Part 1 - Introduction
The question of what order to watch Star Wars
has haunted a generation of parents
and has started countless bar and internet discussions.
Your solution is here.
The debate ends now.
I present to you, the DEFINITIVE...correct...viewing order.
With that said...let's begin.
Star Wars sucks...
(don't worry...I love Star Wars...this'll go somewhere)
...unless you are a kid.
Or, more specifically,
Star Wars sucks
unless you first see Star Wars
when you are a kid.
And if you DO see Star Wars you are a kid…
...forever will it dominate your destiny.
Consume you, it will.
This may frighten you,
But you must confront your fear.
If not, then your fear will lead to anger.
You anger will lead to hate.
And your hate...will lead to suffering.
If you are not too old when you begin the training,
...you will step into a larger world .
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From 1977 through 1999, as Star Wars fans, Star Wars meant two things. Movies and playtime (aka group fan-fiction). The KENNER toys go without explanation. They were a set of the most expansive, in-depth, detailed narrative accessories ever attempted. Every aspect of the films became and accessible extension of the play experience resulting in hundreds of hours of re-living the stories in the 6 hours of the films, plus hundreds more hours spent experiencing all of the other adventures that only existed individually in the imaginations of millions of children. Even before Splinter of the Mind’s Eye hit the bookshelves, the playtime both with and without the Kenner toys WERE the first existence of an Expanded Universe.
Sure, there WAS a bit more. There was:
- Some terrible (but still delightful) TV
- some decent TV
- some entertaining books
- some terrible books
- some really fantastic video games
- a playful comic book series by Marvel
- a mind-blowing comic book series by Dark Horse
And eventually...Star Wars: The First Generation 1.0, inevitable "grew up". And once they grew up...it, happily, resulted in Star Wars: The Next Generation 1.0. These children are the first to be raised by grown-ups that were kids when they first saw Star Wars.
(Note...there IS a Star Wars: The First Generation 1.5. These would be the kids born in the late 80's/early 90's. These are the kids who were kids when The Prequels were released. For the most part, Star Wars: The First Generation 1.5 are not yet parents. And even the ones that are...they have very different views, which are NOT reflected here. That is NOT to imply they are wrong...I just do not share their perspective. And I have found that many of the truths that I cling to depend greatly upon my point of view.)
As for the children that I called Star Wars: The Next Generation 1.0...
...there are many different ways that they can be begin their training.
...there are many different ways that they can be begin their training.
With us, as parents or without us, at some point...
our children will be introduced to Star Wars.
Some introductions to Star Wars are good
and some introductions to Star Wars are bad.
You are obviously asking yourself,
“But how am I to know the good from the bad?”
You will know.
When you are calm, at peace. Passive.
A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.
So, let’s explore some of the ways to discover the story of a boy, a girl and the universe.
It was a tale that took place a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.
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I am part of Star Wars: The FIRST Generation 1.0.
In the 1970’s and 80’s, we watched Star Wars as kids.
New Star Wars took years and years to develop.
And in those long years,
Star Wars: The FIRST Generation grow'd up.
There was a second wave of kids that I will call
Star Wars: The FIRST Generation 2.0.
They were kids when the Prequels came out.
For Star Wars: The FIRST Generation 2.0,
Jar Jar is a fond memory and the original trilogy is slow.
I can do nothing for them.
Someone from SW:TFG 2.0 will have to let us know
their thoughts on what Star Wars means to them.
But, this piece is about the relationship between Star Wars: The FIRST Generation 1.0
and Star Wars: The NEXT Generation.
And what I mean by that for the first time,
fans of Star Wars that became fans of Star Wars when they were children (SW:TFG 1.0)
are having kids of our own to share the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Star Wars: The NEXT Generation 1.0.
But for Star Wars: The NEXT Generation and beyond,
that Galaxy Far, Far Away
is already there, fully developed, just waiting for them to discover
before their training will be complete.
Not ready for the burden will they be.
Okay...this article really doesn’t include anything about the prospect of Episode VII and beyond,
but the basic assumption is that regardless of the theories on what to do with Episodes 1 to 6,
Episode 7 will be viewed after all 6 have been viewed.
This theory could change once 7, 8 and 9 are released..time, JJ and Disney will reveal that later.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah…
Star Wars just...exists.
There be spoilers here!!
And their friends have already seen some or all of the Galaxy that Lucas Built.
The schoolyard knows all the spoilers.
And what the schoolyard knows...Star Wars: The NEXT Generation knows.
Before the lights dim and the 20th Century Fox fanfare blares like a herald
calling a hero to begin an epic life-changing journey,
Star Wars: The NEXT Generation already knows that Darth Vader is Luke’s Father.
Star Wars: The NEXT Generation already knows that Darth Vader kills the Emperor.
Star Wars: The NEXT Generation already knows that Leia and Luke are twins.
Star Wars: The NEXT Generation knows these things and more
because they have already happened.
And they will happen again.
In order to preserve any of the future-nostalgia and engrained life-lessons
that come from travelling
through a galaxy far, far away,
a plan is needed.
And action must be swift and decisive.
This is our most desperate hour.
The Emperor has made a critical error
and the time for our attack has come.
Do not underestimate the power of spoilers,
or your child will NOT suffer their parent’s fate, they won't.
And if they do not love that galaxy,
as WE love that galaxy
then when we are gone,
the last of the fans of the Jedi will we have been.
So...we must pass on what we’ve learned.
But how?
Depending on the order that you view the story,
you will have a different experience.
There are many orders, each with its own point of view.
And you will find that many of the truths that we cling to
depend greatly on our point of view.
"Episode (Narrative Chronology) Order":
The point of view of George Lucas, himself, seems to imply that he thinks that his story should be unveiled in the "Episode (Narrative Chronology) Order".
- Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) then
- Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) then
- Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) then
- Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) then
- Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) then
“I'd always envisioned it as six movies. When you see it in six parts you'll understand that it really ends at part six.” – George Lucas (1997)
George Lucas is wrong.
It’s just wrong, and you know it. (More on this below.) It’s just wrong.
A wise philosopher whose name escapes me described the Episode Order thusly:
"IT'S A TRAP!!"
"Theatrical Release Order":
Another point of view would be revealed by watching the films in the "Theatrical Release Order".
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) then
- Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) then
- Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) then
- Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) then
- Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) then finally
- Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005).
This is the quick and easy choice. This is also wrong.
“Epic Flashback Order":
Still another point of view is what I’ll call the “Epic Flashback Order", which gets us closer to the correct order. But, we’re still not there.
I first discovered this order in a series of articles by Drew McWeeny (Film Nerd 2.0), as he blogged his experience of presenting this version of the Saga to his children. Click on each title to read the blog posts (as they are quite entertaining, in and of themselves). “The Epic Flashback Order” (embedded with links to McWeeny’s blog posts for each film) is as follows:
That order will pretty much do for kids that are, say, 9 or 10 before seeing the films. But to really get full experience with all of the the wonder and magic, a little younger viewing is required. Depending on the child, I’d say age 5 or so is just about right, so Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) will have to wait, also. (I’ll get back to that in a minute)
“The Machete Order”:
Another prevailing theory (that is the most superior order...other than my suggested order detailed below) is called the "Machete Order". I came across this as proposed by Rod Hilton in the linked blog post. It is a variation on The Flashback Order, with that same order except skipping The Phantom Menace until the end.
