Ok so I was raised on the OG Star Wars trilogy. Obsessed. Then the prequels came out when I was middle school(ish) age and I just... wasn’t about them? I can’t even remember why, I just didn’t like them. So, I gave up on anything other than the OGs. Now I’m looking at what you’re posting and wondering... is the new stuff worth it? Do I jump back in? Do I have to watch the prequels for the newer stuff to make sense? Are the prequels worth me rewatching as an adult?
To give some context, I went to the theater to see Star Wars (the first one that was later renamed “A New Hope”). The prequels were a disappointment as a person who had been a fan for 20yrs. The execution of the character Jar Jar Binks was insulting to say the least. The entire first episode remains difficult to watch without rolling my eyes so hard they fall out of my skull. The animation and the writing were awful.
But so was that of the original trilogy.
All this being said, upon rewatch, I have gleaned many a nugget for the prequels.
I love Padme. She is Fire. Her levelness, her passion, her strength (and her wardrobe lol), continued to build on what we came to embrace and frankly expect from female characters in the Star Wars universe. (I still say that growing up with Leia as my fictional role model made a world of difference in the media I was attracted to as well as my own writing!)
Ewan. McGregor. AMAZING and perfectly cast. And I cannot fucking wait for Kenobi on Disney+ (which I will address in more detail later.)
Anakin is not as whiny as I thought he was when I had such high hopes for someone… Vader-worthy? — he’s angry and being pulled in a dozen different directions and, really, all he wants is fly cool jets and make out with his pretty girlfriend. He’s a full-dimensional teenager. Plus, I adore Hayden Christiensen.
Now to address the final trilogy and Disney+ (AKA “the new stuff”.)
Dude. I can’t tell you how blown away I was by The Mandalorian S2. And they’re planning a Boba Fett series (I’m a Boba Fett whore since I could be a whore for anything), Kenobi, Lando, and many, many more.
The baby is just priceless joy. With a backstory and a future that will rip your heart out in the best way. And Din Djarin is…. hoooooo.
The final trilogy is a mixed bag (as is Solo.)
I love all the characters. I love their chemistry. There’s a lot of fanservice, but it works. The ships are cool as fuck. There’s one scene in particular where I gasped ‘OH FUCK’ out loud in the theater.
I recommend watching Rogue One before you watch anything else. Anything. Not the final trilogy and not The Mandalorian.
Rogue One is one of the best films I’ve ever seen — in a class of its own within Star Wars — and the first time I was ever truly terrified of Darth Vader. Re-read that sentence. I’m not kidding. He’s scary as fuck. It’s also my favorite film of 2016. It was released ten days before Carrie died, and… well, we can talk after you watch it.
Please message me once you’ve watched Rogue One and we can chat more but, damn, I will bet you won’t be sorry for diving back in.