Newcomer to Star Wars question by Calhoun

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Newcomer to Star Wars question

POSTED BY: CALHOUN
UPDATED: Monday, March 20, 2006 01:05
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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 5:09 PM

My kids are the age where they ready to be introduced to Star Wars (Woohoo!). I am wondering about where to start with them. Do you think newcomer kids should start with the prequels or the originals? and why?

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 5:24 PM

CYBERSNARK

Originals.

Episode III ruins any dramatic impact the original trilogy has.

Y'know That Scene in ESB? The one you do NOT want spoiled? The one that defines the entire emotional/narrative axis on which the trilogy (and arguably, the entire SW universe) turns, and completely redefines Luke's character arc and future growth throughout the Expanded Universe?

Episode III comes right out and tells you that Anakin/Skywalker/Darth Vader's son is Luke Skywalker (and that Leia Organa is Luke's sister).

You show the prequels to your kids first, they'll never understand what anybody ever saw in the saga.

Oh, and after the original trilogy, make sure they see the Ewok movies. Love 'em or hate 'em, I feel everyone should see those two at least once (plus the DVD is ridiculously cheap).

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 5:27 PM

SEVENPERCENT

The originals. And not just the originals, the pre-edited originals, if you have the means to find them.

I mean, I grew up with Star Wars, loved Star Wars as a child and as an adult, but let's be frank - the prequels? Trash. Too much greenscreen and computer generated junk, and not enough real actors to give it life. The real actors that they had, all of them quality, were reduced to cardboard versions of themselves because of it (I've seen Sam Jackson and Natalie Portman act, but somehow the prequels turned them into dinner-theater quality amateurs).

And as for why I say the unedited originals, let me be perfectly clear: Han shot first, and Hayden Christiensen was not Darth Vader's spirit. I do not accept the changes; it's like my brain shuts down when I hear about them from people who have bought his latest "cleaned up" versions. Nuh-uh.

So, introduce them to the story the way it was meant to be told - IV, V, and VI. One day they'll thank you for it.

------------------------------------------
He looked bigger when I couldn't see him.

Anyone wanting to continue a discussion off board is welcome to email me - check bio for details.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 5:32 PM

BREWGRL

Sevenpercent, I am right there with you! I like to pretend that the prequels were never made and I can just imagine what happened before the original three. And Han shot first!

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 5:58 PM

ACRAZYIVAN

Original-originals - if you have the means. Not even the "special edition" VHS from the late 90's. A CGI Jabba the Hutt, an exhaustive music video from his palace, Greedo shooting first - it's all bunk. I don't think you'll find a person here who thinks that the Star Wars trilogy is better off now than it was before. Not only that, but the prequels are a travesty. You might even think about telling your kids they aren't worth watching. I introduced my girlfriend to Star Wars, and after everything she's heard, she plans to never see the prequels. I know there's an awful lot of stuff from them I'd like removed from my memory (I cringe at the sight of a CGI Yoda). The only thing the prequels do is make the original trilogy less exciting surprising. 'Empire' would just end with the thought: "Yeah - obviously. We all knew that." instead of "Holy hell? HE is your father??"

George Lucas never should have, as River would say, meddled with Star Wars after the first trilogy was done.

"We've gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero."

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 6:09 PM

THIEFJEHAT

Han Shot First.

Show them episodes IV, V, and VI.

Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 6:22 PM

CHRISPV

The prequels are an acquired taste that I never acquired, so it might be that your kids will love them. However, you DEFINITELY want to start out with the originals. My reason for this is simple: A New Hope is the introductory film. If you start with The Phantom Menace, you'll have Jedi running about, using the Force, fighting for the Republic, but your kids won't have the slightest clue what those things actually mean.

That's one of my main problems with the prequels, they operate on an extraordinarily high base of assumed knowledge.

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Fox!

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 6:46 PM

CALHOUN

Thank you all for your input.

I was thinking the originals but I couldnt be sure my bias was justified, but now reading and fully agreeing with what you guys have articulated I am convinced.

Also as a bonus I have the original unedited versions in widescreen on DVD(never been released on DVD(I think)), because I bought the widescreen VHS way back when and made my own DVD's of them.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 6:50 PM

CHRISPV

Good call. I have a set of DVDs mastered off of the laserdiscs.

The irony? The laserdiscs were marketed as "The Definitive Edition."

Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal, Fox!

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 7:47 PM

BROWNCOATSANDINISTA

I think that this tells us something about our BDM. Never, ever, ever let fox come out with a "Special Edition" version of the DVDs with Dobson shooting first, CG reavers, and Hayden Christiansen as Book. Never Ever Ever.

If anyone gets nosy...Shoot em.
Shoot em sir?
Politely.

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 7:48 PM

KWICKO

"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)

I agree with all the above sentiments, but I'd like to point out a slightly different viewpoint:

Start them with Episode I, II, and III. If they can even slog through them, that is. That way, the whole series will seem to get amazingly BETTER in its "later" (original) half! :)

Thing is, once they see Episodes IV, V, and VI, you know they're going to want to see the prequels, too - and they'll be horribly disappointed. This way, you get through the hardest part first, and they end up with the best parts last.

Just a thought. Seriously, though, if you did show them the prequels first, they'd likely get so bored they wouldn't understand what the hell all the fuss was about, and might not even be able to get into them enough to want to finish.