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) then
- Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) then
- Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) then
- Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) then
- Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) then finally
- Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
The main advatage to the Machete Order is this demotes The Phantom Menace into the realm of other Expanded Universe treatments, such as the Droids cartoon, the Ewoks cartoon and TV-movies, outside novels, comic-books and video games, etc.
These all have great value, but they aren't the same as "Star Wars".
But The Phantom Menace really had some cool visuals that are worth seeing. For example...the podrace, while way too long, had some nice sequences and the duel with Maul at the end did have some pretty kick-ass acrobatics. But, if you miss it, then, meh.
So, thats that.
Thank you for reading.
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I kid...I kid…:
Of course there is no "correct" or "wrong" way to tell the story. Star Wars is that at its heart a timeless story that reflects our very human nature and our own individual hero journeys and that is a metaphor for our own development and growth throughout our own lives.
It was the celebration of fun and whimsy, the attention to detail and real world grittiness that truly elevated the films to something above the rest. While admittedly, they had a melodramic falseness to them, the films were produced with a tactile, lived in quality that is often imitated, but never duplicated. The genius was the way that it was visualized and presented as a film.
When you watch Star Wars, you feel like you are watching footage collected in a real galaxy far, far away, not a collection a actors, sets, costumes and special effects.
Chewbacca never felt like a man in a costume. R2-D2 never felt like a prop. The Millenium Falcon never felt like a toy on a string. And Darth Vader never felt like a cartoon.
So...what's the point of even discussing the viewing order? Once the entire fictional history is know, it really doesn't ultimately matter what you knew and when you learned the facts of the tale.
But to be a part of an emotional journey, you need an anchor, a hook to relate to reflect and express the morality tale as it unfolds.
You must feel that the events of the story are happening to me. When the protagonist is in danger...I am in danger. When the protagonist triumphs, I triumph. Mirror nuerons are an amazing thing. And these collective experiences bring us together as a species.
So, this article is about WHY I feel which order has it’s pros and cons and what worked best for me and my family.
Part 2 - The LEGO Wii Flashback Order
The point of view of my family came from viewing the saga (and I would recommend for children 3 to 7...depending on the child) via what I call the "LEGO Wii Flashback Order".
"LEGO Wii Flashback Order":
Let me explain. No, there is no time. Let me sum up.
The simple explanation of the "LEGO Wii Flashback Order" is as follows:
- Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) then
- Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) then
- Play the Wii Game: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) then
- Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) then
- Play the Wii Game: Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) and finally
- Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
But what does this mean, and why was this the correct order for me?
Ok...maybe there is time. Let me explain.
The more precise and complex explanation of the "LEGO Wii Flashback Order" is as follows:
1. Watch the movie : Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977); Enjoy entering a new world with your little ones.
Side note: My 6 year old son’s reaction at the end was, “But Darth Vader got away.” Brilliant observation! Then, he quickly forgot about that and he and his 4 year old sister grabbed broomsticks and wrapping paper rolls and the playtime began. (It still continues today.)
But here is where the Nintendo Wii comes in...
a. Play part of Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Specifically, just Episode IV: A New Hope.) This is important to wait until after the movie is seen, so as to be a spoiler-free activity that also allows the learning of how to play the co-operative game.
b. Watch: Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), if feasible. The cartoon introducing Boba Fett alone is worth the price of admission, friend.
c. Also watch: The episode of The Muppet Show from 1980 starring Mark Hamill with Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew, I think.
2. Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
a. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Specifically, just Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back....more spoiler free game experience)
3. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005) (Specifically, just Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This WILL be a movie spoiler, but since this incorporates the machete order, we will be skipping Phantom Menace movie until later).
4. Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
a. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005) (Specifically, just Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2005)
b. Watch: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars Micro-series (2003, 2004 and 2005). (Volume 1 seamlessly follows and then extends the best parts of the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which shows the initiation of the Clone Wars, while Volume 2 jumps ahead in time and seamlessly feathers into the opening to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
5. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005) (Specifically, just Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
6. Replay some of Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Specifically, Episode IV: A New Hope again and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back again.)
7. Re-watch the last 30 minutes or so of the movie: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) followed immediately by watching the movie: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983).
8. Finish Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.)
9. Start watching the CGI series: The Clone Wars (2008 - 2013) starting with the theatrical released so-called Clone Wars (2008) movie (which was really the pilot and the first three episodes anyways).
a. Play Wii LEGO Star Wars III (The Clone Wars) (2011)
Extra Bonus Content:
10. Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), if you like. It had some nice scenes here and there.
11. Wait until the viewer is 10 to 12, and the watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). It is NOT a movie for little kids!!
Super Extra Bonus Content:
12. Watch the movies: Star Wars: Episode VII (2015), VIII (2018?) and IX (2021?) in the order made.
And...scene.
As I said, what I am presenting here is my personal take. It is what worked (and is working) for me and my family. Strictly speaking, during our viewing, I actually forgot about the Holiday Special and The Muppets episode…but you can learn from my oversight. And there, obviously, really is no “right” way. But it is what worked for me and mine.
Before I get lost in the fun and the depth of the Star Wars saga, hereafter to be simply called, The Saga, as it relates to age old storytelling/morality tales, let me start by pointing out that I have no illusions that I enjoy The Saga as skin-deep popular popcorn fluff. It is and always was John Carter, Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers going “Pyew, pyew” with laser beams blasting strange aliens. Even those were echos of older tales like Perseus killing Medusa, Sir Lancelot riding on a white horse to defeat the Black Knight or St. George versus the Mighty Dragon in order to save the fair damsel in distress. It is classic melodrama where all the men are strong, all the women are good looking, all the villains have below average marksmanship and only redshirts die (apologies, Mr. Roddenberry for the mixed metaphor…we love you, too).
But wrapped up in the fluff are ancient deeply human stories about growth, friendship, perseverance, temptation and redemption. These ideals that we hold most dear to our hearts, our very existence, were captured by Mr. Lucas in 1977 in a way that struck a nerve in the heart of humanity...and directly into the soul of a four year old. And for me, that is what the Saga is…my soul. (Star Trek is my brain, and ET is my heart...but those are other articles altogether).
With the Saga taken as a metaphor for the human condition, it opens up discussions and lessons for a child that give one generation the language to speak to the next in a context that can be understood and can leave valuable life-lessons to be drawn from time and time again through the harsh realities of the “real” world.
So, where to begin…and why?
I saw Star Wars at about the age of about 4 or 5, The Empire Strike Back at age 7 and Revenge of the Jedi, oh, I mean, Return of the Jedi at age 10. (Yes…I had the subscription to Bantha Tracks).
