Don’t judge me, but somehow, some way, I’ve managed to live nineteen years of life without watching a single Star Wars film.
I know, I know. Over the years, my friends have given me the spiel: the Star Wars franchise is a staple of American culture, it’s iconic, Carrie Fisher is a literal queen, et cetera. Clearly, the Force is not strong with this one (this one being me.)
What with the latest movie coming out this December, all of my social media feeds have practically blown up with videos of The Last Jedi trailer and long-winded conspiracy theories. It’s a bit much, but it piqued my interest. Like the groupie that I am, I found myself wanting to be a part of this fandom.
I consulted with my Star Wars fandom friends—who deemed me a Padawan, whatever that is—asking them where to start my cinematic journey. After some debate, they reasoned that I should begin with Episode VI: A New Hope, since it was the first movie to be released, after all.
Anyways…after procuring the first (fourth?) film, which is Episode VI: A New Hope, I settled back and got ready to immerse myself in a galaxy far, far away…
For the most part, I was confused but enthralled…like the entire time. As someone with extremely minimal background information on this intergalactic series, I found A New Hope to be somewhat immersed in the middle of, well, a war. I know the classic rolling introduction set up some background, but still. I guess it has to do with the fact that it’s the fourth episode in the series, despite being the first to be released.
On a brighter note, the characters were super interesting. Personally, I relate to C3PO on a spiritual level.
Speaking of classic characterization, I found Princess Leia to be a boss…Carrie Fisher doesn’t mess with anyone and she shows it. James Earl Jones as Darth Vader is pretty classic, too.
To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect, coming into this film. I suppose that I had pretty dang high expectations, but alas, it’s just a film from the 1970s, after all. Plus, A New Hope is episode four, smack dab in the middle of a larger story. Despite all of this, I was hooked. Its whimsy, its drama, the characters, they drew me in. And I’m ready to watch the next film.