I have been a Star Wars fan all my life. When I was a kid, the days when I had to stay home from school because I was 'sick' I'd always watch The Empire Strikes Back, and to this day it is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. So, in every Star Wars fans life their comes that special day. The day when you have to make a decision; in what order will you introduce your children to Star Wars?
I've recently been on a podcast kick, to where, I don't even listen to music in the car anymore. After sampling several Star Wars themed podcast I settled on my support for Far, Far Away. They have good guests, great banter, and they don't crap on the prequels as much as all the other podcasters out there. With 16 years of built-up anticipation for Episode I it fell into a zone that a lot of sequels fall into if the original was so dearly loved. It would never have been as awesome as we built it up in our minds after all those years of waiting. Now, like all of you, their are many things I don't like about Episodes I-III, but to disregard these three films just because you didn't like them seems petty. After hearing all these voices scream out against the prequels I felt like I had to let my voice be heard as to why I am going to show my kids the worst Star Wars movie first.
If you take the first hour of The Phantom Menace, before they go to Tatooine, it's a Jedi adventure about rescuing the Queen of Naboo. It's light-hearted, exciting, and something totally different than the post-Episode IV stuff we fans were used too at the time. Skipping over the Tatooine stuff, we see the Jedi and the Queen arrive on Coruscant so the Queen can plead her case to the Senate. They then return to Naboo, rally everyone together to fight a battle on several fronts, (which is very reminiscent of the end of Return of the Jedi) and complete one of my personal favorite Star Wars scenes; the bad ass lightsaber duel. Now go back and watch The Phantom Menace and tell me that's not a good family film. Yes, you aging nerds, Star Wars is family entertainment, unlike The Dark Knight trilogy that includes a homicidal clown killing people.
Now of course, the whole Tatooine stuff is still in there. I don't like little Ani, I don't like the podracing stuff, and I hated the biblical reference on how Anakin was "conceived by the midi-chlorians." But if you read the Darth Plagueis book you'll see how Anakin's true birth came to pass and you can forgive his miraculous birth.....just a little. In any event, Episode I, while it's my least favorite film in the franchise, is probably going to be my children's favorite till they are maybe 10-years-old because of the things I truly hate about it; like Jar Jar and the podracing.
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is actually a great follow-up to Episode I in regards to a child's progression in the saga. It's a love story, though not a very good one, and it's got more swashbuckling adventures of the Jedi. There is less Jar Jar in the film, (Yeah!) but also features the first adventure of that classic cinematic duo; R2-D2 and C-3PO.
After years of being apart, Padme and Anakin are reunited and Anakin's feelings for her have grown stronger; much like his Jedi powers. As Obi-Wan is sent on a mission to track down a bounty hunter Anakin is sent back to Naboo to protect Padme. In the middle of the beautiful landscape that encompasses Naboo the two fall in love; knowing that it is forbidden. Once Obi-Wan uncovers the coming threat Anakin and Padme must put their feelings aside and face their common enemy. But not before they are wed on Naboo with only R2-D2 and C-3PO in attendance.
Attack of the Clones is not quite as light-hearted as The Phantom Menace but is still rather innocent for a pre-teen. It has elements of adventure, love, and family. Complain all you want about the horrible chemistry between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman but the scenes that would have made it all work were actually cut out of the movie. Check out the deleted scenes on the DVD and get back to me. And yes, Anakin is whiny but think about all the kids in the country who freaked out and shot up a school. They were unstable outcasts who felt like they weren't getting what they deserved; like Anakin. So in his defense, he's playing the part rather well. He's playing him like....a teenager.
Now, when my children are entering their teenage years it will be the time to bring in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Chances are at this point they'll have already seen all the Star Wars movies because I go through the entire saga at least once a year. But in any event, Episode III is just as dark as Episode V, if not more.
It's the end of a war that has gone on for three years. Anakin has become something a Jedi was never supposed to be; a soldier. He is still deeply in love with Padme, who is now pregnant, and he is afraid of losing her. Every action he does is because of this. He feels that Palpatine is the only one who can help him so he turns against the Jedi and everything he knows to supposedly save her. Of course he doesn't realize that his vision of her dying is going to be caused by him. Anakin's choice I feel doesn't stray too far from the one many of us would choose in his shoes. Anakin tries to do something good by doing something bad. It's called The Dark Side people.
From the moment Order 66 is unleashed I feel like the film is perfect, minus the "she has lost the will to live" idiocracy. Her husband force-choked her and she lost so much oxygen she was going to die. How hard is that to say? I even feel that the well-hated "Noooooo" is fine. Anakin/Vader just lost his wife and his child, what else is he supposed to yell? Episode III ends on a dark note, and since Anakin ends up worse than a piece of fried chicken at a barbecue I think a young teen can see the lesson of 'consequences' in this film. FYI, watch the deleted scenes on this DVD too and you'll see Padme actually had a purpose of being in the movie aside from just being pregnant, giving birth to Luke and Leia, and then dying.
After Revenge of the Sith I think it's time to open the flood gates! At that point I feel like my children will be old enough to appreciate the original trilogy, even though,visually, it won't be as good as what they'll be used too; especially if it's 13 years from now! They should be able to recognize the great story and characters and how this is 'The Trilogy'. As Randall Graves put it, "Alright, look. There is only one 'Return' and it ain't of the 'King' it's of the 'Jedi'." Damn straight!
Some say they don't want to spoil the 'father' surprise in Episode V by showing them the prequels first. I was born in 1983. I always knew Vader was Luke's father. It's common knowledge in this society and the center of many pop culture puns. I expect my children to walk around the house by 4-years-old in a Darth Vader mask saying "Luke, I am your father."
So there it is people. While some Star Wars fans deny the prequels ever existed I plan on embracing them as the progression in my children's Star Wars cultural knowledge. By that time too, they'll have released a dozen other Star Wars TV shows, movies, and who knows what else. I enjoy the comics and the movies. Other people enjoy the books and video games. Some kids have grown up watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Everyone has their own Star Wars. So don't hate on something just because you weren't the target audience. Also, May The Force be with us all.
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