Due to The Saga already being available to his friends, when my son, hereafter to be called The Boy, was 5 and my daughter hereafter to be called The Girl, was 3 ½, they both already knew the following (SPOILER ALERT):
- the hero of Star Wars is Luke Skywalker,
- his father is Darth Vader,
- Yoda is a little green guy with pointy ears and a teeny green lightsaber
- Luke kills Darth Vader and blows up the Emperor and
- Princess Leia shows Luke her butt (remember...they got their information from the school yard)
Arghh!!! Have these other parents no decency? No regard??? The most wonderful surprises and drama from my youth were ALREADY being ruined for them. It was time to act…before they really understood what all of this information (and misinformation) meant.
So, before the wonder, the surprises and future-nostalgia and pop-culture goodies were lost, quick action was needed. My son was a teeny bit younger than I was planning, to introduce Star Wars, and my daughter was MUCH younger. I had decided that age 6 or 7 would be a great age to start. Still young enough for the wonder and dazzle to still impress, and not old enough to be cynical about the flaws (of which there are many and all...most...nah, all are forgiven).
But with his friends overflowing with precious information, quick and decisive action was needed! Sacrifices would need to be made. The time table was to be accelerated. There wasn’t a moment to lose! So, it was to begin…just like his father before him. The Boy was to be…a geek.
But let’s not forget The Girl. I seem to recall my sister enjoying the Star Wars Trilogy, but I am not really sure. (I should probably ask her about that). But with her persistent mantra of “Me, too” repeated daily from her with respect to anything involving her older brother, it did not seem like we could watch Star Wars at home without including her. I figured that if she would lose interest or if it got too scary, we could stop it and start it again later. Perhaps, The Girl, too, was to be a geekette. Time would tell.
Part 3 - A Few Alternatives
First, a few comments on the other options for order of the story:
Release Order (4 then 5 then 6 then 1 then 2 then 3):
If viewed in their release order, all of the surprises, twists and general wonder of the original trilogy get to be enjoyed by the new viewer. It is just that simple. It would just be Star Wars as it was conceived. Maybe not as conceived in Lucas’ mind, but it would be as conceived as it was once the Saga began to be physically and commercially produced.
And you can speculate that all 9 (Uh, I mean, 6...now wait, all 12?) movies were fully developed prior to the start of filming with Luke, Leia and Han, but I still contend that even with the basic outlines, Lucas was making it up as he went along. The real basis of this contention is the collaborative nature of the production. Sure, there may have been basic elements that were preserved, but just looking historically at the various early drafts and production development reveals that the characters, setting and plot of the Saga was a fluid and evolving organism. Either way, the viewer gets to be along for the ride.
There are two main problems with the Prequels. The first you know...crappy acting and crappy story, but the second is a bit more subtle..an undercut narrative climax. Imagine going directly from Return of the Jedi straight to The Phantom Menace.
As the viewer, you first thoughts will be “huh?” From the flawed and clumsy opening crawl, it is clear that the story is a mess. A Galaxy...In Turmoil....because of taxation of trade routes!!!! No mention of ancient evil brewing. No mention of corruption and intrigue. Just misguided fiscal policy. Not much to relate to as an audience member.
So, what WOULD the viewer be able to cling to? The visuals. And they WERE impressive. Granted...as a viewer myself, I was used to immersing myself in video games, so the prospect of beautiful CGI imagery was not distracting or jarring. But the characters..even cherished, greatly missed characters were wooden and hollow. But more importantly, there was no compraderie...no connections...no tension overcome that built the basis of unbreakable bonds of friendship.
In 1977, all of the characters had their charms and familiarity. Luke: brave do-gooder; Leia: selfless leader; C-3PO: eager to please; R2-D2: pure optimism; Chewbacca: faithful and capable companion; Han: confident and crafty; Obi-wan: wise and patient. Even Vader and Tarkin had determined confidence and poise.
But just as important, our heroes and villains had flaws, insecurities or pathos. Luke was over-eager for adventure. Leia was dismissive and abrasive. C-3PO was overly fastidious and R2-D2 was reckless. Chewbacca had a temper and feral rage that from time to time would lead to arms getting ripped out of their sockets--off-screen of course. Han was, well, Han. Obi-wan was haunted by failure that he had spent a lifetime running from and atoning for. Vader’s sad devotion to his ancient religion did not help him to conjure up the stolen data tapes, or give him clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fortress.
It was the clashing of these disparate elements though the course of overcoming shared obstacles that joined our band of rebels into more than just a fellowship, but a family. Through their story arcs, we learned about facing challenges, sacrifice and awoke to take our first steps into a larger word. We learned that no matter how insignificant we may feel, we are all connected. And these connections...this binding force can be a powerful ally. It is created by life. Life makes it grow. It is the energy that surrounds us and binds us together. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. It must be felt around us. Between each other and the tree and the rock...everywhere. Even between the land and a ship swallowed whole in a decaying bog. And most important, if we face adversity with a closed mind, imagining each challenge before us as impossible, then we have failed, even before we begin. But for our gauge of success, well, that is the harshest, although most profound lesson of all. Even with all of these great intentions and a new hope, it does not matter how hard we try, because success is what has been actually been accomplished. Do or do not. There is no try.
But selecting viewing order gets to the heart of how we tell stories. Much (but not all) of the excitement lies from not knowing what comes next. One of the reasons that George R. R. Martin’s scenes are so filled with tension is that the reader knows, from countless examples, that any of the characters, both heroes and villains, can be killed at any time. So, when there is danger in the scene, the reader feels that tension.
However, there is limit to this. In a kid-aimed serial, like Star Wars or The Lone Ranger or Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers or Nuktuk before them, there really isn’t any fear of our main characters dying...we know the good guys will win in the end. But even with that being said, I remember being 10 years old and being particularly nervous and scared when Luke tumbled into the Rancor’s pit and actually commenting to my father that I “knew” Luke would be okay, but I couldn’t imagine how he would get out of. So, even knowing that there would be a safe outcome, it still had a palpable claustrophobic feel with a real tension.
I suppose that same concept could have been extended to the Prequels. Telling a story with a known outcome, but being told in an engaging way. So, it would not have been impossible to present the story in a way that remained relevant, but once the outcome of the conflict was known, the rest seemed just like back story that we already knew.
But that is very difficult to do, and it throws the basic steps of narrative storytelling on it’s ear.
- Act 1 - Introduce Characters
- Act 2 - Place Characters in Danger
- Act 3 - Resolve Danger
It becomes a very fine line deciding how much to mix this around. Some of it gets mixed, just due to the nature of the genre...you know the good guys will win in the end. So, to some extent, the fictional narrative outline is already topsy-turvy (See George R. R. Martin above), which leaves the details of HOW the story unfolds as the entertainment value.
But this can be very difficult to do and even more of a challenge to really excel.
Story Order (1 then 2 then 3 then 4 then 5 then 6):
Cons:
If viewed in their story order, the many of the impacts and mystery of the original films is lost. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) was an introduction story. It introduced the characters, but also the setting and the context of the story.
