logo Sign In

What age should my kids watch Star Wars?

Author
Time

I can't tell you how excited I was to find this website! Other fans who hate the prequels and love the originals!!! I no longer feel alone! Anyway I am getting off the point. 

My kids are 1.5 and 3.5yrs old (boy and girl). At what age should I introduce them to the Trilogy? I've seen a cute video of a 3yr old girl on YouTube describing Star Wars but I do wonder if this is too young to really enjoy it? Is 5 more appropriate?

I can't remember how old I was when I saw it as I was born in 1976. How old were you when you first saw it and what age do think is a good starting point?

I'm not getting into all that nonsense about what order to watch them in, its quite simple IV, V and VI. There are no prequels (nuff said). If they choose to watch the prequels when they are older and have their childhood memories crapped on then thats for them to decide.

 

Author
Time

I was about the age of your oldest kid when I first saw them, early 90's on my uncle's poor VHS tapes. Besides getting scared of the first time Darth Vader arrived on the Tantive IV (and that's the only clear memory I have of my first time watching Star Wars), I don't think there's anything unsuitable for a child.

Besides, Ewoks at the end of Jedi is much easier to swallow and not get too bothered by if you watch the movie as a kid.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Hello.  Glad to have you on board.

I can only speak from personal experience.  I'd learned quite a bit about the movies through pop cultural osmosis (no spoilers really, but I knew what an R2-D2 was, what Darth Vader looked like, etc) through parodies and stuff in shows like Muppet Babies in the '80s.  I only first saw the films when I was nine, and that was definitely old enough to enjoy them and appreciate them.  I'd honestly say that's a perfect age:  you're just starting to become somewhat sophisticated and intelligent in your viewing choices, you've long since been mature enough to sit still for the duration of a movie and pay attention, and you're old enough to appreciate the narrative and not find it too scary.  You could probably get that reaction from younger kids too, like maybe around seven.  Of course, it really depends on your kids.  Honestly, I don't really think there is a "too young" because, if they like it, they'll keep watching the movies and grow to more fully appreciate them, but I can certainly understand why you'd want their first viewing experience to be special.

I don't have any kids, though, so maybe those here who have can shed a little more light on how things have gone with their own offspring.

There is no lingerie in space…

C3PX said: Gaffer is like that hot girl in high school that you think you have a chance with even though she is way out of your league because she is sweet and not a stuck up bitch who pretends you don’t exist… then one day you spot her making out with some skinny twerp, only on second glance you realize it is the goth girl who always sits in the back of class; at that moment it dawns on you why she is never seen hanging off the arm of any of the jocks… and you realize, damn, she really is unobtainable after all. Not that that is going to stop you from dreaming… Only in this case, Gaffer is actually a guy.

Author
Time

I saw the original trilogy when I was 4 or 5, I believe (1993 or 1994, I know it was about a year or so before the "Faces" VHS set came out).

Hope that helps.  I'm still young (21 now), so there's not much other advice I can give you, as I don't have any kids of my own.

Author
Time

I have 10 kids, each one year apart.  The whole purpose of a family that large was to have the kids all watch Star Wars at the same time and determine once and for all what the best age is to watch Star Wars.

Turns out the correct answer is seven.

...

...

...

...

Truth is there is no correct answer.  Everyone matures at different rates and can handle different things at different times.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I was 7 in 1977 when I first saw Star Wars in the theatre and that was it for me. From then on, I was hooked.

“I love Darth Editous and I’m not ashamed to admit it.” ~ADigitalMan

Author
Time

I was 7 in 1977 too and it was the second film I'd seen in the Cinema.

I think that's possibly the ideal age as a really small kid being away from a toilet and too close to loud noises would have given my parents a really hard time.

Sorry, I'm just have a nostalgia moment and remembering when mint choc ices were a rare treat reserved only for the cinema...now they are a rare treat because I can't find anywhere that sells them especially a cinema.

Author
Time
 (Edited)

I was 15 in 1977, so of course I think that's a great age to really get into the adventure and may have helped me understand the depth of space a little better than a really young kid.  However, as others have pointed out, younger is certainly not a problem.

Welcome aboard, by the way.

Forum Moderator
Author
Time

I was 8 when I saw the whole trilogy, before that I didn't even know it's existence. And, well... here I am. I'm not sure under 5 years old kids really understand the whole thing. I know how exciting it must be to show them but the older the better in my opinion.

Welcome!

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

Author
Time

I was about 8 years old when it was first shown on t.v. here in the U.K. , ive been hooked ever since.

Author
Time

I was about two years old when I first saw Star Wars. Obviously, I have no memory of "first seeing it." I obviously understood little as well, I am told I laughed my head off at the cantina scene though. But it's kind of nice having something always there in your life, since before a time you actually have memories of.

So I don't think there is any "correct" age to show a kid the film. I say show it them as early as possible, worked for me after all.

Author
Time

My two year old daughter has sort of seen both ANH and ESB in that I have had isolated scores playing (on OCP's Classic Editions) while she's in the room.  She only seemed interested when C3PO was on screen, perhaps because he's shiny?

Author
Time

The starting age depends on the movie, and what kind of experience you want them to have. If you want to sit your kids down, show them all 3 movies, have them understand what's going on, and have them remember it, I'd say 7-8 is the right age.

