It’s probably been about 14 years since I last saw Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Since then I’ve felt understandably uneasy about watching any more Star Wars films. As I was between the ages of 10-16 when most of the Star Wars prequel movies came out, I judged them pretty harshly as a young guy craving mostly action and lightsaber duels.
Some of my complaints were based around not really caring about young kids adventures and more about what Luke Skywalker was up to. When I got to see an older Anakin it was in a love story in Episode II that I slept through most of. There was too much talking and politics that I didn’t really care for at the time. I didn’t really have many complaints about Episode III since to me it was awesome and pretty epic and lead into the treasured original trilogy.
After I had watched the prequels I got more into Star Trek than ever and started to enjoy it more than Star Wars.
By the time I got around to the sequel trilogy, I approached it without the disappointment that I had for the prequels. I was lukewarm on Star Wars and I haven’t really watched anything or re-watched anything in years, despite my love of the franchise didn’t really care what the sequels were going to be like or if they were any good. I watched The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi entertained but still indifferent.
It wasn’t until November 2019 when I decided I would re-watch the entire series of movies from one through nine and including Rogue One and Solo. I watched 1, 2, 3, Rogue One, Solo, 7, 8, and after this morning, episode 9. I had never seen Rogue One until this marathon! Maybe it was time for the absence of Star Wars in my life that changed my mind, but I realize my heat for the prequels was slightly misplaced and I began to enjoy every moment of the series and linking together details and events from the series. (Han shot first)
As an adult, I appreciate the lore and worldbuilding, the politics, down to every conversation and detail that could be linked to future and past events. I was watching attentively, not on my phone or any other distraction. I even appreciated the love story and saw moments of Episode II I’d never seen (due to the snooze fest it was for a youngster).
When I got into the original trilogy I remembered exactly why I love Star Wars so much and it made the whole journey worth it, but it wasn’t over. I actually never wanted to purchase in on the original trilogy unless I was able to have the original theatrical cuts which showed Han shooting first. This is a silly reason to not want to own one of your favorite series, but it established hon as a rogue smuggler and not a clean-cut good guy, it’s what we call a “character development.”
When I got into the sequel trilogy I found characters I identified with and I saw my old beloved characters interact with them which made the transfer of the franchise into their hands all the more beloved. From the Jedi Rey, to the reluctant Storm Trooper Finn, to the dashing Pilot Poe Dameron (my favorite), and the new Droid BB-8 that doesn’t replace R2, but is a fun companion to have.
I guess this massive disconnect from the series probably helped me appreciate the sequel trilogy more than everyone else that felt extremely disconnected and hated every character and blamed it on how “Disney ruined Star Wars.” I guess the different thing about watching Star Wars now from when I was younger is that we have the Internet to connect us all, to find other fans and communicate with them. Suddenly liking Star Wars is the cool thing to do and it’s fun to feel like you fit in when you’re just being yourself.
Oddly enough I’m excited to see a follow up to Solo more than anything, and see where the franchise goes after this trilogy ends. I’ve recently played the Star Wars games Fallen Order and Battlefront II and I can't get enough.
I’m back in and finally appreciating every moment Star Wars has to give like I used to. sure some movies are better than others throughout the entire saga but I’ll always have my favorites but I’ll still appreciate each step in the journey. Because they all have meaning in the grand scheme of things. for Mia took the perspective of both the child and an adult to enjoy the series, and while Star Wars is made for people of all ages it really brings out the kid in you. I guess there’s something for everyone and Star Wars sure knows how to bank on our nostalgia.
I guess my recommendation is to do a chronological watching of the entire series and see how you feel about how everything connects.
Now that it’s done I’m on to watching the Star Wars Clone Wars series. Thanks for reading.
Aaron
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