You would lose all of the wonderful surprises of the Original Trilogy. And more importantly, you would lose the ability to learn about Lucas’ Galaxy through the eyes of Luke. Luke’s journey is the audience’s journey. Luke starts secluded, sheltered, desperate for more that his boring life. This is the beginning of a fantastic journey. It is the slow realization and shock of Luke (and the audience) as to the nature of Vader’s path that provides the pathos and drama of the original trilogy. You lose the shock of Vader’s revelation, and you lose the impact of learning that Leia is the “other” that Yoda speaks of in Empire.
But an even simpler loss to the narrative is that you begin with a confusing mix of disparate groups, without a real clear sense of who the good guys and who the bad guys are. There is some element of that...Jedis are good, Anakin and Padme are good, Jar Jar is good. The whiney robots are bad. The Chinese guys in the funny masks are bad. The guy in the black robe and the guy with red carnival face paint are bad.
But there is no sense of who the bad guys are and more importantly, WHY they are doing bad things.
Let us remember the opening crawl to Star Wars (1977), or as it was later called, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope:
It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a
hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the
Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station
with enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home
aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her
people and restore freedom to the galaxy...
Evil Galactic Empire!! Sinister Agents!!!
THE DEATH STAR!!! Enough power to destroy an entire planet!!
Rebel spaceships with a Princess desperate to restore freedom to the Galaxy!!
They could not have hit the ground running with more determination or purpose.
Let’s contrast that with the opening crawl to Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace:
Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic.
The taxation of trade routes to outlaying star systems is in dispute.
Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships, the
greedy Trade Federation has stopped all shipping to the small planet of Naboo.
While the congress of the Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of
events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the
guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict.....
Turmoil!! Wait...turmoil? Taxation, trade routes and shipping? I suppose for Mom and Dad, tax disputes could be considered tumultuous, but for the little ones...not so much. Ok...deadly battleships are evil. That sounds promising. The Trade Federation it appears is greedy, so I guess that means they are evil, too. Right? I guess that’s the same. Jedi Knights, guardians of peace and justice...ok...that sounds like good guys. Wonder why the good guys need to act secretly.
Oh, for chrissake!! Muddled pointless mess!!!
Okay...scroll back up...re-read the 1977 crawl and then scroll back here and imagine if this had been the opening crawl for Episode I:
It is a period of fragile peace.
The dreaded Sith Empire has lay dormant for over a thousand years,
since it was vanquished by the BRAVE AND WISE JEDI KNIGHTS,
defenders of the Light and champions of The Old Republic.
But corruption grows within the Galactic Senate,
and the Republic’s influence is spread thin in the outlying regions...
now fertile grounds for DARKNESS to foment.
Unleashing his sinister agents, Darth Sidious,
DARK LORD OF THE SITH, orchestrates from the shadows,
channeling ancient plans to selfishly bring him might and glory
unleashing revenge and misery on an unsuspecting galaxy...
Wow! With an opening like that, you can get right into the adventure and intrigue of the story and characters.
Back in 1977, what locked us in for life was the camaraderie and delightful banter that drew us into the galaxy far, far away …and that would be lost…or buried under six grueling hours of blech. The Prequels just do not compare to the human connections between our ensemble cast, including wookies and droids. There were a few nice moments and cool visuals. And we more or less accept the Prequels for what they were. But if the Phantom Menace had come out in 1977 with no nostalgia, and nothing else to act as a foundation for the story, characters and setting, it would have been lost to the ages. Wizard!
Pros:
However, just for the sake of discussion, let’s imagine starting with Phantom Menace as it was. It still wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. You’d still get it. You’d still get lots of wonder…confusion, sure, but the action starts up fairly quickly. Lots of new things. Strange hooded men mysteriously ambushed while waiting to discuss a clearly tense situation, only to emerge from a smoke filled chamber to begin immediately waving hand-held laser swords, cutting their way through hoards of battle robots. Strange exotic underwater cities. Futuristic planets with flying taxis. And Darth Maul. He was underused, but he was still a pretty imposing adversary.
And in a way, it sets up Luke’s education through Episodes IV and V by both Ben and by Yoda as the “flashback”. It is the missing piece of how a Jedi becomes a Jedi. In Ep. I, we see Kid-Anakin acting on instinct. Raw, unpolished. And in a narrative that will be repeated with Luke in Ep. IV, Anakin is shown as being literally trapped in seclusion from a larger galaxy with dreams of excitement and adventure.
In Ep. II & III, as Teen-Anakin, the audience has skipped over his training. He is just a powerful Jedi and the pathos of those episodes is having obtained the power, him learning to deal with it and use it wisely (or not). But the step by step growth from novice to Jedi is between the movies. Hmm....that would make a pretty interesting animated series if someone wanted to make it.
I’m sorry..where was I? Oh, yeah.
In the Prequels, we see the power and glory of the Jedi at their height…and their downfall due to their lack of vision. So, as we, the audience, starts Episode IV, a worn-down galaxy under the thumb of the tyranny unleashed in Episode II, is revealed. Battered and bruised, after decades of seclusion and licking their own wounds, Obi-wan and Yoda learn from their lessons and teach Luke the true nature of the Force. They teach him about the light side knowing full well the dangers of what unspeakable horrors would be unleashed if they failed this one last time.
As for the shocks that would be ruined…I can think of two small ones and two BIG ones (plot wise).
Part 4 - A Few Spoilers
Small ruined spoiler 1. “…years ago, you served my father…”
One of the small ones are the wonder of Leia’s hologram saying, “General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire.” Instead of wondering what that was all about you already know. More or less…Kenobi never really “served” Organa, but I suppose the Jedi served the Senate, so indirectly it works. But escape from the Temple and the last ten or 15 minutes of Episode III can explain why Leia would find Kenobi as someone she can trust. She may have even directed the Tantive IV to seek out Tatooine when being chased with the hopes of a finding a hidden ally, just as Han seeks out Lando while being chased by the Empire in Episode V.
But as for ruining anything, I can say this. The Clone Wars was fun fodder for speculation starting in 1977, but knowing or not knowing the details really didn’t affect the narrative much. We learned all we needed to from Ben’s narration. As for his little oversight on Luke’s father…we’ll deal with that below as Big Spoiler 2.
Small ruined Spoiler 2. “War not makes one great.”
Another small spoiler is the introduction scene with Yoda. At first, the audience, like Luke, thinks Yoda is just a colorful side character that will lead him to a great warrior. Luke’s frustration with the playful little alien shifts quickly with the realization in Yoda’s hut that he has been tested by Yoda before he revealed himself.
But that period of the story when the audience does not know who Yoda is with the production order becomes an inside joke for the audience. My kids knew who Yoda was just from the various Star Wars artwork (including Clone Wars lunchboxes, etc.). So, when they saw him, they excitedly said, “Yoda!” And rather than seeing the scene from Luke’s perspective, they got to see the scene from Yoda’s. For the few minutes while Yoda was playing the jester, the audience who knows and loves Yoda from the Prequels gets to see him toying with and testing young Luke to determine what sort of character he has.
