Summary
Recently, it came to light thatGeorge Lucasstood on the firm decision to target theStar Warsmovies, particularly the prequel trilogy, towards children rather than adults, and as a child of the prequels, I can confirm this was the right decision. Lucas' recent words about theStar Warsmoviesbeing made for kids caused quite a bit of a stir in theStar Warsfandom, with many insisting that this was the wrong choice. As someone who was very young during the prequel trilogy era, however, I wholeheartedly agree with Lucas' sentiment.
I’m not the only one. It was Ahmed Best, the actor who brought Jar Jar Binks to life and now portraysJedi Kelleran Beq, who really made me ponder my experience with theStar Warsprequels as a child. When speaking withStarWars.comaboutStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace’s 25th anniversary, Best reflected upon howStar Wars’message leaves a lasting impact upon young fans that lasts for a lifetime, and it transcends time by being passed from one generation to another - much of which is facilitated by younger fans. I was once one of those young fans.
One of the reasons why I think Jar Jar really resonates with young people is because George is always looking towards the future, 20, 30, 50 years down the line. What’s going to happen, and what’s the message we want to give to young people as they grow up? […]These Star Wars stories really have a strong message that transcends time. We see the kids who are now adults still believing in these movies and showing their own kids, and for a lot of them, their introduction is through Jar Jar, being a child and connecting to this very innocent character.
Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Cast & Character Guide
The cast of the Star Wars prequel trilogy features great actors like Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, and Samuel L. Jackson playing iconic characters.
As A Child, I Connected Greatly With The Star Wars Prequels
These Movies Defined My Childhood
Despite being very, very young when the prequelStar Warstrilogy came out, I really connected with those movies and characters. The first movie I ever remember seeing in a theater wasStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and prior to that, I used to watchStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Cloneson repeat. This was all while I ate offStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menaceplastic plates, most notably the one with the podracers Anakin Skywalker and Sebulba.
The prequels cultivated my passion for storytelling.
Because of this, these movies will always be a very integral part of my childhood. They defined much of that part of my life and development, and I learned a lot from what those movies taught me. From the bravery of its heroes to the warnings from its villains,there were lessons in these stories that were easy for me to digest at a young age. The earliest video games I played were based on these movies, and some of the first stories I ever created were withStar Warsaction figures. The prequels cultivated my passion for storytelling.
The Prequels' Silliest (& Coolest) Characters Were Always My Favorite
These Characters Drew Me Further Into The Story
As a child during the prequels' release era, it was easy to ignore whatever criticisms were being hurled at this addition to the Skywalker saga at the time. In fact,many of the prequel trilogy’s most criticized elements were my favorite, with the most notable example being Jar Jar Binks himself. There was a long duration of time when Jar Jar was my ultimate favoriteStar Warscharacter, to the point where I would walk around talking in his voice and play exclusively with his action figure. I had no idea how hated he was byStar Warsfans.
I also loved the clones and their home on Kamino, which was a big reason whyAttack of the Cloneswas my favorite movie as a child. Again, I wasn’t thinking about the mechanics behind the clone army or any of the other complaints many fans had at the time. As a child, I was just in awe of how cool thoseclone trooperslooked with their armor, and how brave they were for rushing into battle to help the Jedi. Clones now continue to be some of my favorite characters in the franchise.
Explaining Why The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Hate Disappeared
Almost two decades of hatred have plagued the Star Wars prequels since their release, but the movies' original kid audience have lately shown praise.
Padmé Amidala’s Strength Was A Huge Inspiration For Me
She Taught Me How To Be A Brave Young Woman
As a young girl, however, my biggest role model in theStar Warsprequels was easily Padmé Amidala. WhileRevenge of the Sithdid unfortunately cut back on a lot of her shining moments as a leader, the first two movies established her as a woman of strength even at a young age.Being a young girl and seeing Padmé’s strength and bravery inspired me to find those same things within myself, and it taught me that I could still be the hero of a story without having to sacrifice my girlhood to do so.
She taught me how to embrace both my inner strength and my femininity simultaneously, in that I could be a strong leader while also still enjoying the smaller pleasures of life.
Now that I’m older, I’m even more grateful that I had a character like Padmé to look up to as a young girl. She taught me how to embrace both my inner strength and my femininity simultaneously, in that I could be a strong leader while also still enjoying the smaller pleasures of life. Not everything about Padmé’s character was perfect, especially onceRevenge of the Sithcame along, but the role model she was for someone as impressionable as I was during that era was extremely remarkable.
Padmé Amidala
The elected Queen of Naboo, Padmé Amidala won galactic acclaim for her heroism when she led her people against the Trade Federation. She became an influential member of the Republic Senate, but her life changed forever when she fell in love with Anakin Skywalker. Padmé Amidala found herself torn between her love for Anakin and her belief in the principles of the Republic, especially when Anakin became Darth Vader. She was brutally attacked by Anakin on Mustafar, and died in childbirth.
Lucas Ultimately Succeeded In His Vision For The Future
He Was Right To Make These Movies For Younger Audiences
My own experience with theStar Warsprequels proves that Lucas' vision for the future was not only successful, but it was also the right decision to make. These movies clearly resonate the most with children who look past their flaws and easily find the core message at the center of their stories. Kids will simply laugh at and enjoy the silly aspects that many adults frown upon, and that really does capture the true spirit ofStar Wars.Its absurdity is an important piece of what makes it so unique, and children no doubt appreciate that the most.
This is how I know Lucas was right to make these movies for children, and otherStar Warsprojects that are currently doing the same are on the right track. The impact these movies had on me as a kid is immeasurable, and that’s something that will continue to happen with brand-newStar Warsstories for generations. It doesn’t mean adults aren’t welcome to the experience, but it does mean that they perhaps ought to look atStar Warsas if they were children again, simply letting themselves get lost in the wonder of it all.
