Why Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm, And Disney Didn't Ruin Your Childhood
Most people can remember the first time they watched a Star Wars movie. I would imagine that these are childhood memories like mine in many cases. I was eight years old when I first saw Star Wars, and I was addicted from the get-go. I had the toys and the comics, and everything revolved around Star Wars.
My childhood was then blessed with The Empire Strikes back in 1980 and then Return Of The Jedi in 1983. Again, comics and toys were everywhere in my life. I grew up with the original trilogy (OT) and, needless to say, rewatched them all hundreds of times thanks to the advent of VHS videocassettes. This article looks at how growing up can impact your worldview in the context of the Star Wars universe.
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The first contentious move by Lucasfilm came in 1997 when George Lucas decided to tweak the OT and release the Special Editions for the 20th Anniversary of Star Wars. Of all the edits, the only one that really rankled with me was the ''Han shot first'' scene. I know people that hate the Special Editions with a passion, and I guess this is where the concept of having childhoods ruined first came into play.
Personally, ''Han shot first'' aside, I didn't really have an issue with the Special Edition versions. As far as I was concerned, it was all still Star Wars and, in most cases, better Star Wars. My kids were introduced to mainly the Special Edition versions via the subsequent release on VHS. Two years later, in 1999, we got the release of The Phantom Menace, the first new Star Wars movie in 16 years. This time around, it was me taking my kids to see the movie; they were 7 and 9 at the time. They were no stranger to Star Wars as their education started young, watching the OT with me on VHS. Finally, in 2002 we had Attack Of The Clones and in 2005 Revenge Of The Sith released, thus completing the prequel trilogy (PT). What can I say? It was all Star Wars, and my kids loved them all, as did I. Attack Of The Clones was the weaker of the PT movies for me, but it wasn't a bad movie. My son is now 29, and Revenge Of The Sith is still his favorite Star Wars movie.
With the release of the prequel trilogy, I could see people's attitudes start to change. Before the mid-90s, for most of us, the only opportunity to talk about Star Wars was with friends and family. Then the world's biggest blessing (and curse) came in the form of the internet. Suddenly we were able to talk with people worldwide about our love of Star Wars. Unfortunately, this also opened the door for those to share their hate/disappointment in Star Wars as well. It was less easy to find some of the content in the early days, so it was easy to avoid the negative side of things.
We also started to see trilogy wars between fans of the originals and fans of the prequels battling online. It was usually caused by OT fans who didn't like the prequels and saw it as some sort of smear on their beloved holy trinity. Most OT fans involved with this were people who were now ''grown-up'' and had a different perspective on life. The OT still had that special place in their hearts from happy childhood memories. They might have become tainted by the Special Editions, and by the time the PT hit, they couldn't relate to it at all. Prequel fans tended to be much younger and were happy to have a trilogy of movies made for them.
As we headed into modern times, the internet was in full swing; most households had access, and you couldn't move for commentary, opinions, theories, etc. I always think of that part of Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back where Jay and Silent Bob talk about the internet movie site, MoviePoopShoot.com, where everyone can post an opinion about a film, regardless if they are qualified or not. Of course, everyone has an opinion!
After Disney purchased Lucasfilm came three new movies carrying on the Star Wars legacy. The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and finally The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) were released and are now referred to as the sequel trilogy (ST). A new audience of young fans came along with these movies as their Star Wars big screen introduction. I was now going to see them with my kids and grandkids. Three generations all enjoying the new films. This was not the case for everyone, though. The circle started again, only this time, the OT and PT fans ganged up on the ST fans. Interestingly, some of the hostility between OT and PT had started to soften (presumably as the PT fans were now ''grown-up'').
I have never stopped loving Star Wars. Except for the Star Wars Holiday Special, there are no bad movies. Some are better than others, but there are no disasters. I have always tried to watch Star Wars movies with my inner child fully engaged. So I am not going to the cinema to offer an in-depth critique, I just want some fun set in the Star Wars universe. That's what my kids and my grandkids want.
Changes made to older movies did not ruin your childhood or memories. Nor did the newer movies. And any other creative decisions made along the way will not ruin your childhood or memories. If you actually dig deep into Star Wars across the OT, PT, and ST, you will find that none stand up well to full-on adult ''grown-up'' scrutiny in many ways. Unfortunately, though, our views and ability to accept that scrutiny are often tightly tied into our fandom and memories through nostalgic remembrance.
So for every generation introduced to the Star Wars universe, whether OT, PT, or ST, specific hardcore memories are ingrained in us from those periods. George Lucas and Lucasfilm did not ruin your childhood by releasing the Special Editions or expanding the Star Wars universe with the release of the PT. Likewise, Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm, and Disney did not ruin your childhood by releasing the ST. You might not like some of the decisions, but your childhood memories are still there. Nothing has changed, and nothing has been ruined.
I am a Star Wars fan, always have been, always will be. So the event of going to a Star Wars movie is a big thing in my life. I went as a kid, went with my kids, and went with my grandkids, but I still watch them all like that 8-year-old kid way back in 1978.
Sometimes the most challenging part of being a Star Wars fan is not those providing the content but the fandom itself, some of whom seem to have forgotten how to just suspend reality for five minutes and enjoy the ride. Let's not forget that George Lucas was willing to step away from it all due to the constant hostile barrage that he was subjected to. Thankfully for him, he seems to have been forgiven. Sadly that barrage appears to be mainly directed at Kathleen Kennedy now.
When I was a child introduced to this world, I was glad that there was no internet with its ongoing negativity about the franchise. However, when it comes to movies, and Star Wars, in particular, I can suspend my critical ''grown-up brain, engage my inner child and just enjoy Star Wars for what it is; a crazy adventure in a galaxy far, far away...