So here we are! The unofficial “Star Wars Day” is upon us and avid fans (like myself) and novices alike are exchanging the greeting “May the 4th Be With You”, a play on words on “May the Force Be With You”, to which every Star Wars fan then knows to reply with, “and also with you!”
Shockingly, each year on this day, I learn of more and more people who have NEVER seen a single “Star Wars” movie, despite the franchise spanning over 5 decades now, with 9 core movies, several other films part of the canon and an INSANELY popular Disney+ TV show (”The Mandalorian”) with more on the way. Needless to say, Star Wars goes far beyond “geek” or “Sci-Fi” at this point to have become, quite possibly, the biggest movie franchise of all time, no doubt helped out by the mouse himself, as Disney now owns everything “Star Wars”.
So, should you find yourself in the number of people (shrinking by the day) that have never sat down to watch a single “Star Wars” movie, here is my suggestion, and surely the suggestion of other fans. Start with where we were first introduced to the phrase “May the Force Be With You”, that being the 1977 classic that made us begin to fall in love with Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and more... “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope”.
I know what you’re thinking, “Mike, the movies started on Episode IV?” In short. Yes! That’s what George Lucas decided to do, so that’s where we started, followed by “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back” (my favorite movie of all time) and “Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi.” It wasn’t until 1999 that we got another Star Wars trilogy, this time starting at the beginning with “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace” and finally a THIRD trilogy that covered events after the first three (released) films. That began in 2015 with “Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens” where we were introduced to a new heroine, Rey, and concluded with “Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, back at the end of 2019.
A lot to take in, for sure, but if you weren’t binging all the Star Wars movies for a first or 14th time during quarantine, what were you doing?!
Fortunately, these days, you don’t have to go to your local Blockbuster and rent 3 or 6 or 9 VHS tapes, as most everything “Star Wars” can be found on Disney+. So, that being said, you’ve watched “Frozen” on there 232 times by now... isn’t it time to give “Star Wars” a try?
Trust me when I say, if you love action movies, drama and even romance... you’ll find that AND MORE in “Star Wars”. Oh yeah... there’s some of that “science fiction” in there too, but it’s the human and inter-species relationships in the films that will keep you coming back for more!
So, pop up that popcorn, pour yourself a glass of something cold and ENJOY!
And oh yeah... “May the FORCE be with you!”