Star Wars celebrated its 45th birthday this year, marking the anniversary of A New Hope changing the face of blockbuster cinema forever on May 25, 1977. The franchise cemented its place in history with sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with most new Star Wars media still taking place in and around these classic stories.
But, after all those years, are younger viewers new to Star Wars really going to enjoy films that their grandparents first saw in theaters? It sounds like blasphemy to even discuss it, but fans on r/StarWars are wondering if they still “hold up”:
Naturally, most fans respond with a resounding yes, with one saying the original trilogy is timeless in the same way as a Bach symphony:
Another says they recently watched A New Hope with a 6-year-old and they loved it:
One fan argues they were so advanced for the time that they still feel fresh:
More proof comes from this fan showing his wife the trilogy. She’d never seen them before, and isn’t a fan of classic sci-fi, but still enjoyed herself:
Finally, one fan points out that if they want an unbiased answer to this question they may be in the wrong place:
It’s worth remembering that this very question has clearly troubled George Lucas. In 1997, the still-controversial Special Editions were released – replacing many of the 70s-era FX shots with CGI updates. Those new additions also now look very dated (arguably more than the shots they replaced), so there will inevitably be younger viewers for whom the original trilogy looks like something from the stone age.
But, quibbles about retro haircuts and VFX aside, the story of Episodes IV, V, and IX is just as potent now as it was on the original release, so we expect audiences to be enjoying Star Wars far into the future.