Everyone has a favorite Star Wars movie -- even sometimes the actors who have starred in them. You might think Anthony Daniels, who has had the pleasure and privilege of appearing in every Star Wars film, plus TV shows, video games, and more, would have a hard time picking a favorite. But he actually has a solid reason for choosing one in particular.
Recently at FanX Salt Lake Pop Culture & Comic Convention, as reported by Pop Verse, Daniels was asked if he even had a favorite at all. The actor, who has portrayed C-3PO in various mediums numerous times for nearly five decades, didn't hesitate to give his answer.
“My favorite was actually Episode IV, the very first film," he said. "The reason for that is it was a very simple story ... I understood it.”
In his memoir I Am C-3PO, Daniels tells multiple stories about what production was like on the very first Star Wars film. And it wasn't all that glamorous. Being encased in that suit in extremely hot weather made for some quite interesting days on the set of the film, among other things.
So the fact that A New Hope is still his favorite really speaks to how good of a final product it really is. The reason Daniels refers to it as "simple" is because, well, it was exactly that. There weren't decades' worth of lore to build upon, things to hint at, or Easter eggs for fans to pick up. It was the first story, with a very small main cast and the goal of showing good triumphing over evil.
This isn't to say that Star Wars has gotten worse over time. Far from it. Complexity does not directly equal diminished quality. But there is a reason a lot of people choose this movie as their favorite. You know the good guys are going to win in the end. It's the hero's journey at its most basic, and that's not a bad thing.
Chances are we will see (or more accurately, hear) Daniels reprise his iconic role as C-3PO many more times in the near to distant future. And we wouldn't have it any other way.