If you're talking about just Star Wars (Episode IV), I really don't think you can be too young for this movie. It's just good, clean fun. FWIW, I was 5 when I saw Star Wars in 1977. I think you need to be about 4 to "get it" though.

For ESB, Luke getting his hand cut off can be very scary. I think my oldest was about 5 or 6 the first time he really saw this, and he was pretty shaken up. When I saw this in theaters in 1980, I remember being scared and tempted to hide behind the seat, and I was 8. I don't think ROTJ is as scary as ESB.

In my house, any one of the original trilogy can be playing at any time. Over the years my kids have been exposed to Star Wars in bits and pieces. I don't think there's any real harm in that approach, as long as you skip through a few scary parts.

You know of the rebellion against the Empire?

Author
Time
 (Edited)

You kids today are soft! We're doing this 80s style. You're 4 years old now so get ready for Mola Ram!

Author
Time

I wasn't allowed to watch Temple of Doom or Back to the Future Part II for quite a while when I was younger.

I remember being very excited when I finally got to see BTTF2, then being very dejected after it was over and there wasn't anything "bad" in it.

Author
Time

I think "Star Wars" is good for any kid. The violent death of his aunt and uncle happen off screen so the horror is mitigated.

ESB and ROTJ both have some intense shit in them, and my kid wont be watching them till he's closer to six or seven.

Ep. 1 and Ep. 2 are pretty benign, but Sith can wait till he's 8ish.

Author
Time

TheBoost said:

I think "Star Wars" is good for any kid. The violent death of his aunt and uncle happen off screen so the horror is mitigated.

Well, except that their skeletons are burning amongst the wreckage.  Having said that, I didn't even notice it when I was a kid first watching the movie.

Author
Time

TV's Frink said:

TheBoost said:

I think "Star Wars" is good for any kid. The violent death of his aunt and uncle happen off screen so the horror is mitigated.

Well, except that their skeletons are burning amongst the wreckage.  Having said that, I didn't even notice it when I was a kid first watching the movie.

 True, but its not the CONCEPT of death that concerns me. It's our boyish hero getting his hand chopped off and being tortured by lightning that strike me as a bit intense for youngins.

Author
Time

Welcome to OT.com, gpforhire.  Always nice to see another PT unbeliever around here.  I mean, er... What prequels?!?!  ;)  (<-wink)

I have kids around the age of yours, and we all did SW costumes last year for Halloween.

7.5B - Vader
5.5G - Leia
4.0G - R2
1.5B - Yoda

(Mom and Dad were Hanna Solo and Dagobah Luke (with baby yoda))

So my kids are all relatively SW savvy.  I gave my oldest the Droids cartoon and these oversized C-3PO and R2-D2 toys on his 2nd or 3rd Christmas.  But he didn't really watch the movies until a little later.  We watched Adywan's SW:Revisited as a family about 18 months ago (right before or right after the our youngest was born, I guess) and I felt like that was the first time my oldest was really paying attention.  My kids generally like to turn a movie on and then turn their backs on it and play with toys... so I'm never sure how well they're following any given movie... I'm not sure how well any of the younger kids were paying attention, so maybe they'll get another kind of "first real time" later.

The decision comes down to: putting it right into their DNA from birth VS allowing them to discover it in one genuine "first" time.  I leaned towards the former, and I only slightly regret that my kids will never get to truly experience:

SPOILER:

No, Luke. I am your father!

END SPOILER.

But the chances of that remaining unspoiled (in no small part thanks to yours truly) by the time they are 9 or 10 are pretty slim.

P.S. Let me know if you need to borrow my dremel to remove Galactic Heroes Yoda's lightsabre.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time

xhonzi said:

SPOILER:

No, Luke. I am your father!

END SPOILER.

It doesn't go like that! Shame on you.

Kidding aside, like I said I was 8 when I saw them all but I have no memory of any plot twists. I just remember how cool and exciting they all were. I'd really like to remeber or get the feeling when Vader tells the truth for the first time...

And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as the Son of the Suns.

Author
Time

I wanted to follow-up with this question:

Has anyone that's seen ESB for the first time in the past, oh... 20 years been caught off-guard by the *Spoiler* *End Spoiler* scene?

Or anyone's kids?  I would assume that is some trick to pull off, given pop culture and all.

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!

 

Author
Time

I get ticked every time Ackbar spoils the Empire's trap.

Author
Time

xhonzi said:

I wanted to follow-up with this question:

Has anyone that's seen ESB for the first time in the past, oh... 20 years been caught off-guard by the *Spoiler* *End Spoiler* scene?

Or anyone's kids?  I would assume that is some trick to pull off, given pop culture and all.

 I dated a girl in college who had a painfully repressed upbringing.

She had no idea. And was deeply concerned with if Leia ended up with Han or Luke.

Author
Time

Cool.  What was her reaction to the *SPOILER*?

IT'S MY TRILOGY, AND I WANT IT NOW!

"[George Lucas] rebooted the franchise in 1997 without telling anyone." -skyjedi2005

"Yeah, well, George says a lot of things..." a young 1997 xhonzi on RASSM

"They're my movies." -George Lucas. 19 people won oscars for their work on Star Wars (1977) and George Lucas wasn't one of them.

Rewrite the Prequels!