


Star Wars Episode IV: Which edition is best for a kid’s first viewing?
Which edition of Star Wars Episode IV is most suitable for a kid watching the movie for the first time: the original 1977 edition (which will probably be available next year on the 50th-anniversary 4K UHD discs) or the 1997 Special Edition (currently available on 4K UHD)?
To be honest, many of the exterior shots during the Battle of Yavin in the original 1977 edition look VERY dated and crude today, and no amount of restoration or cleanup in next year's 50th-anniversary release will make them look more convincing or less dated. In the 1997 Special Edition, the exterior/dogfight shots look much, much better to me... more convincing and realistic, much more dynamic, etc.
I'm afraid that to a kid today who is used to great special effects in so many movies from the past couple of decades, those shots in the original 1977 version will look too crude and dated. This could negatively affect his enjoyment of the movie and his attitude toward it as a whole (dated, crude shots = dated movie).
The reason I'm asking is that I'm trying to decide which 4K disc to buy - the current one with the Special Edition or next year's release with the original version, since whichever one I buy will be the version I use when showing Episode IV to a kid for the first time.