Star Wars - Watch in what order? (For a kid)

[Moose13]

OK, so last night, my soon to be 7 year old son caught the first 1/2 hour of SW: Revenge of the Sith with me. He was really into it. Question is, do I show him the movies as the appeared in the theaters, or do I show them in chronological order?
Myself, I've seen the 1st 3, when I was a kid and a bunch of times after that, and saw the Jar-jar binks episode (which totally turned me off) and bits and pieces of the last two.
I don't know if I'd be confusing the kid starting with episode 4, and then going back in time. I haven't seen enough of the new ones to comment on whether I should show them 1st or not.

[CCM]

Show him episodes 4, 5, and 6.  Pretend that 1, 2, and 3 never existed....

[ChadTower]

2 and 3 are a little intense for a 7 year old anyway.  Stick with the first set.

[shardian]

It is a requirement to show him the originals first.

He simply can't know that Darth Vader is Luke's father before seeing it. That defeats the whole purpose!

[somunny]

Another vote for showing him the originals first.  I'm surprised to hear that your son is 7 and hasn't seen the original trilogy yet.

[Level42]

Weird. I was thinking about when I could show my son (just 6) the SW films.
Of course he played the cockpit and asked a lot of questions about who was who and who was bad and good etc. etc. So I told him most stuff.

Personally, I think 6 or 7 is still too young for a lot of scenes. Maybe I'm old-fashioned or over protective ?

My nephew was playing the really bloody killing games at age 9 I believe. I don't approve of that. Sorry, but I just don't think it can be good for a young kid like that. You need a certain age to be able to handle the difference between real and fake.

I remember seeing Doctor Who as a kid (secretly) and it scared me a lot. As stupid as it may sound now with all the phoney suits and special effects in those days (late 70s) it looked real to me at the time.

It must be funny when I say this, but I'm glad my son still prefers his Lego over any videogame....I do allow him to play all my cabs, but he's just not that interested in it (yet ?) (He liked the pin better :S)

[ChadTower]

Personally, I think 6 or 7 is still too young for a lot of scenes. Maybe I'm old-fashioned or over protective ?

I agree with you.  I'm not sure either of my kids has made it through any of the originals yet.  I tried with Star Wars a year or two ago but they didn't want to finish - said it was a bit too scary for them and when that happens I let them turn if off.  I haven't tried with the first three and won't for a while now.  It really depends on the kids themselves.  We tried Ghostbusters a month ago and they didn't get through that either - one kid wasn't interested and the younger one didn't make it past the ballroom scene.

[Level42]

Damn.

I just found out I was 10 when the first SW movie was released.....

Also remember that the re-makes include much better (scary) special effects !

I'd really like to see the original versions again some day. I think someone once mailed me a link to a bit torrent that was running the original and remake together at one screen so you could easily see the differences....

[somunny]

True, every kid is different.  I saw Star Wars (aka Ep. 4) in '77 when I was seven so that's my point of reference.

Chad, out of curoisity, how old are your kids?

[Moose13]

I was five when the original came out, and my father took me to see it (along with my 2 older brothers, 7 and 10 at the time). Nothing scary about it for me, I expected the same for my kid.

Another problem is that I have a soon to be 5 YO, who will want to watch it too. He watched the first 1/2 hour or so of Revenge of teh Sith, and he wasn't phased by it. I don't know if I can let him watch any of the movies, although I was about the same age when I saw the 1st one.

[ChadTower]

Chad, out of curoisity, how old are your kids?

6 and 8.

[somunny]

Well, I think that the original trilogy, if released today, would still carry a PG rating.  For me, if a movie is rated PG it's on for the seven year old (the ten year old is a given, at this point).  PG-13 is another story entirely for both kids.

A recent example is Temple of Doom.  I re-watched it a few weeks ago and it solidified the fact that the kids won't be watching that one for a while.

[shardian]

Well, I think that the original trilogy, if released today, would still carry a PG rating.  For me, if a movie is rated PG it's on for the seven year old (the ten year old is a given, at this point).  PG-13 is another story entirely for both kids.

A recent example is Temple of Doom.  I re-watched it a few weeks ago and it solidified the fact that the kids won't be watching that one for a while.

That and Ghostbusters both scared the crap out of me as a kid.

Having said that, I bought my own ticket and saw Lethal Weapon 2 all by myself as an 8 year old. Thoroughly enjoyed it too.

[mccoy178]

Poltergeist was a terrifying movie for me when I saw it back when I was five.  And although it was scary, I enjoy seeing it again and again now.  My kids will have the mittens on for awhile, as my wife never saw an "R" rated movie or a movie from the 80's until high school. 

