Why is Star Wars so appealing to multiple generations?

Full disclosure–I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since watching my first movie in the series, Return of the Jedi.  I was 9 years old, and I remember standing with my mother in a line that snaked around the outside of the cinema waiting to get inside.  I was particularly unnerved by the scene in which a droid was tortured in Jabba the Hut’s palace, and I shuddered whenever Darth Vader, malevolence personified, made his appearance clad entirely in black.

What is it about the Star Wars series that attracts not only myself but millions of others across the world to a story that happened a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away?  One generation of fans developed with the original trilogy, which came out between 1977 and 1983. A new generation was enthralled by the second trilogy that came 20 years later.  And now, yet another generation is coming under its intergalactic spell with the third and final trilogy.

There are so many things about these movies that speak to people of all ages.  The space setting feeds the imagination with starships flying at lightspeed to planets with other lifeforms beside humans.  The belief in a powerful energy that connects all beings and things together makes us feel we’re not alone and reminds us of the importance of being mindful in the moment.  And of course, there’s the timeless story of good against evil, with good persevering and restoring order in the end.

At its core, Star Wars is the ultimate fairy tale which speaks to everyone regardless of generation, nationality, or religion.  There are characters that are believable despite their unbelievable surroundings.  And each chapter of the series brings something new.  Why can’t more movie series sustain the the same type of freshness and creativity as Star Wars?

Why, indeed.