I've never watched Star Wars. Make me do it!

[Bodie The Cursed]

I sort of feel bad for you.

The magic of the orginal saga Star Wars works best when seen through the eyes of a child as some of us did. To sit down now and watch it I can see it coming off as ridiculous at some parts. Part of the personal attachment most of us have with the characters is due to our growing up with them.

Why else would a bunch of grown men stress about dolls, figures and statues? Is not just because they look cool. You gotta love this stuff from a long time ago.

U hit the nail on the head.

 

[D. Martin]

If you watch the original trilogy, make sure they are the original UNALTERED theatrical versions. The Special Editions will ruin any hope that you will like them.

That's one opinion. The SE's aren't all that bad. For someone who has never seen the OT, it might be easier to swallow since it doesn't look so old.

 

[olvidadero]

I love the SE's but if you want to see the films as they were originally released (before "Star Wars" was synonymous with "controversy") then do yourself a favor and watch the original versions first.

I've watched Jaws and Rocky many times, as well as many other "milestones" of movie history. I am a movie freak and not having watched SW is rare for me... I hope I can watch them real soon. I will let you know what I think

 

[Darth Sheba]

That's one opinion. The SE's aren't all that bad. For someone who has never seen the OT, it might be easier to swallow since it doesn't look so old.

"Doesn't look so old"...

*sigh*

The movies were made in the 70's. They're <i>supposed</i> to look like they were made in the 70's. Every movie carries the stamp of the time they were made. The SEs puts 90's sensibilities on twenty-year-old movies, and that changes the whole atmosphere. You can argue that just cleaning up the negatives is changing things, too, but that's not as dramatic as adding new effects and changing parts of the storyline.

Seen any of the "updated" classic Star Trek episodes? They tried to make the modern effects look like the 60's stuff, but it's hit or miss a lot of the time. I never saw the point of doing that. It's a creature of its time, and it's best to let it be so instead of putting new ill-fitting clothes on it.

 

[Darth Madden]

"Doesn't look so old"...

*sigh*

The movies were made in the 70's. They're <i>supposed</i> to look like they were made in the 70's. Every movie carries the stamp of the time they were made. The SEs puts 90's sensibilities on twenty-year-old movies, and that changes the whole atmosphere. You can argue that just cleaning up the negatives is changing things, too, but that's not as dramatic as adding new effects and changing parts of the storyline.

Seen any of the "updated" classic Star Trek episodes? They tried to make the modern effects look like the 60's stuff, but it's hit or miss a lot of the time. I never saw the point of doing that. It's a creature of its time, and it's best to let it be so instead of putting new ill-fitting clothes on it.

Bingo... I agree 100%.

 

[DarkArtist81]

I think both versions have their merits... The SE's tie better to the newer trilogy and I like some of the updated effects.... But I also love the original versions for nostalgic reasons, as well as the fact that it is how they were released originally. I grew up watching them. I just love it all...

But having said that, you can bet that when I watch the series... I watch it in order and I do watch the SE's instead of the unaltered versions.

It's like arguing over what kind of condiment to use on your fries... " I like Ketchup better... Mayonnaise is gross!" "Well I like Mayo better, Ketchup is sick!".... We all love the fries, so that should be all that matters...

(I like them both for my fries... I know... I'm a freak.)

 

[Buttmunch]

Ok, here is a reason to watch at least Empire and Jedi: I believe Jim Henson created the puppet for Yoda. Plus Frank Oz voiced him. As a Labrynith (sp?) fan you can at least watch them to view some of Jim's other work. How as that?

But of course you'd have to see them all for these two films to make sense.

 

[Fubeca]

I've watched Jaws and Rocky many times, as well as many other "milestones" of movie history. I am a movie freak and not having watched SW is rare for me... I hope I can watch them real soon. I will let you know what I think

You must be a Movie freak since you are brave enought to have Labryinth all over your stuff. I mean come on...

 

[Darth Sheba]

What's wrong with Labyrinth?

 

[TOE]

It's a chick magnet when you talk about Star wars to girls

 

[olvidadero]

Ok, here is a reason to watch at least Empire and Jedi: I believe Jim Henson created the puppet for Yoda. Plus Frank Oz voiced him. As a Labrynith (sp?) fan you can at least watch them to view some of Jim's other work. How as that?

But of course you'd have to see them all for these two films to make sense.

Lol, that's the most convincing argument so far. And oh, I just remember that my favourite Muppet Babies episode was the one with Gonzo filming their version of SW.