[ChadTower]

When I was that age my stepmother and father used to put the kids into the "TV room" while they went off and did their thing... room had completely hacked open cable and we'd spend all night watching all sorts of things we never should have seen.  Both me and my stepbrother had nightmares for a while from stuff we watched - Nightmare on Elm St, all kinds of gore movies, porn, whatever was on any given cable station that night.  Not cool.  My kids may be a bit more sheltered content-wise than most but they're a lot happier than we were.

[ark_ader]

When I was that age my stepmother and father used to put the kids into the "TV room" while they went off and did their thing... room had completely hacked open cable and we'd spend all night watching all sorts of things we never should have seen.  Both me and my stepbrother had nightmares for a while from stuff we watched - Nightmare on Elm St, all kinds of gore movies, porn, whatever was on any given cable station that night.  Not cool.  My kids may be a bit more sheltered content-wise than most but they're a lot happier than we were.

Yeah I know what you mean.  My Dad had Select TV when I was growig up in So. Calif.  And he let me watch all kinds of stuff.  Alien did it for me during the robot sequence.  Scared me silly for weeks.

Coming back to the original question, I would let him see 4,5,6 first then later in his years 1,2,3.  He will get a kick out of ewoks, and those movies were PG or U in ratings so they are safe.  The others are questionable, at least he won't get annoyed when he clasps eyes on Jar Jar.

[Ginsu Victim]

456123

The way it's meant to be watched.

If you go the other way, you end with Jedi. That's just such a letdown. I mean, the Luke vs Vader fight is awesome, the speeder bikes scene is decent, and you get some great Boba Fett action (no matter how ---smurfy--- his "death" is....though he's not really dead...), but the Ewoks and pussifying of Han ruin the movie.

Don't end with Yub Yub.

Though Episode 3 has its flaws, it at least has a kick-ass end battle.

[Xiaou2]

BS.   1,2, & 3  were 1000 times the let down.

 Jedi Rocked,  and was better than all of those new films put together.

 Of course, Im talking about the un-modified versions without the craptastic cgi.

 My vote goes for ignoring the new films.

 I only saw 4 in the theater,  and decided Not to pay to suffer thru the rest.
I later saw the rest on cable - and was right in my choice.  Sadly, I cant erase
the bad taste in my mind from seeing 4,5,6.

 Ewoks were cool.  10 Trillion times better than JarJar!  (or any other crappily animated CGI character in the new films)   What a train wreck.   Same with Yodas hyper movements - where no apparent sign of gravity or physics applied.  Stomach turning.

 Hans character was true to life.  He found something to care about other than himself,
&  He grew up.

[somunny]

 I only saw 4 in the theater,  and decided Not to pay to suffer thru the rest.
I later saw the rest on cable - and was right in my choice.  Sadly, I cant erase
the bad taste in my mind from seeing 4,5,6.

 

[Ginsu Victim]

Yeah...that's gotta be a typo.

And I agree on the Ewoks vs Jar Jar.

To quote Spaced, "Jar Jar makes the Ewoks look like ---smurfin---' Shaft!"

[Havok]

Just show him the original three - the new ones suck. But I would also wait a bit longer - I think 10 is a better age...

[Ginsu Victim]

Why 10? I loved the hell out of Star Wars when I was a kid, and I was born in '77, so I first saw Empire at the movies. By the time Jedi dropped, I was a fanatic. (Luckily I didn't stay one, but I've always loved it and had it in my collection.....except the new ones. I only have Episode 1 on DVD, and that's only because I bought it in hopes of the others being worth having. I might get Episode III some day, but only if I find it really cheap. I haven't cared to rewatch Episode II at all....ever.)

[Singapura]

You can always start with Caravan of Courage 

[danny_galaga]

Damn.

I just found out I was 10 when the first SW movie was released.....

Also remember that the re-makes include much better (scary) special effects !

I'd really like to see the original versions again some day. I think someone once mailed me a link to a bit torrent that was running the original and remake together at one screen so you could easily see the differences....

you do know they finally released the proper, unadulterated originals not too long ago? its a limited edition. each episode comes with two dvds- one original, one f****d up redone version. i almost cried when i finally had proof that my memory isnt as bad as i thought it was. watching 'star wars' with mo mention of 'episode IV' in the title 

oh, and another vote here for showing the lad 456 first. as someone said, you really dont want to know darth vader is lukes dad straight away...

[Thenasty]

as my wife never saw an "R" rated movie or a movie from the 80's until high school. 

Me too. Never saw any "R" or that "PG" etc...rating....