And even if this isn’t quite clear during the scene, that is revealed by Yoda’s follow-up conversation with Ben. The shift from mischievous clown to serious Jedi Master is finally concluded with Luke’s statement that he is not afraid, to be retorted with, “You will be. You will be.” This would resonate as another line that the Boy-Anakin uttered in The Phantom Menace…to what we now know were disastrous results.
Big ruined Spoiler 1 “Your sister remains safely anonymous”:
The first major spoiler I’ll discuss is the revelation of Leia as the twin sister. We will just ignore the love triangle stuff. You just can’t get around that. Strictly speaking, that was a major flaw in the Original Trilogy to start with. I believe it was a result of Lucas writing the story as you went. Was Leia the sister all along in Lucas’ mind? Who knows. But I am confident in the knowledge that the actors and later directors had no idea. Otherwise a half-dozen scenes would have been staged and acted differently.
But let’s skip the creepy factor and get to the narrative. Let’s pretend that the first words from Luke’s mouth when seeing the hologram is not “Who is she? She’s beautiful.” Let’s pretend that it is just, “Who is she? She looks so familiar. She’s in danger.” We, as the audience, would already know that she is his sister. But we would see Luke coming to her aide without concern for himself.
The line in Episode VI “I know. I’ve always know. I felt it,“ makes a bit more sense regarding how she was so quick to trust him from their first encounter. I know…it is a stretch, but their adventures throughout the Original Trilogy are just as exciting if they are friends or if they are family.
The audience is just left wondering why Ben never tells him that she is his sister when they go to rescue her. When he finally spills the beans in Episode VI, Ben still has the same reason for keeping his crazy old mouth shut. He still knows that if the Emperor knew of her existence, she would be in danger. In fact, if Lucas really did know that she was the sister, it would have been pretty cool if Kenobi had actually reflected on the fact that The Force, despite his interference, brought them together.
Which leads us to the big one…
Big ruined Spoiler 2 “No, I am your father.”:
Of the major characters, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) basically starts with Vader then Leia and eventually Luke. Sure the droids are there…but they are the everyman to relate to . Vader, Leia and Luke are the Jungian/Campbell-style archtypes. The Shadow...Vader. The Herald...Leia. The Hero..Luke. They are the story. Eventually, Han and Lando (both tricksters and both shapeshifters) are introduced in the roles of the Redeemed through Good Deeds. But they are more of an expression of the leitmotif of the redemption of the corrupted and the final triumph of good over evil.
The audience will have just seen the birth of the twins, named Luke and Leia at the end of Revenge of the Sith (2005). So, they will know the names of the children. As they begin to watch Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977), Leia’s name is part of the opening crawl. Perhaps the audience might even recognize the Tantive IV Blockade Runner as the same ship as at the conclusion of ROTS. Luke’s name is revealed fairly early on, when Aunt Beru is calling him for dinner with tasty glass of blue milk to wash it down.
Vader’s taunting and torture of the Princess on the Death Star actually becomes that much more tragic, and later his feeling that “This one is strong in The Force” makes even more sense. The tension of the audience knowing that this lone broken metal clad terror, more man than machine twisted and evil is really their father becomes an even more tragic figure. You, as the audience, grew to cheer for our hero, Anakin (well, would have if you included any of the Clone Wars series), and were shattered by his betrayal and downfall. Now, you see him lost in his anger; knowingly and unknowingly tormenting his own children. Very Ancient Greek.
The audience would be on the edge of their seats screaming “look out…that is your father!” And when Vader finally reveals his true identity to Luke, the audience that would have spent two movies wondering what his reaction would be and would get to be surprised at Luke’s reaction, just as Vader would have, no doubt, been surprised. It would be at that point that Vader would realize the distance he had created with his son…who would sooner kill himself than join him. At that moment, Vader would finally realize that the Emperor had truly beaten him.
A side note to this is that the audience would have been wondering since Episode IV, why Ben lied when he tells Luke that Vader betrayed and murdered his father. Every action that Ben takes and every bit of advice would come into question. It would expand the thought experiment of the reason of Ben’s deception from the end of Episode V to the middle of Episode VI to a longer period of wondering that would start from that scene in Episode IV when Ben introduces Luke to a larger world.
All in all…it really isn’t that bad. But I still would prefer a different version.
Part 5 - The details of the LEGO Wii Flashback Order
This is a variation on the “Machete Order”. The Machete Order is as follows: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6 and 1, as EU. I call my suggested order, the “LEGO® Wii Flashback Order”. There isn’t much difference from a narrative perspective, but I will comment on the distinctions as i go.
And so, it begins a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away with…
Step 1:
Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977);
(For the sake of conversation, I’ll be calling it Star Wars,
because, “Episode IV: A New Hope” wasn’t added until 1981 for the re-release, I think.)
They both LOVED it! The second it was over, rolls of wrapping paper became lightsabers, and the imaginary play began. The circle was complete. Once, I was the Learner…now I was the Master.
As expected, there were a few hiccups along the way.
As it turned out, for the most part, The Girl did just fine (although, some of the Death Star escape was seen from behind the side of the couch). The scene with the Tusken Raider popping up was a little intense. Eyes were quickly covered when a couple of charred smoking skeletons were shown at a certain moisture farm (Why so graphic, Lucas?). And a quick explanation of what happens to a Jedi when he gets sliced in half, but somehow just disappears with the phrase “become part of the Force” was given.
But overall, it was just as exciting, wondrous and mind-expanding as I had hoped.
The Boy even gave me a new perspective on the whole thing as he asked, “Why did they get medals?” My reply was, “Because the blew up the Death Star”. And puzzled, he said, “Yeah, but they let Darth Vader get away.” Brilliant insight!!! I could not have been happier.
Many stormtroopers were blasted in the depths of our living room that night, I can tell you.
Side Bars:
Although, I regrettably forgot about it at the time, if you are able, I HIGHLY recommend at this time, watch the Star Wars Holiday Special (1978), if feasible. The cartoon introducing Boba Fett alone is worth the price of admission, friend. It get taken up and down frequently, but here is a google search link that might help find it. Well worth the search. Try and find one with the original 1978 commercials. The whole thing oozes with wonderful nostalgia.
Also watch: The episode of The Muppet Show from 1980 starring Mark Hamill with Anthony Daniels and Peter Mayhew, I think.
These both take you out of the cinematic presentation, but they are fun and fit the tone left following conclusion of Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). They are just great!
Moving on.
Step 1(a):
Play part of Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006)
(Specifically, just Episode IV: A New Hope.)
