While I hate to reopen the wounds from our last Star Wars debate, there is one issue left to address:
As you know, someday, I intend to procreate. And so far, the plan is to have nothing but boys. And when that day comes, I’ll adhere to my fatherly duty and initiate my son, Lando Calrissian Ring, into the world of Star Wars.
However, something occurred to me the other day. In which order should the movies be viewed by someone that has no prior exposure to the films?
1. Do I show my son the movies in chronological order, starting with Episode I (The Phantom Menace) and ending with Return of the Jedi, Episode VI?
~ Or ~
2. Do I show them in the order in which they were made, starting with Episode IV (A New Hope) and ending with Revenge of the Sith, Episode III?
Some might argue the latter is the order in which they are meant to be seen, as this is how George Lucas chose to release the movies. And not to be discounted, this is the order in which I saw the movies, and obviously, things worked out ok for me…
On the other hand, most would agree that episodes 4-6 are better than episodes 1-3, and viewing them in chronological order would allow the viewer to enjoy the superior movies at the end. Of course, to make it to the final episodes, one would have to endure a lot of frontloaded scenes of Jar Jar Binks. Any responsible parent should seek to shelter and protect their child from extreme amounts of Jar Jar, not subject them to it. I worry that starting my son on this path could sour him on Star Wars altogether. Or worse yet, we’ve all read that it’s traumatic childhood events like this that spawn future serial killers and telemarketers.
There is one other hope. Perhaps I can wait a few years, when they release the “Director’s Cut” versions of the latest Star Wars movies. I have a feeling that instead of including “bonus footage,” they would actually be the first movies in history to advertise “omitted footage,” namely cutting out several hours of scenes featuring Jar Jar. The director’s commentary alone would be priceless:
George Lucas (rubbing beard): “Yeah… Looking back, I realize now that Episode I really should have been about 17 minutes in length… And it probably should have been a silent film as well.”
As you can see, it’s quite the dilemma. Maybe it’s time we really explored this debate. Right now I’m leaning towards showcasing the films in the order they were made… However, as always, I’ll definitely consider any advice my fellow members on the Zillionaire Council are willing to impart…