I thought all movies were all "XXX", at least those are what I saw on my High school days 

[Level42]

Why 10? I loved the hell out of Star Wars when I was a kid, and I was born in '77, so I first saw Empire at the movies.

Really ? At age 3 ?

[Level42]

Damn.

I just found out I was 10 when the first SW movie was released.....

Also remember that the re-makes include much better (scary) special effects !

I'd really like to see the original versions again some day. I think someone once mailed me a link to a bit torrent that was running the original and remake together at one screen so you could easily see the differences....

you do know they finally released the proper, unadulterated originals not too long ago? its a limited edition. each episode comes with two dvds- one original, one f****d up redone version. i almost cried when i finally had proof that my memory isnt as bad as i thought it was. watching 'star wars' with mo mention of 'episode IV' in the title 

oh, and another vote here for showing the lad 456 first. as someone said, you really dont want to know darth vader is lukes dad straight away...

GOTTA have that set !

By the way, did you guys know: Vader is the exact Dutch word for father......

[ChadTower]

you do know they finally released the proper, unadulterated originals not too long ago? its a limited edition.

Stop falling for that.  Every version they have ever released has been a "limited edition".  They tweak the font on the cover, call it limited, print up 10 million copies, and everyone buys it.  Disney used to do the same thing with their animated movies. 

[wp34]

Show them in the original order and make them wait at least 3 years between each movie!    

I agree with some of the other posts that E2 and E3 are a little intense for young ones.  My son accidentally saw the lava scene in E3 when he was 4 and is still bothered by it.  No need to hurry.  We have sheltered our kids (maybe too much) but it has been great to now start watching some of my favorites (Fletch, Happy Gilmore, Fifth Element) with my now 13 year-old and he actually gets the jokes since he is older.

I don't care for E1 but it was my children's favorites when they were younger.  And it sure beats the heck out of Telletubbies or The Wiggles if you want to watch something with your kids.

E2 is actually a decent movie IF you hit the SKIP button on your DVD everytime Anakin and Padme are alone on screen.

[ChadTower]

Fletch is one of the greatest movies ever.  That's one we watched 500 times at least back then - it wasn't scary and was on HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime in successive months that summer.

[HaRuMaN]

Fletch is one of the greatest movies ever.  That's one we watched 500 times at least back then - it wasn't scary and was on HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime in successive months that summer.

tons of great one-liners from that movie...   

[Level42]

you do know they finally released the proper, unadulterated originals not too long ago? its a limited edition.

Stop falling for that.  Every version they have ever released has been a "limited edition".  They tweak the font on the cover, call it limited, print up 10 million copies, and everyone buys it.  Disney used to do the same thing with their animated movies. 

Mmm, checked it out a bit and it looks like they didn't bother restoring the old versions to some new quality. I think I need to hunt a Laserdisc version somewhere

[HaRuMaN]

Mmm, checked it out a bit and it looks like they didn't bother restoring the old versions to some new quality. I think I need to hunt a Laserdisc version somewhere

I have the original 3 on DVD ripped from Laserdisc...

sooooo goooooood...

[danny_galaga]

By the way, did you guys know: Vader is the exact Dutch word for father......

yes. i doubt that its a coincidence. darth vader= dark father. good clue...

[danny_galaga]

you do know they finally released the proper, unadulterated originals not too long ago? its a limited edition.

Stop falling for that.  Every version they have ever released has been a "limited edition".  They tweak the font on the cover, call it limited, print up 10 million copies, and everyone buys it.  Disney used to do the same thing with their animated movies. 

i didnt care that it was called a 'limted edition'. i cared that it had the original, unadulterated versions as a bonus. i havent bothered watching the craptastic versions, except for the first few minutes of 'a new hope', since i didnt realise the original is on disk two...

level42 this is the exact version i have. the colour is fine. more importantly, its what i queued around the block to see when i was a kid (",)

[Singapura]

How about Count Dooku? Doekoe is "money" in Surinamese. Count money 

[whammoed]

How about Count Dooku? Doekoe is "money" in Surinamese. Count money 

"It's Count de Monet, not Count da money" 

[knave]

"It's Count de Monet, not Count da money" 

Ah, one of the funniest movies I ever saw as a teenager...now I have the whole collection...

...oh and 456...123...

I let my daughter watch the first ones as early as age 7...she enjoyed it. It was cool watching them together.  Later I found her re-watching tham on her own...I've never been so proud.

That said , I've just never been as critical of ep, 123 as most people are.  I like the story just it could have been told...erm...better.  Either way I enjoyed them to some degree.

[Malenko]

the ones with luke sky walker (456) first then the rest later, if ever