The Star Wars movie series is widely
believed to be one of the greatest movie franchises ever created. So, when in
my Third year of Engineering I finally decided to give it a shot, I was faced
with a rather awkward question: Where do I start from?
For the uninitiated, George Lucas, the creative “Force” behind the Star Wars released the movies in two installments of three movies each over a period of 2 decades, with the last three movies serving as a prelude to the once released in the mid-80s.
For the uninitiated, George Lucas, the creative “Force” behind the Star Wars released the movies in two installments of three movies each over a period of 2 decades, with the last three movies serving as a prelude to the once released in the mid-80s.
The films in chronological order of their
respective releases are:
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope May
25, 1977
Star Wars Episode V:
The Empire Strikes Back May
21, 1980
Star Wars Episode VI:
Return of the Jedi May
25, 1983
Star Wars Episode I: The
Phantom Menace May
19, 1999
Star Wars Episode II:
Attack of the Clones May
16, 2002
Star Wars Episode III:
Revenge of the Sith May
19, 2005
So, for someone beginning a decade too
late, this question becomes a bit difficult to answer.
The people who watched the movies in their
intended order, who should now be in their mid-thirties are obviously biased
towards the 80s movies that they grew up around. Though low on the technology
front by today’s standards, the old Star Wars movies must have been visual
marvels in their time.
But for all of their originality, these movies had a very simplistic and predictable narrative, out of tune with the complex, multi-dimensional stories of movies like Inception and The Dark Knight.
But for all of their originality, these movies had a very simplistic and predictable narrative, out of tune with the complex, multi-dimensional stories of movies like Inception and The Dark Knight.
The relatively younger crowd, of which I am
a part as well, that saw the last three movies released in the 21st
century first and watched the so-called “sequels” only out of curiousity, we
are obviously enamoured by the superior use of technology and better, more
complex narrative in the recent movies, which are almost unanimously panned by
the older generation.
Having made my preference towards the
recent movies clear, I shall give you an example that will help you in your
choice for the sequence of Star Wars movies you wish to see.
For doing that, I shall make an assumption.
That you have already seen another one of the greatest movie franchises of all
time: the Harry Potter series. The next assumption is that you liked them and
are a crazy fan like me.
Now, suppose, after 10-15 years, Warner
Brothers comes out with a movie franchise that traces the childhood and life of
Tom Riddle until the time he turns into Lord Voldemort. The movies, with the
strength of hindsight and superior technology, shall obviously boast of a
stellar, more intelligent and complex narrative and a visual extravaganza.
Now, for people like us, who have already
been witness to Lord Voldemort’s cruelty and have had our childhoods and
adolescence years filled with happy memories of Harry Potter’s adventures, many
of us might still prefer the original Harry Potter series, and shall obviously
recommend them to be seen first to a beginner.
But would it not still be awesome for the
stranger to find out for himself how a seemingly innocent kid first discovers
magic and then turns into a fearsome Dark Lord, before moving on to, out of
curiousity of course, what happens next, when a similar kid endeavours to bring
him down.
Now, you have to choose, what you would
rather see first in such a circumstance and apply the same logic to Star Wars.
Believe it or not, you will find the analogy strangely similar.
A word of caution: The Star Wars movie
series is going to blow your mind, whichever way you watch it!