Although we had played a few Wii games, up to that point, I had been holding off on playing Wii LEGO Star Wars II (the Original Trilogy), which had been released in 2006. Once we had seen the first movie, The Boy and I played through all six chapters of the Wii LEGO version of Episode IV: Star Wars. The Girl played, too, but in shorted durations, and with some help from Daddy. The game recreated all the best action sequences from the movie and with some key narration from Daddy during the adorable LEGO cut-scenes, pretty much the entire plot, character interaction and enchantment of the movie was captured. This would became a very useful tool later on when it came time to make some decisions on the Prequels.
The Prequels. Shudder.
INTERIOR: MILLENNIUM FALCON -- CENTRAL HOLD AREA.
Ben watches Luke practice the lightsaber with a small "seeker" robot. Ben suddenly turns away and sits down. He falters, seems almost faint.
LUKE: Are you all right? What's wrong?
BEN: I felt a great disturbance in the Force...as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.
Ben rubs his forehead. He seems to drift into a trance. Then he fixes his gaze on Luke.
BEN: You'd better get on with your exercises.
I’m sorry. Where was I?
Oh, yeah. Step 1.a. There was a secret agenda for playing this game with The Boy and The Girl.
First…it was a FANTASTIC bonding experience. The Boy slowly learned the ins and outs of video games, with the moving and the jumping and the pyew-pyew-pyewing. The Girl did the best she could, given her age. She ended up mostly watching us play, but she had fun, too. For me…it was the passing of the torch. I spent a massive amount of time playing Atari (we didn’t call it a 2600 or whatever) and with the Vic 20 and Commodore 64 with their Grandpa Rosenheim (my dear ol’ dad). And now I was sitting on a couch with The Boy and The Girl sharing a whole new experience with them. We’d still only play once or twice a week and when we did…a timer was used, so when it was time to stop…it was time to stop. But we played the hell out of that little game.
The two person collaborative nature of the game was perfect, the animation was imaginative and exciting, the gameplay challenging while not too difficult, and the plot and characters were presented in a charming nostalgia filled lens that revealed that the folks at TT games were in on the joke and were members of the tribe.
But while we were playing the video game, we also moved onto the second movie…
Step 2:
Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Finally...it was time for the real meat of the series.
The movie went off without a hitch. As I mentioned above, the scene introducing Yoda was a little diminished, with the kids noting their recognition when he first appeared in the swamp of Dagobah. When I saw it, I did not know who this mischievous imp was until he revealed himself in his hut, but after that the narrative is pretty much the same.
The real “spoiler” I was worried about was the big one:
VADER: There is no escape. Don't make me destroy you. You do not yet
realize your importance. You have only begun to discover you power.
Join me and I will complete your training. With our combined strength,
we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.
LUKE: I'll never join you!
VADER: If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-Wan never told
you what happened to your father.
LUKE: He told me enough! He told me you killed him.
VADER: No. I am your father.
Shocked, Luke looks at Vader in utter disbelief.
LUKE: No. No. That's not true! That's impossible!
VADER: Search your feelings. You know it to be true.
LUKE: No! No! No!
VADER: Luke. You can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is
your destiny. Join me, and we can rule the galaxy as father and son.
Come with me. It's the only way.
The saving grace, with respect to viewing order and risks for the dreaded “spoilers” is the quality of the movie itself. By the time the big reveal was dropped, the escape of Princess Liea (with failure to free Han) and the duel of Luke and Vader (with failure to not free Hand), the excitement level was so high that the scene still had great impact. To know a plot twist is not the same of really experiencing it through the eyes of the protagonist. When done right, there is something visceral and intimate of the cinema that grabs the audience at the core and connects deep within. I’d say the finale of Star Wars: Episode IV: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) satisfies this criteria.
Plus, with the audience being exposed to, arguably, the greatest cliffhanger in cinematic history, concludes the experience with a passion for continuation of the saga.
Step 3:
Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005)
(Specifically, just Episode I: The Phantom Menace)
As I said...by playing the game instead of watching the movie, this WILL be a spoiler, since just the he machete order, we will be skipping Phantom Menace until later. I like the idea, in general, of keeping Tot-Anakin to the realm of Extended Universe. But I thought that there were enough good moments and characters in Episode I that some exposure prior to Teen-Anakin would be worthwhile.
The Wii version does several things. It highlights to action well. And it is a light-hearted tongue-in-cheek version of the narrative. It works fantastically as a video game, and a kid swinging the Wii remote get’s pretty darn close to the feel of really being a Jedi Knight.
The biggest visual adrenaline source is the Pod Race. Clearly, Lucas wanted it to be the highlight of the film...his fond homage to the excitement of Ben Hur. But without real interaction as a participant, it is just Anakin going round and round turning left and left and left. But as a video game level...it was fantastic! Sort of like an amped up version of Mario Kart. Awesome! But as a cinematic sequence, it just drags on and on.
But even before we get to that, we have the issue of the introduction of two characters that are greatly improved by the Wii experience. Qui-Gonn and Jar Jar. Since we already played the Wii version of Episode IV, we have already gotten to experience how cool playing as Obi-wan Jedi Knight was. Now, we get to play him as an apprentice, under HIS teacher, Qui-Gonn. And you get to play AS Qui-Gonn. The periodic cut- scenes built into the game give just enough information to establish Qui-Gonn as a wise and exciting character, and gives him the gravitas to warrant the respect given to his rogue advice regarding Anakin’s upbringing.
As for Jar Jar, his over-the-top nonsense and potty humor are just a frustrating distraction from the cinematic presentation of Star Wars. There were a few sort of gross things in Return of the Jedi, like C-3PO getting Jabba’s slime on him when backhanded by the mighty Hutt, but nothing came close to the series of dopey nonsense that the animators gave Jar Jar to do. Stepping in poo, smelling farts, numbed tongue, grabbed tongue, tongue stuck to a frog...what is it with Jar Jar”s tongue?
Anyways...Jar Jar (in the Wii version) gets introduced, proves useful as a companion (when you need to jump really high), and has a few light comedic moments. But these comedic moments fit well in the context of a Wii video game...NOT is the movie. So, we can have fun with the satire and riffing on Star Wars...once the movies are done.
It is precisely for this reason why we, as fans, LOVE the Star Wars Holiday Special. It was terrible, it was cheesy, but it was fun. It was a place where Harvey Korman and Jefferson Starship fit into the Star Wars universe. And more important...it gathered the whole gang together PLUS it introduced the greatest, most feared Bounty Hunter in the galaxy...Boba Fett. I wish (a few select friends who would appreciate the greeting) a Happy Life Day, every year.
But Jar Jar, as presented in Episode I has no place in a real Star Wars movie. Now, in Episode II, there is much less of him, and he is more powerfully utilized. And without at least peripheral knowledge of who he is and how he fits into the story, his proposal to give Palpatine emergency powers has less impact.
Which leads us to…
4. Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
While the many of the flaws in Lucas’ prequel madness continues, there really are some nice scenes in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones. We still have a pretty muddled mess. But Anakin and Obi-wan’s playful camraderie is sort of established. I guess the relationship between Ani and Padi gets shown, or something. But the action sequences are really cool. The speeder chase through Coruscant is good. Despite the fact that they really don’t explain why they are fighting, but the fight bewteen Obi-Wan and Jango Fett by Slave I is pretty fun to watch. And then there’s the gladiator ring and Clone Wars unleashed. At least visually, these are pretty fun to watch.
