If he really doesn’t know about Vader’s reveal in Empire, then you must watch the OT first, because the prequels will spoil one of the best plot twists in film history. Otherwise, watching the prequels first is fine.
But please do not watch the shitquels under any circumstances.
Ratchet and Clank had at least three good games on the PS3, and Rift Apart definitely counts as a modern game. I wish Insomniac (and other game devs) woul devote more resources to making hybrid shooter/platformers, but the devs who made those great PS2 games are being replaced by newer devs who want to make different things. Also publishers want to cash in on big money-making trends like live service games.