and the soundtrack is practically unbeatable. The story is about how four school friends spend their last night in town before going off (or not as the case may be) to live the rest of the their lives. Often funny, sometimes sad, but always very watchable. If you love class acting, the film's a must; if you love classic American cars, the film's a must and if you love rock n'roll why are you still reading this - you should be watching the film! Any Harrison Ford fans out there should keep an eye out for him as the man in the cowboy hat who's out to beat one of the four guys in a road race.
Rating: 
Summary: For the Younger People Out There . . . Not Quite the Ticket
Review: I tend to adhere to the Amazon-recommended interpretations of the star ratings, which means that my three stars are not an indication of my hateful relationship with "American Graffiti" but rather an average assessment of an average movie. I don't understand why people overuse the fours and the fives. So, as you may infer, I wasn't ecstatic about George Lucas's "down-to-earth" effort. I sort of could see the predecessor of the likes of "American Pie" and "Road Trip" in the way the film was made, but it has obviously aged and might not hold the same old appeal to the younger generations; say, me, for example. In my opinion, the best feature of this film was the soundtrack. You know, there are some oldies that are very recognisable, although you don't have a clue who sings them. Well, "American Graffiti" is jam-packed with them, and I bet a single CD couldn't possibly hold them all. As to the plot, if you're into post-war American cars, or rather, teenagers (one of the more mature ones featured was Harrison Ford) driving them up and down the streed doing little else but some rather infantile antics, it's your type of movie. The same goes for the profundity of the relationships: it's all about hookups, attempts to get laid, sweetheart swapping, and other senseless high-school goings-on. To be fair, not much has really changed since then, except for the obscenity count in the language used. To me, it's one of those "so-what" movies, although I could see its significance in the development of the American cinema of this particular genre. Unfortunately, I don't hold George Lucas in too high an esteem as an artist; to me, he's the ultimate commercial director, even worse than Spielberg. With this prejudice in place, I can't possibly imagine any noble artistic intentions before the making of "American Graffiti," any sort of statements that may be attempted to be conveyed therewith, nor any sort of ingenuity of the plot. It's a truly average movie, and with my three stars, I affirm that I've no reason to hate it, but it wasn't anything special either. Maybe good entertainment.
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