I REALLY want to know: Star Wars

ooh, The AV Club (in the Onion, you know?) just had an article about this-- interesting views on it, I'm gonna go track that down and post a link...

Okey-dokily, here we go: http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/ask_the_a_v_club_march_9_2007

You have to scroll down a bit to the "Menace of the Phantom Menace" part. (I didn't answer yet because I'm just so torn about this; I still haven't been able to make up my mind, and I've been thinking about it since I read that article last night...)

Oh wow, cyphercat! That is exactly what I'm going through. Mo is suddenly heavy into Star Wars so I'm getting a crash course and he's getting confused as I present them in order of release.

I was never a huge fan beyone the first one but it is all really growing on me now. The prequels aren't supurb but I love the back story of how it all came to pass.

I can see that guy's point about if you haven't seen the end you might not get the first. But is "getting it" quickly really the point?

Yeah, I thought that was really funny to see your thread about the exact same thing the very next day! I should've known there would be other people agonizing over this very significant question...



Hmm, I had the same thought process-- first I thought too confusing, then I thought that the build-up might be kinda cool...hmm. It's so hard to imagine seeing them in the new order; the mind boggles!

Ridiculously, this has actually been one of those things I have imagined when picturing myself facing the challenges of parenting... Not how would I do the birds and bees thing, or what to do about keeping them away from drugs, oh no-- "how on earth would I handle the Star Wars thing?! Maybe I'm not cut out for parenting..."

My gut keeps saying start with the old ones, but I think it's just because I can't get over my own prejudice against the new ones. I'd be haunted by the fear that my poor innocent child might somehow misguidedly prefer the new ones (horrors!).

If they ever decide to give prospective parents a test, the Star Wars question should be on it.

The Star Wars stories have amazing durability. They are all the rage amongst the kindergarten set.

We just got that "On Demand" thing on our TV and all of the Star Wars movies are available. I had never seen the finale - number three - until just the other day and I liked it. The whole how Darth Vader became Darth Vader was a great story.

Perhaps I shall put this to the test with a sit down viewing in chronological story order.

here's the official order to watch them in

episode's 4, 5, 6



only a complete masochist would watch episodes 1, 2, 3

i have them all on dvd, i've got through all of 1, half of 2 and haven't even unwrapped 3 (probably never will)

I found that a good order to watch them in was 2,3,5,6,1,4. Don't know why, but it was very entertaining.

Sozlet hasn't breached this yet (she hasn't watched any of the 6 yet), so I'm interested.

I didn't watch any of them myself until I was an adult. Wasn't allowed when I was kid. My class went to watch it and I had to stay home. Enduring trauma. (I get where my parents were coming from but I still think it was a bad decision -- I was in like 3rd grade or something.)

Of the newer trilogy, I've only seen the first. Wasn't very impressed. (Jar-jar Binks, oy.)

4,5,6 then forget the rest.

I agree. 1, 2 and 3 aren't worth watching.

You sound like you know what you're talking about. I will try your order!

I don't think it is so easy to dismiss the first three episodes. I liked the political story and the love story and I really liked Episode 3 even though the scene where Darth Vader gets burned up and put in the suit gave me nightmares.

Three wasn't bad, but it wasn't very good, either. It's better if you mute it any time Anakin is on the screen without his lightsaber. Who knew Obi-Wan was such a badass?

Kinda violent for little kids, though. Maybe I'm wrong, but the themes of parents getting killed could be a tad disturbing.





Episode Four is a classic hidden-prince-rescues-the-princess-and-kills-the-dragon story, though....

I think its a generation thing.

I was 8 when 6 came out, so I grew up with 4,5 and 6 in my blood.Id never seen those actors be anyone else other than the Star Wars characters, therefore they WERE Han Solo, Princess Lea etc.
Whereas the modern ones didnt hold my attention, the special effects didnt amaze me, we all know how its done and we all know that Ben Kenobe is Ewan Mcgregor, that guy from Trainspotting, Moulin Rouge etc.

My record is watching Star Wars 7 times in one day back in 1983, I think we still have the copy with all the old adverts on it.

By six you mean three -- right?

Yeah about Anikin though. I kept wanting to reach in and lift his chin up. Someone should have told him you can be brooding without always looking at the floor. He had great hair so that made it okay though.

Young Obi-Wan was hot!

I have heard that Star Wars is equated to The Wizard of Oz, Princess Lea is Dorothy, Tin man is C3PO, Chewbacca is the cowardly Lion etc

Nope, 6, the last of the old ones came out early 80's so I was about 8 years old.

Young Obi is definatly hoooooot.

"Episode 4" was the first Star Wars film. The original 1977 version had no Jim Henson creatures. After that, 5, 6, 1, 2, and 3 belonged to a "Muppet Movie" series.

"Episode 4" is the only pure Star Wars movie, in my opinion.

My "by six you meant three" was directed towards DrewDad, material girl. I think your dead right about using actors that weren't well known -- how it made it seem all the more fantastic.

I think everyone agrees that Episode 4 is the best Star Wars but the others all have merits too. Mo loves the flying motorcycles scene through the forest in Episode 6 better than just about anything else.

I felt pretty happy overall about episode three-- seeing Darth Vader's first breath with the mask on was quite a moment (I just try to forget about the "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" part right after that, oy ). And I liked that once you see the whole thing, Obi Wan becomes kind of the unifying element through the whole story, and I think he's just a great character. Thank goodness for Ewan and good ol' Sir Alec Guinness...

I'm interested in Soz's experience with not being allowed to watch them as a kid-- my parents were super careful about what I watched (because I was such a baby that Scooby Doo really scared me-- seriously), but I watched all of them at five and loved them. My dad was a young parent, so he'd been exactly the age when they came out to be completely into them; my older brother was also a huge fan, so I think it was probably just assumed by everyone that I had to see them asap

Gotta start with the new ones and move to the older ones....if you want to watch them as they were intended to be watched (as were written).
However, it's perfectly acceptable to watch them; first three (older) and then new three. Cuz that's how we all did it. :wink: