Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Star Wars in Childhood-Revised

A revision of an earlier post.
The enjoyment and appreciation of the Star Wars films has continued strong from one generation to the next to today 30 years later when each new generation has its own unique yet similar appreciation of the movies. There are mainly two groups who have loved Star Wars those who were around at their creation and those who have always had Star Wars, since childhood.
I am in the second group and experienced secondhand with everyone else in my generation. We experienced Star Wars in childhood and it gave us something special. For children who play, imagine and pretend Star Wars provided exciting and endless possibilities. As children, the movies were new to us, and they held so much imagination within them: Wookies, Jawas, Ewoks, lightsabers, and spaceships. Our imaginations (I think especially the boys) stemmed off those ideas in play. I always wanted one of those speeders they used in Return of the Jedi.
I also think it served as a good bridge moving from cartoons to movies. They are pure fantasy and imagination like the cartoons children love but they appeared so real. (I think this is why so many value the originals with the puppets and costumes over the new trilogy filled with CGI.) Parents who love Star Wars seem to get a real kick out of sharing it with their children while there are at a young age.
I am often surprised when I meet people who have not seen or dislike Star Wars. (Most whom I have encountered who do not like it have not seen it.) I am beginning to believe that if you wait until adulthood to see the movies you are truly missing out.
Check out this video of a three-year-old who has seen A New Hope just once.