What many new SW fans don't understand about the success of Star Wars '77 is the story and characters was just as much the reason why it was beloved as the ground breaking effects.

Sure everyone was wowed in 1977 by special effects that were never seen on the big screen before, but the movie appealed to the non-sci fi movie fan, and that is why it is so beloved. The characters were relatable, Han, Luke, and Leia could be anyone of us. The story was simple, but still holds up today, as it was essentially a good vs evil story.

I think Lucas in his latter years failed to understand as he kept updating the films, is the reason Star Wars '77 is still beloved today by a mainstream audience, rather then just a SciFi Star Trek audience, is the effects were secondary to the great story and great characters, along with a great score.