| The Star Wars Generations |
| A new look at the Universe...... All right, we all know the "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away..." part. But how does Star Wars really fit in with our time? Our first look at the movie is seeing a high-powered action film that brought new technology and ideas to the screen. But have you noticed that it didn't end there? In 1997 Star Wars was re-issued by Lucasfilm for it's twentieth aniversary. It was like opening the film up for a whole new generation of filmgoers. The result was a combining of generations that linked the idea of age-oriented films. The "Star Wars Generation" can be broken down into three basic parts: the originals- the people who saw the movie when it first came out; the mid-ranges-those who were old enough to know the story before the re-release but not the first release; and the prequel generation- those just now being introduced to the story as children with the creation of the prequel trilogy. These groups are not scientific and the names are obviously not perfected but the idea is simple. Lucas has created a film that is not just part of an era but mulit-generational, and being seen for the first time as if it were new, over twenty years later. I am lucky enough to have members from all three generations in my family, from which to draw examples. The first of the generations was created in 1977 with the release of the original trilogy. The story of Luke Skywalker's journey and Princess Leia's fight for freedon was an instant success. The film, called simply Star Wars because it was not intended to be followed spawned two more films, millions of spoofs and twenty years of replays on television, and an award-winning career for star Harrison Ford. Twenty years later, children and adults were still watching this movie. Those introduced after the fact make up the middle-range generation. I and my 15-year old brother are a part of this. My brother in particular was fond, (but not obsessed with) the three movies and enjoyed their watching the re-runs on TV. When I was in 6th grade my class did a reading project on the novelazation of Star Wars. I had heard of the movie but at the time was no fan of sci-fi. however the writing was good and I had two friends who loved the series. They introduced me to the film and the rest is history. Shortly after this experience George Lucas comopleted a project he'd been considering for several years. The phenomenon was know as Star Wars: Special Edition, (later became know as the Original Trilogy) and it became the chance of a lifetime for many of my friends. It was the second Star Wars Generation's turn to experience all three clasic films in the thearters, like their parents had. A year after all three films were released the Special Edition was made into vidio. Immediatly I had to own it and finally did. This began my long journey into the Star Wars Universe, but that's for another essay. These events created a second generation of Star Wars lovers and sealed the fate that the Star Wars legacy would continue to grow. About the same time the Special Edition was released to vidio the rumors about a second trilogy made up of prequels to the already existing story began. All existing fans immediatly rushed to the internet and media to learn details of this exciting event. A few years later the first of the series known as the Prequel Trilogy was released and a third generation was created. At the time of the first film's release I had a 4-year-old brother. In my excitement to see the new movie I took him to the theater with me to watch The Phantom Menace, the first installment of the Prequel Trilogy. We both loved it and he became a fan. He's now six (I may have dates and ages a bit off) and can't wait for the release of the next movie. He is part of the Prequel Generation, the youngsters that are going to grow up amid the excitement of the new trilogy. The Star Wars Trilogy was a phenomenon each time it was seen. It's vivid story, unique special effects, exciting characters are now and forever a part of entertainment history. These shadows will live on, and each generation will experience the movies in a new way. What lies in store for the next generation of Star Wars fans? What the fates decide. Until then, we will continue to use our new-found expression on the Internet and the well restored videos of the movies to continue to enjoy and anticipate the new trilogy and the entire universe that George Lucas has created. |