CT Childrens Reaction To Watching TESB

My almost 6 year old nephew watched The Empire Strikes Back together over the Christmas Holiday. He's obsessed with Angry Birds....and loves to play Angry Birds Star Wars edition (on my iPod touch, my Samsung tablet and his oldest sister's new iPod touch). Since he had made it to the Hoth Levels with the Pig face AT ATs on my devices, we started with the Battle of Hoth and watched until Luke met Yoda. Then the next day, we watched the movie from the very beginning. He didn't freak out over the big revelation (I thought he might...but I was surprised). Told him we'd watch Return of the Jedi together next. Oh, for his birthday I am going to try to get him a Tie Fighter Lego building set. Other than Angry birds, and having two toy lightsabers (a purple one given to his older sisters and as a joke, a red one given to his dad) at home, he doesn't have too much exposure to Star Wars (doesn't watch TCW. for example).

 

When I get old enough, I am not going to go the OT and then the PT to my kids. I think it's much more tragic to see this kid and warrior that the kids love and follow for over 50 hours (I'm throwing in TCW.) to see them turn to the dark side and learn that Palpatine was the bad guy all along. I think that's a much bigger shock than finding out the bad guy is the hero's son. The hero becoming the bad guy.

And I'm on edge about showing the Mortis Arc, though they probably won't remember it when they get around to episode 3.

I feel so evil, manipulating their emotions > : D

 

CRAZY! I typed almost word-for-word the same thing in the "Star wars Virgins" thread! Watched it with my 9-year-old last year and he tripped out! At Palpy's reveal he was all, "Awwww! Yoda's gonna be mad!", and when Anakin turned on Mace, he just sat there with his mouth open not able to believe what he had just seen!By the time we got to "TESB", and Vader tells Luke his true parentage, my son was nearly in tears for him. The shock value of the scene had become something more than just a shocking twist. It was more personal now because he knew that sooner or later Luke would learn that the man he hated was, in actuality, his own father. This had become an anticipated moment, and the emotion of the scene just seemed to resonate much deeper with my boy.

 

The "I am your father" reveal never really clicked with me as a kid, mostly because I didn't quite understand a lot of the dialogue and never picked up on the fact that Luke really looked up to his father.

 

Honestly? I was more stunned by Han's situation by the end of the movie, than Vader's revelation that he was Anakin and Luke's dad.

 

I can't even remember my reaction to finding out the truth. I think I watched the films out of order.

 

I seem to remember being interested but not blown away by the reveal in TESB. Anyway, surprise isn't always the most important factor.

 

I was much too young to fully comprehend what Vader was saying to Luke at the end of ESB.

 

When I was 5 years old, I watched it and I thought it was fascinating how someone could be bad, but related to someone good. Mind blowing!

 

I was 9, I was shocked and I never thought it was a lie, especially since Luke calls him father through the connection he makes with him through the Force. I read that sequence of events, even at 9, as Luke being able to tell he wasn't lying but didn't want to fully accept it. The pain Luke registers while on the Falcon being called out to by Vader, his cold shuddering, like he was sensing it deep within him that it was true.,didn't make me think he thought it was a lie. Wasn't until ROTJ that I realized, oh, well, yeah maybe it could be. And even then I figured Luke, still holding out hope it was a lie, asked Yoda just to confirm what he already knew. He doesn't look overly shocked there either.

 

I was a kid and remember being surprised. I did not believe Vader was lying.

 

It depends on the kid. The "I am your father" line is now a part of pop culture, but I think not everybody knows about it.