It's a chick magnet when you talk about Star wars to girls

Don't know why, I think you're kidding me

 

[TOE]

Don't know why, I think you're kidding me

no joke. if you can find a girl that you can talk about Yoda, ewoks, and / or R2D2 for hours...you will definitely get some by the end of the night

 

[Trevolver]

Having watched Star Wars countless times both as a young kid and nowadays, I've discovered it really is all about having grown up on it.

That said, I hated Empire as a kid, and now it's irrevocably my favorite. Lucas was a fool not to allow talented directors to help him helm the prequels. (actually I'm more convinced the prequels shouldn't have happened to begin with)

But speaking of the prequels...when I was 12 and episode 1 came out, Lucas could do NO WRONG in my mind, and I loved it. dragged my mom to see it four times. Nowadays the appeal of watching the prequels is to do so with my brother and poke fun at it (which is easy to do) so I've made a new set of Star Wars memories in that way.

the original films are magic to me still, but I think it's mostly nostalgia.
Trev

 

[Wor-Gar]

Just watch the original unaltered SW as a milestone in 1970's filmmaking. You might even want to watch a couple movies from previous years (like Jaws and the first Rocky) for context.

I agree with this -- you should see Star Wars in the context of the time. But don't watch good 70's movies, watch the bad ones, of which there were plenty. Watch "Crazy Larry, Dirty Mary" and "The Vanishing Point" and any of the other typically slowly paced chased-by-the-sheriff-in-the-midwest type movies that were so popular at the time (a very "folksy" period) and you will feel the total refreshment and utter astonishment of what Lucas pulled off with a small budget and a fertile imagination. It was, and still is, a masterful achievement.

 

[darthviper107]

It's really weird because I'm so young but I grew up with the originals as well. I saw some really old VHS copies with some friends one time and then one of my other friends (who was a star wars fanatic) had the special edition and let me borrow them to watch on my birthday. Once the PT started being released I just became a really big fan. But I must say I do recognize the quality of the OT. And BTW, my sister's a Labyrinth fan, so I know how you feel.

 

[Trevolver]

you know, this thread reminds me that I never saw the very end of Return of the Jedi until '95 or so when the remastered versions arrived. I grew up on recordings from cable.

I remember it cut off as Leia and Han are resolving...

oh, and I never knew there was a Sand Person by the bantha that Luke is looking at until the dvd came out. had to use imagination for that one

Trev

 

[Darklord Dave]

Part of the magic of Star Wars for me was discovering something fresh and new as a child. Today there's so much baggage with the whole Star Wars phenomena that it's impossible to approach the first film (Ep. IV) the same way we did back in 1977.

I can see why someone who has never seen it would challenge people to convince them that they should see one of classic films of all time that changed the art and business of film irrevocably.

 

[Seth Gecko]

Lazy about sitting down and watching a movie?I'm lost right there.If you need to be told to watch SW you probably shouldn't be watching them anyways.

Also I like how a few people are saying when they grew up watching the OT but were barley a teenager when ep1 came out
Try being 23 when ep1 came out or older THAT was growing up with the OT.

For me it wasn't ALL about being a kid growing up with them.(although i'm sure that helped)Because i also like the PT.I know kids today that see the same magic in the PT that i felt when i grew up with the OT.(and a lot of us so called SW fans forget that...but ya know what i bet lucas didn't!!)

My advice watch 4 5 and 6 Original or SE or both.(but the fact that you need to be told to do it and have not seen it already and want to be told to do it speaks volumes of how i know your already gonna perceive it.

enjoy.

 

[TOE]

Leia gets naked in one of the films and I am not telling you which part

 

[Booyah!]

If you're going to watch Ep. I through III first, it wouldn't make much sense to watch the original unaltered versions of Ep. 4, 5 and 6 after that.

Not only does the saga flow better visually with the SE versions, but from a storytelling point of view. Like Ian Mcdiarmid filming the holographic transmission scene in Empire, instead of the original actress with those chimp eyes. Or the celebration scenes at the end of Jedi that take place across planets seen in the prequels.

How can you go from watching three films with CG creatures walking around everywhere to the Dewback scene from ANH with just a large rubber head and shoulders sitting on the horizon? Or a small unpopulated looking Mos Eisley?

Doesn't make much sense.

Lucas finally gave you "purists" your original crappy versions on DVD. Now let 'em rest in peace.

Viva the updates!