At a minimum, it will be paid off in spades once the viewer gets to watch the Clone Wars Micro-series and later the more-or-less complete Clone Wars CGI Series.
So, where was I. Oh, yes. The The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has! So, with that there are a few things to do before getting back to the movies. First...
a. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005) (Specifically, just Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2005)
This, of course, continues the interactive storytelling, whimsical LEGO playfulness, and parent/child bonding. You get just a bit more wrapped up in the story when submerging into the video game versions of these stories. The battles are epic. The conflicts emmersive. It is just a fun reinforcement of the stories and characters. Then, you can work your way back to the non-interactive methods by popping in the DVD and...
b. Watch: Genndy Tartakovsky’s Clone Wars Micro-series (2003, 2004 and 2005). (Volume 1 seamlessly follows and then extends the best parts of the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones, which shows the initiation of the Clone Wars, while Volume 2 jumps ahead in time and seamlessly feathers into the opening to Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Although, from a narrative standpoint, technically, the CGI Clone Wars would be fine here. Some of the characters area actually MUCH more appealing after seeing all of the development established in this wonderful series. But, it is just too damn long to hold off on completing the stories. The full size and breadth of the storytelling will fit best as a flash-back in the Extended Universe. And there will be plenty of time for that later.
So, we now have another big decision.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (MPAA rated PG-fucking-13. That’s right...you heard me...13!) Now, there have always been scary moments and some questionable visuals throughout the Star Wars saga. A certain quick shot of a few smoky skeletons on a certain moisture farm come to mind. A severed head in a certain dark cave on a certain swampy planet.
And, I say the micro-series feathers right into Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, but let us remember how old the viewer is. We are trying to launch the Lucas bandstarship when the child is 5 to 7.
Order 66 is a pretty rough sequence. But not nearly as bad as when Anakin gets disarmed and defeated and then is roasted to a crisp. I know there was the temptation to really show just how bad the fight was that resulted in Vader being forced to survive in his mighty black suit. But these are still movies for kids. And this was just way too over the top.
Personally, I always thought that Vader ended up in The Suit due to injuries inflicted by the Emperor...but sure...betrayed by Obi-Wan...I guess that’s pretty bad, too.
The fact is that I really don’t know how it could have been staged differently. But, that does not change the fact that it remains as presented. And the horror and gore of that scene, while pivotal to the story, were just too graphic and intense.
But there is still quite a few cool sequences that are worth experiencing. The space battle at the opening. The clone war battles throughout the galaxy. The final duel. Plus, there is important narrative points that need to be established.
And that is why, the next step is to skip the movie and turn the Wii back on and...
5. Play more of Wii LEGO Star Wars (The Prequels) (2005) (Specifically, just Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
You get all of the above exciting sequences, and a chance with a few key comments from mom or dad during the cutified LEGO cut scenes to get the viewer enough information to understand what was presented with too much intensity, but is still important to the story. It gives enough information about the character arcs that we are ready to feather back to to the Original trilogy with the full introduction of our heroes and now a full background on our villains and we are not ready for the saga to finally be concluded.
(OK...when I started this, it was before Disney’s announcement of Episode VII, but we are still done with the Prequels for now. I think the article still stands...this will be revisited once JJ takes a whack at the real conclusion to the saga.)
Anyways, as I said...with full knowledge of the stuff that happened a longer time ago, we can pick-up where we left of a long time ago. And jsut for the fun of it, to really remind ourselves what it is we are fighting for, we can get back into the story by proceeding to...
6. Replay some of Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Specifically, Episode IV: A New Hope again and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back again.)
Yeah, you really don’t HAVE to replay these section of the Wii game, but it really felt right as the next step. Really reminded our new audience of the story and character points, without necessarily going through the slower sections of those original movies. Here we have just a suggestion. A re-watch of the movies at this stage in the process is up to you. But then, you must….
7. Re-watch the last 30 minutes or so of the movie: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) followed immediately by watching the movie: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983).
However, I must insist before settling into that final episode (Please see note regarding Disney), we watched the end of Empire. As much as the Wii got us up to speed, it was still no substitute to the power and epic storytelling that was the finale of The Empire Strikes Back, arguably the greatest science-fiction movie ever made. (I know, you CAN argue it wasn’t the greatest or even argue that it wasn’t even science-fiction. But whatever it was….it was fucking fantastic!) Anyways, seeing all of the plotlines barrel to a head with one of the greatest cinematic cliff-hangers ever was EPIC. I think we started at about the point where Luke got to Cloud City. We watched the Enhance version with the Cloud City with the more open hallways and the additional exterior establishing shows. It was just nice version in my opinion, and I liked the improvements. But the original release version is available. So, that decision lies with the parent. Up to you.
8. Finish Wii LEGO Star Wars II (The Original Trilogy) (2006) (Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.)
Now, with the full knowledge of how the entire saga gets resolved, it is time to jump back onto the Wii and finish the game. You wouldn’t want the ending of the movie spoiled by playing the game first, so as previously done, it is important to watch the movie first.
And by this time, you and the kid are probably getting pretty good at the game, so completing this final chapter will be a satisfying challenge for you both to complete. And after that, there will be plenty of free-play exploration and arcade end-game activity to keep your interest up. Trust me...you will play the hell out of this game. At least until you...
Part 6 - LEGO Wii Flashback Order - Send in the Clones 
9. Start watching the CGI series: The Clone Wars (2008 - 2013) starting with the theatrical released Clone Wars (2008) so-called movie. I say so-called, becuase it was really the pilot and the first three episodes anyways).
Ok...here is where many of you parents will really find yourself lost.
It will be a bit difficult to get through the initial pilot movie and even most of the first season. But The Clone Wars series got very good...very quickly, and eventually its was phenomenal. Each season bested the previous. Try to think back to the first season or two of ST:TNG. It had its moments. So did the second season. But once they got to the 3rd and 4th seasons, the production team, the writers, the directors and the actors all hit their stride and released some of the best Star Trek created.
A similar process happened with Clone Wars. Each season got better and better. Ahsoka Tano, is introduced in the first episode as Anakin’s padawan learner. Her character is a whiney teenager who seems to have only been created for someone for the kids to relate to. But, you will HAVE to jsut take my word for it. She is AWESOME! Her character grows and develops over the course of the series. Ashley Eckelson’s voice acting is phenomal throughout.
If the show had ONLY been focused on her stories, it would have been fine. But all of the talent involved stepped up to create stories, characters, visuals and excitement that in most cases far exceeded what was accomplished with the live-action Prequels.
The kids will love it from the first frame...but as a parent, you just need to give it a chance, and you will be greatly rewarded with more wealth than you could imagine. I know...you can imagine quite a bit.
So...why explore the Clone Wars era, at all?
