So, I’ve Never Seen ‘Star Wars’

Confession time: I’ve never seen Star Wars.

Yes, I‘ve come across Episodes IV-VI while channel surfing, but I didn’t watch for very long because I was confused and couldn’t deal with commercials every 15 minutes. I never bothered with the prequels because my seven-year-old self was terrified seeing this guy’s face everywhere when The Phantom Menace came out:

I was a sensitive child. I’m over it now.

Star Wars is one of those things that I’ve never taken the time to watch, yet I feel like I’ve already seen it because it is so ingrained in pop culture. It’s everywhere, and there’s no escaping it, especially with the latest installment coming out in December. Still, my knowledge of these films is fairly limited. Here’s what I know so far:

• (35-year-old spoiler alert) Darth Vader is Luke’s father and he chops off Luke’s hand.
• Darth Vader uses the Force to strangle people.
• Luke and Leia kiss before they know they’re siblings.
• I love you/I know.
• Leia’s slave bikini.
• Yoda.
• “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
• Han shoots first?
• The prequels are supposedly terrible and Natalie Portman is in them.

With Episode VII: The Force Awakens hitting theaters in a little over eight weeks, I figured now is as good a time as any to give these movies a chance and see what I’ve been missing. So, over the next few weeks I will watch all six Star Wars movies in the order they were released (IV, V, VI, I, II, III) and will share my observations with you. I’m a bit wary because of all the hype surrounding The Force Awakens this past year, but I’m excited to experience these films and hopefully come out with a better understanding of why they’re so beloved.