The Episode 1 challenge: Introduce someone to Star Wars with TPM!

OK I have wanted to try this, but I don't have a lot of close friends and that ones that I do have have already seen all SW films.

Here is the challenge. Find someone who has never seen an SW film(they are out there.My gf is one of them) and introduce them to SW with Episode 1 and report thier reactions to this thread.

Why do this?

Well quite frankly,I think Episode 1 as the opening chapter to the saga would be confusing to a first time viewer but I have seen this position countered by some Star Wars fans but we can use this thread to find out for sure, so go out and find a friend who has never seen SW!

It will be fun!(I hope)

 

Why confusing?

 

I actually have a few friends who never saw Star Wars films ever and saw TPM first. Not only did they really like it but they seemed to understand just about everything, save things like not realizing Palpatine was Sidious...

 

I have one friend who had never seen a Star Wars film before Episode 1, and he not only understood the narrative perfectly, he is now a Star Wars fan himself.

 

i plan on doing just this around the time ep3 comes out NEXT YEAR, just so they dont get so impatient for more star wars that they go and watch the OT first...

i always wondered what Star Wars would have been like if TPM was the first movie released in the series back in '77. of course graphics would be different, it would be ANH special effects as opposed to this Y2K stuff.

if this was the case, do you think people would have liked star wars and made it just as popular as it is today???

 

well I think the explanation of the force might be confusing, especially when the other films come along.

 

Oh, well, yes, I expect they'd be confused as heck by ESB if they were watching them in order, but that's different.

 

No way. I don't want whoever watches it to say "Star Wars sucks!" and thinks that TPM represents the quality of the rest of em.

I would introduce anyone like how I was introduced, with Episode 4. True, it's aged more than ESB or ROTJ, but it's still essential to understanding those movies.

 

and what were the results?

 

"The Episode 1 challenge: Introduce someone to Star Wars with TPM!"

That would be indeed a challenge. I'll pass because I'll know the likely outcome.

 

Come on! Someone do this! LOL!

I want to know about the results!

 

If I personally were to do this, I would also wait till Ep3 comes out. At present, without the saga being complete, 45612 sounds like a better order to me than 12456. It is up to the third movie to decide how I will present it to future generations.

Anyway. I don't have any pals who haven't already seen the flicks, except for those who wouldn't sit through a sci-fi movie if you paid them.



Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Actually this happened with a younger pal of mine who lived down the street from me in 1999. The Phantom Menace was the very first time he ever saw a Star wars movie and he was hooked. He even wanted to be my padawan learner after seeing the film in the theaters. Basically that meant he just followed me around. Everywhere I went he would be right there behind me. True story. So it can be done.

 

I introduced my younger and Older sister.. and my Dad to star wars through ep I.

they all really love star wars.


young sis fav - TPM
Older sis fav - ROTJ/AOTC
Dad's fav - TPM

 

Very nice, especially the little Padawan story

 

My mate saw TPM first before any other Star Wars film, he didn't know the first thing about Star Wars. He understood the plot and thoroughly enjoyed it, he even bought it on DVD (amazing considering he doesn't generally buy DVDs). At the time he saw it, AOTC was just coming out so I went with him to see it at the Cinema and he loved that too (he even went back for a second viewing). Bear in mind he has up till this point never seen any of the OT. He has since seen the OT and he loved them too, on an equal par with the PT.

So this challenge is officially bobbins!

 

actually now if the perfect time for this challenge, one can watch TPM and AOTC, then see go see E3 and then watch the OT.

 

Yeah, suppose, but at the end of the day someone watching TPM (and AOTC) without any knowledge of the OT can understand the basic concepts of the movies, and enjoy them.

My mate doesn't prefer either set of movies over the other, i.e. PT over the OT or vice versa. He just sees it as one continuous story - the way its meant to be.

 

That's really cool to hear. I introduced my nephew to SW the same way, but he doesn't seem very patient with the OT (ANH, actually), though. Maybe it looks dated to him. But I bet after III he'll be more receptive towards it because he'll be interested in what happens next.

 

appleseed - how old is your nephew?

If he's young, does he understand that they're part of the same story, that there's just one movie he hasn't got to see yet? That it's the same Obi-Wan, Threepio, etc.?



Just curious.




Rick McCallum loves you!

 

Thanks Nameless One-glad you appreciated the story about my padawan learner. Shame he fell to the Stupid Side of the Force before we could see the enxt episode together. Now he is someone else's apprentice and more power to him if he turns out on the true and correct side of this power we call the Force.

 

Adam-he's 12, so he understands they're all part of one story. Maybe he doesn't want to spoil it for himself. He doesn't even know if Vader dies or not, but he does pretty much know Vader is Anakin.

I think ANH's slow beginning (although I think it's fine) kinda kills it for him. He hasn't seen any of Empire, nor much of Jedi. I showed him parts of them when he was real small, but he paid very little attention.

But he loves TPM and AOTC, although I think he likes TPM more.

 

Was anyone posting in this thread actually introduced to Star Wars with tpm? I was hoping for some first hand accounts,but so far it's all second hand. I also thought it would be more fun if we got some information about a person who was being introduced to SW BECAUSE of this thread,not before it.Thought that might be more fun.


Gary Kurtz hates you!

 

my plan is to have tickets to see ep3 in theatre.

i'll have my subject watch TPM the first day.

on the second day my subject will watch AOTC.

third day we go see ep3 in theatres

fourth day subject watches ANH

fifth day ESB

sixth day ROTJ

the day after that i'll ask subject to write a paper or something to relate how he feels about the saga.

if this thread is still around by the time i do the test, i'll report my findings.

 

Well, when my son is old enough, I'll definitely introduce him to Star Wars via Episode I. I'll let you know how it goes in about, oh, 6 years! (My wife is due within the month.)