Mike

A baby seal walks into a club...

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:10 PM

LEGOLAD

No! For the love of Pete / God / all-that's-holy / whatever; don't show them the prequels first. The prequels destroy any dramatic power the great moments in the originals could possibly have; the whole story would already be revealed. And visually, everything in the originals would have already been done 'bigger and better' in the prequels (ie. Wookies instead of Ewoks... uuuhh... hate Ewoks so much...) It's astounding how much and how badly the prequels ripped off their predecessors.

In fact, personally, I'd only show them the first two, even though that's impossible -- "AAAAAHH!! Mommy, what happens to Han?!!!"
I was very disappointed in Return of the Jedi. And not just the Ewoks.

Do you know there's a good interview with Joss where he mentions that if there were one film he could have made, it would have been Jedi? He liked the possibility of Luke turning to the dark side. Man, I would do unspeakable things for the chance to see Joss' version of that movie. Alas, never going to happen. Ah, well...

"We need a hood ornament."

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Wednesday, March 15, 2006 9:33 PM

MATTCOZ

I've been in many discussions about this, and here's the order I like to recommend:

IV, V, I, II, III, VI

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Thursday, March 16, 2006 6:37 AM

RHODRI

Be kind to your kids.

Tell them George Lucas died before getting the opportunity to film Episodes 1-3!

It's not far off the truth is it...from a certain point of view!

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Thursday, March 16, 2006 8:20 AM

TEALCANDTRIP

Quote:
Originally posted by mattcoz:
I've been in many discussions about this, and here's the order I like to recommend:

IV, V, I, II, III, VI

Don't be like Fox mattcoz. 4 is where everybody is introduced and the whole universe is set up.

I suggest originals than new ones. And yes, I liked the new ones, even phantom menace.

"I also hear that there's something called Firefly, which is either a canceled science-fiction television show or a new religion, I'm not clear on that. Either way, prayers for the resurrection are involved." – Lore Sjoberg

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Thursday, March 16, 2006 8:30 AM

MATTCOZ

Quote:
Originally posted by tealcandtrip:
Quote:
Originally posted by mattcoz:
IV, V, I, II, III, VI
Don't be like Fox mattcoz. 4 is where everybody is introduced and the whole universe is set up.

I'm confused. No wait, I think maybe you're confused. For those who don't understand roman numerals: 4,5,1,2,3,6.

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Thursday, March 16, 2006 8:58 AM

TEALCANDTRIP

*smacks head... then hangs it in shame* oops

I still say 4,5,6,1,2,3

Matt, as a peace offering, here's the end theme of Firefly: http://www.nightsoft.net/sneaker98/FireflyEnd.mp3

"I also hear that there's something called Firefly, which is either a canceled science-fiction television show or a new religion, I'm not clear on that. Either way, prayers for the resurrection are involved." – Lore Sjoberg

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Thursday, March 16, 2006 5:19 PM

FWBBROWNCOAT

Quote:
Originally posted by Rhodri:
Be kind to your kids.

Tell them George Lucas died before getting the opportunity to film Episodes 1-3!

It's not far off the truth is it...from a certain point of view!

Yea, that'd be a good one!

IV, V, VI, I, II, III

Gotta be the original three...original three. They might get confused seeing Young Anakin at the end of Jedi!

The ewok movies are great for kids too, I remember watching them when I was a youngin'. As well as the cartoon "Ewoks" and "Droids"

"Come a day there won't be room for naughty men like us to slip about at all." - Malcolm Reynolds

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Friday, March 17, 2006 6:06 AM

CYBERSNARK

Plus, you can then show them E.T. and see if they can spot the common links (Drew Barrymore was in the Ewok movies, parts of Yoda's theme reappear in the E.T. soundtrack).

-----
We applied the cortical electrodes but were unable to get a neural reaction from either patient.

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Friday, March 17, 2006 6:22 AM

KUANGZHEDE

The first three movie were made to sale toys at your local Taco Bell. Me sa' thinks that Lucas' writting stinks. Hadden has said that he is getting out of acting and going back to school to learn architecture, so hopefully the world will be free from his, would you categorize what he does as acting, influence. The CGI remakes of 4,5, and 6 were laughable, remember Jabba, looks like he lost two tons and was made out of Jello. If anybody has the original on VHS, please transfer to DVD, quality may be crap but it is better then the content on the remakes. the first three films have solidified the fact that the Skywalker family is the biggest bunch of whinners in space history. Oh God, just thinking about the "No, its my love for you which makes you beautiful" or whatever the hell they were failing to get across to the audience scene sends chills running down my spine.

In conclusion, when nubs was on the volcanic ground being consumed by flames, I burst out laughing in the theatre to the horror of those around me. That was the funniest and best written scene for all of the first three movies and pretty much summed up the approach they took for it.

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Monday, March 20, 2006 1:05 AM

CALHOUN

Quote:
Cybersnark wrote:
Friday, March 17, 2006 06:06
Plus, you can then show them E.T. and see if they can spot the common links (Drew Barrymore was in the Ewok movies, parts of Yoda's theme reappear in the E.T. soundtrack).

Good call! I remember tryin ET on them a few years back but they were way to young and lost interest. I'll give that another go.

P.S. I just started them with Star Wars 4(A New Hope) and they enjoyed it. Cool. I got so much good sci fi for them to watch as they grow up

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