Star Wars

It was a rainy day and Jack had a half day from school. So what better time for me to make a big bowl of popcorn, sit us down on the couch, and let him watch Star Wars for the first time? So that's what I did.

The movie holds up well. I had hesitated to show it to Jack, despite asking for it for Christmas, because I feared he wouldn't be into it or would be bored. Nope. He watched with rapt attention, fully engaged most of the way. If memory serves my parents didn't want me to see it because they heard perhaps the bar scene might be scary for little kids. Well, how could Jack be scared by "Hammerhead" or "Greedo" when he was clutching their tiny action figures in his hands? A few minutes into the movie, he ran upstairs to get his Darth Vader case with all the action figures (formerly Scott's). As each character he had the action figure of appeared on the screen, he found the figure and held it up: Luke, Leia, Sandpeople, Darth Vader.

(BTW, I think the charred remains of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (Peru?) were a little more alarming for a youngster. I shielded Jack's eyes, but no one shielded mine.)

Not surprisingly, he had some questions.

"Why can't Darth Vader be Anakin?"

"Why are their weapons made out of light? Wouldn't a SWORD be better?"

"Why is my case shaped like 'Darth Vader'? LUKE is the hero."

Aren't Banthas cool, Jack? "Huh? No, it's just like a big buffalo."

(During the space assault on the Death Star at the end) "Is that Luke? Is THAT Luke? Is that Luke?"

"Did Obi-Wan Kenobi die? Did Darth Vader kill him? Is he dead?"

And of course, the last one.

"Can we go get 'Empire Strikes Back'?"