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You're 12, never watched a single Star Wars movie/show - where do you start?

Slayer

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where do you start?​

Well, I always figured the best path to take on any journey, was to start at the beginning.
 

Jimbob54

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I don't know about a 12 year old, but for a person that has read a lot of sci-fi stories, just watch the first movie and then quit while you're ahead.
Is that the first movie made, the first in the timeline, the first in the critics' ratings or the first in box office takings?
 

Blumlein 88

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Understandable. I am not sure if the original trilogy can have the same impact on people if you watch the first time when you're older (I am sure, it can't). I think the real magic happens when you see it as a kid, maybe 7-11 years old. Still you could give New Hope a chance, the originals are different from the crap they made later.
I was older when I first saw the original releases at the time of their release 1978 for the first one (yes 1977, but didn't get to my small town until 1978). Two things made the movie have impact. A simplified almost fairy tale heroes journey, and what were then the first "great" special effects that didn't detract from the movie. So it helped with the suspension of disbelief to put you into a Galaxy far, far way a long time ago. The special effects from these will in no way Wow! your daughter in today's world.

So my first answer was 1977 original release, but thinking on it more, maybe Rogue One first. You'll have to decied. Rogue One is a dark movie for some 12 year olds, and the originals managed to avoid such darkness despite being about worlds destroyed by evil masters.

I consider the three pre-quels a money grubbing stain on the franchise. Only Revenge of the Sith would I consider good. Other than Rogue one, those after it are just updating retellings of the same tale and faint echoes of the original.

I do like the fun loving Solo: a Star Wars story.

In the prequels you'd think Lucas forgot how to write and how to direct. His work is appalling in these. Makes one wonder if his 1st wife, who was a great film editor, and had input into key scenes in the original 3 Star Wars movies didn't have more important input than is realized. She was not part of the later movies having divorced him.
 
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Chrispy

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Saw an interview with Rose Byrne who acted in Ep.2, but was largely not in touch with the whole SW sequence. Her husband was starting the kids on the SW journey and started with Ep.1 and Byrne asked him why he wasn't starting with Ep.4, which she thought was the beginning.....
 

AndrewC

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Hi

I'm asking for my daughter who just turned 12 and never watched any star wars movie, nor a Disney+ star war show/flic. She was only made aware of some of the iconic characters from short clips on Tiktok.


Do you start from the original 70's Lucas-Film movies? The 2000's Lucas-film prequels? or the new Disney cr@p?

A detailed title watch list would be great.

Thanks.

Just a side suggestion, get her off TikTok as fast as you can!!

It's the biggest negative influence on young minds in years.

Won't be easy considering "all" her friends would be on it, but find a way to poison TikTok in her mind and get her off the platform ASAP.
 

Killingbeans

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Just a side suggestion, get her off TikTok as fast as you can!!

It's the biggest negative influence on young minds in years.

Won't be easy considering "all" her friends would be on it, but find a way to poison TikTok in her mind and get her off the platform ASAP.

I'm sorry, but that's really bad advice IMO.

She's 12. If you try to "poison" it, it'll just become even more attractive to her.

Sure, the algorithm is a slippery slope. If you give likes to a¤¤holes and morons, you'll get nothing but a¤¤holes and morons in your suggestions.

Instead encourage her to share her thoughts and be open to a healthy debate when she comes across political content. That way she can learn to identify the butthurt radicals herself and use "share -> not interested" instead of "like".
 

Marc v E

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Hi

I'm asking for my daughter who just turned 12 and never watched any star wars movie, nor a Disney+ star war show/flic. She was only made aware of some of the iconic characters from short clips on Tiktok.


Do you start from the original 70's Lucas-Film movies? The 2000's Lucas-film prequels? or the new Disney cr@p?

A detailed title watch list would be great.

Thanks.
Just watch Dune and skip the confused Star wars saga
;) Or read the Dune books. If you must, start with the new films starting with Rey. The old ones will probably resonate less because they were made in a different era for an audience of that time.
 

JJB70

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Dune is the best sci-fi book I have ever read, and by quite a margin, it is a masterpiece. I'm hesitant to start throwing the term 'greatest' around as I haven't read all sci-fi in the world but out of those books I have read nothing else comes close. However, the sequels went downhill very quickly and became almost unreadable for me, and the modern franchise is mediocre.
 

restorer-john

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I saw the first one (Star Wars) when I was about 10 in its worldwide first theatre run. I loved it, but that was 45 years ago and I wouldn't wish any of them on any modern child. As for the prequels, that would be classed as child abuse making them watch them.

My son has seen all the Star Wars series but thought they were pretty crap. He would rather watch an old Bruce Willis movie, a James Bond or even a 1980s Stallone film.
 
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Suffolkhifinut

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I'm sorry, but that's really bad advice IMO.

She's 12. If you try to "poison" it, it'll just become even more attractive to her.

Sure, the algorithm is a slippery slope. If you give likes to a¤¤holes and morons, you'll get nothing but a¤¤holes and morons in your suggestions.

Instead encourage her to share her thoughts and be open to a healthy debate when she comes across political content. That way she can learn to identify the butthurt radicals herself and use "share -> not interested" instead of "like".
Unfortunately with 12 year olds they are usually rebelling against parental authority and would rather believe the malign disinformation on Tik Tok.
 

Martin

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I would definitely watch them in theatrical release order. It's the only way they make sense to me. Star Wars came out the summer I graduated from high school and I still love all the movies. The original trilogy is the best.

Martin
 
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Mart68

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I recently started my kids with Rogue One and then am doing Machete order.
Machete order - never heard of it before but it makes a lot of sense to get rid of episode one entirely.

One of my brothers started his children with IV because 'It's the best one isn't it?' I had to agree. It's a far better formed story than all of the others and draws on a lot of basic archetypes that children will naturally relate to from fairy stories and the like. Young naïve hero, damsel in distress, cynical rogue, wise wizard, evil bloke dressed in black, and so on.

I think they'll be less receptive to the political shenanigans of the trade federation and Anakin trying to get his end away with Padme.

'Rogue One' I really enjoyed but for the same reasons should be watched afterwards as a prequel/back story.
 

symphara

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Original trilogy, then Rogue One.

If you desire more SW material, Rebels is pretty good (animated) and The Mandalorian is ok.

I would avoid the JarJar prequels and the new trilogy which is rather awful. The Book of Boba Fett is also a waste of time.
 

Andretti60

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I suggest The animated series The Clone Wars, imho the best product of the whole franchise.
I saw the New Hope when it came out, I was 18, I liked it but I did not love it, I did like The Empire Strikes Back, I was embarrassed by the Return of the Jedi. Years later I almost felt asleep watching the Phantom Menace. All the rest went down the garbage disposal.
The Clone Wars tries to put back the feeling of the first movie, a little ingenuity, action and young characters (Ashoka is still my favorite), leaving mumbo jumbo aside and the tiring story of the Starwalker family.
 

DJBonoBobo

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Instead of watching the last trilogy i recommend the reviews by Vito instead. Saved me some time and was potentially much more entertaining:


 
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