In 1977, an adventure about a boy, a girl and the universe began with an iconic call to action which flooded our imaginations. It was a plea from a flickering ghost of an image of a beautiful princess:
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.”
But as the story opened, a galaxy filled with futuristic space adventurers and demonic villains erupted on to the screen. And quickly a larger history began to unfold:
“General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire.”
What were these Clone Wars, and what role did this great warrior fill years ago? What mysteries and former glories lay in his past? Who was he and what happened between him and his former pupil? Who was Vader and why did he betray and murder Luke’s father?
Even once his background was revealed through The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, there was still so much to imagine and speculate on.
So let’s for a moment review what we DID get in terms of these mysterious Clone Wars.
And then, suddenly, in 1999…
There could not have been more excitement for the continuation of the saga. In 1978, we had been promised 9 movies to complete the saga. Now we would FINALLY get the first three. And with 1, 2 and 3 in the works...7, 8 and 9 would surely follow.
I, for one was thinking...FANTASTIC!!! After all this time, we are going to SEE the Clone Wars! Lucas has indicated that the stories he wanted to tell were SO LARGE that in the 1970’s, they just couldn’t be told.
But after seeing the massive success of his friend’s skill in bringing dinosaurs to life in the 1993 cuh-llasic, Jurassic Park, Lucas was finally convinced that the technology finally existed that would allow him to complete his mangum opum.
Members of Star Wars: The FIRST Generation 1.0 enjoyed Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I suppose. I think that members of SW:TFG 2.0 enjoyed it more. (I look forward to the angry e-mails from the kids born from 1985 to 1995) But even with a few cool characters and beautiful imagery, it just didn’t seem to add much to the saga. Watching Episode IV: A New Hope the audience got to watch a boy become a man, a girl become a leader, a scoundrel become a mensch and a rag-tag band of outcasts become a beacon of hope to a galaxy engulfed in tyranny, corruption and fear.
When Episode I: The Phantom Menace was released. It basically set up the rest of the saga. It was an introduction. There was no character development. No overarching world changing conflict. The way things started was the way they ended. Except Qui-Gon and Darth Maul died and Anakin was chosen to be a Jedi. But Anakin started as a good kid and ended as a good kid.
But more important to the overall saga...there were no clones. No Clone Wars. There was barely even a war. Just a weird distraction by the Gungans and an attack on a single space vessel that controlled the droids in one city on the planet. I guess it was more than, say than the battle on Hoth. But the stakes just were never clear.
And THERE WERE NO CLONES!!!
But, that’s okay...the next one is called, ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Surely, this one will have clones!
Right?
Well, it didn’t.
OK...it did. But only for about 30 minutes at the end. We had been waiting for decades to see the Clone Wars in the Star Wars and it took 3 hours and 30 minutes to actually get to the Clones. And we still have no idea WHY they are fighting anyways.
Ugh!
Well, now that the Clone Wars have started, I surely the climactic third act will surely show the rest of the Clone Wars. Or at least significant portions, therein.
Well, it didn’t.
The Clone Wars ended 30 minutes into the film. The rest of the movie focused on why Darth Vader became a bad guy, and pretty much skipped how the Rebel Alliance got formed...or even where the seed from the which eventual rebellion would spawn. Unless we are to think that the Separatists become the Rebel Alliance once they have been defeated. (How cool would THAT have been?)
But it wasn’t. The Separatists were portrayed as rich, greedy, evil bad guys.
So that was it. George Lucas said, I am done making Star Wars. Please continued to buy the books my colleagues are writing. Please continue to buy the games. I will be over here making an awesome movie about World War II.
So, when The Clone Wars was released in the theatres in 2010 there was little fanfare. No one quite new what to make of it. Who was this movie for? It was okay. There were some nice sequences. But it blew no one out of the water. Certainly not compared to the Clone Wars micro-series by Genddy Tartakofsky from Cartoon Network back in 2004.
And then Cartoon Network announced that this new CGI Clone Wars would be a weekly series. Being the uber-geek that I am, I watched. It was 22 minutes a week. And it was freakin’ Star Wars.
And then, to the surprise of the fans...it got good. Really good. And then it got better. Much better. Each season topped the previous. Just like any long term anthology series, it had its good shows and its bad. But overall it was very well done. And by the time it was over, it had firmly implanted itself in the Star Wars universe. The Galaxy that Lucas Wrote.
And more importantly, it finally fulfilled the promise of a beautiful damsel in distress and crazy old hermit on a desolate desert planet that was at the furthest point from the bright center of the universe.
The Clone Wars were finally a reality. And the fact that much of the weaker points of the Prequels, and even portions of the Original Trilogy were made much better, really is a testament to the quality of the writing and the production value of the series.
There really were some great additions to the Expanded Universe. The series gives many of the other Jedi a chance to be fleshed out. It allows for a deeper exploration into the inhabitants of a Galaxy swept into an unwanted war. It gave Dooku a chance to be menacing and Grievous a chance to be a physical threat.
And now that you have begun watching the series, and with the first two Wii games completed, it is now time to get that third disk and begin to ...
a. Play Wii LEGO Star Wars III (The Clone Wars) (2011)
The game play is amazingly open ended. Even once the basic story levels are complete, the open area exploration is nearly endless and the re-play value with the vast extra characters has kept my son playing for two years now. The vast open arena vehicle battles are epic once you get the hang of the interface.
I think this game, more than anything is why when I asked my 8 year old son if he wanted to watch a Star Wars movie, his immediate choice was Episode II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. He wanted to see the cool scenes at the end that reminded him of the game he had been playing whenever he had a chance (Friday through Sunday during the school year...of course).
For him Star Wars IS the Clone Wars. For my daughter, she would much rather pretend to be Ahsoka Tano an acrobatic, ass-kicking Jedi warrior than Princess Liea. Sure, Liea could kick some butt...but she never really got to show her stuff in comparison to the adventure that Ahsoka was show on.
I’d say THAT is the biggest difference between SW:TFG and SW:TNG. SW:TFG 1.0 had 6 hours of footage to watch again and again. SW:TFG 2.0 had 12 hours.
But SW:TNG had endless hours to explore the Galaxy that Lucas built. And for them...the moment they continue to return to are in the Clone Wars.
Perhaps Star Wars:Rebels will change that, as they get more exposed to the Dark Times of the Empire. Perhaps that will reinvigorate their interest in the Original Series just as the Clone Wars reinvigorated the Prequels.
And as for Episode VII, I can just say this. I am more excited about Episode VII than I was about Episode I (before I saw Episode I). And that is because when Episode I can out, I was a 26 year old guy with my buddies seeing a popcorn adventure film meant for kids. When Episode VII I will have my 7 year old daughter on one side and my 10 year old son on the other. Geek Dad Heaven.
Oh, and by the way….
Extra Bonus Content:
10. Watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999), if you like. It had some nice scenes here and there.
11. Wait until the viewer is 10 to 12, and the watch the movie: Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005). It is NOT a kids movie!!
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