I remember the night my dad took my brother and I to go see our first Star Wars film in theaters. It was 1997, the film was Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope, Special Edition. It was a late showing and the theater was packed. In the months following I would see Episodes V and VI as well. Skip ahead two years and I remember waiting anxiously to get off of school for the day because my dad and I were going to see Episode I on opening day. George Lucas was bringing us the next round of Star Wars films, and man were people pissed after they saw it. But everyone still went and saw two more films after Jar Jar Binks annoyed the crap out of them. I love Star Wars, always have. When I a kid I would fake sick because I wanted to stay home and not go to school. And after sleeping in I would always watch The Empire Strikes Back. To this day I consider it one of best films of all time. Now, 13 years later Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace is back on the big screen, in 3-D.
I’ve always tried to keep up on everything Star Wars. Books, comic books, cartoons; I always wanted to be in the loop. My wife to this day complains about how many lightsabers I own. A few weeks ago I had what you might call a crisis of faith. I know I watch a lot of TV, it’s my thing. But I decided to cut back a bit in hopes that it might inspire me to do other things like reading, writing, or exercise more. So I deleted about 5 shows off my Tivo, one of which was Star Wars: The Clone Wars. It was a show I thought it was decent, but I only watched it really because it was Star Wars. After a few days of thinking I realized, I had to still watch it, because it’s Star Wars.
Star Wars is the story of good vs. evil, right and wrong, and the underdog winning in the end. It’s a rich saga full of great morals and characters that taught a whole generation about possibilities in and outside of film making. I could go into more detail, but it’s probably better if you just watch the History Channel special, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed, on YouTube. I may be too old for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but this franchise is something I’ve always stayed true to, always enjoyed, and could be the one commitment that last my entire life.
A lot of fans may complain that Lucas ruined something special by making the prequels and special editions, but guess what people, you’re no George Lucas! He is a man who did something rare in this world; he completed his vision exactly how he wanted it. If other people don’t like it then stop buying the newest DVD edition every other year! I don’t watch the special editions, and I hate Jar Jar Binks, but that hasn’t stopped me from having a marathon at least once a year. I own all SEVEN Star Wars films, blu-ray counter parts, and bought more posters that I can think of in my life. I’m not in a rush to go see Episode I in 3-D, mainly because I am disappointed it won’t be IMAX 3-D, but I still plan on seeing it soon. My only wish is that I had a 6-12 year-old son to take to go see it for the first time. If I’ve never said it before, thanks for that dad.
It’s been almost 40 years since the original Star Wars came out in theaters and it’s still going strong with re-releases, new books, new comic books, new tv series, and from what I saw at Target today, still dominating the toy aisle. It’s a tale of fantasy that can be watched with the whole family, and those are some of the best kinds of films. I mean come on people, it’s either Episode I in 3-D or Channing Tatum in The Vow this weekend. I think we know what the better movie experience will be, even if you’ve seen Episode I ten times.
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