Star Wars III

So, I just got back from watching Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith.

As luck would have it, I’ve gone to the midnight showing of all three Star Wars episodes. Personally, I feel this is the best way to see it.

I’ve only witnessed an audience applaud four times at a movie. Tonight was the fourth. The other times were at the first two episodes of Star Wars, and at a movie that I don’t even remember anymore, but the applause came when the trailer came on for the re-release of the first three episodes in theaters.

There is no better way to watch Star Wars than with fellow geeks. People had light sabers, people had Jedi robes. The folks behind me talked for a solid 40 minutes about something called the Chewy Effect.

Anyway, the review. This movie is probably my favorite of the first three episodes, and a very enjoyable movie. That being said, I still like the original three much better. Maybe it’s because I was a little kid, and the movies just held more magic. My brothers and I were so affected by this movie that we used to play Jedi with a plastic baseball bat. One person would wield it like a light saber while the other brothers threw rocks at him. We knew that if we could only feel the force, we could protect ourselves from the incoming projectiles.

We switched to softer objects after the first bloodletting.

But the first three movies almost are a blur in my mind. Granted, I haven’t watched the first two lately, but as far as I can remember, they go something like this.

Episode One is about Anakin. Everybody is amazed at how strong he is in the ways of the force. There are some cool new bad guys, and some cool new good guys, and the good guys beat the bad guys.

In Episode Two we learn more about how Anakin is strong in the ways of the force. There are some cool new bad guys, and some cool new good guys, and the good guys beat the bad guys.

In Episode Three, without giving anything away, Anakin gets even stronger in the force and turns to the dark side (and personally I felt it wasn’t at all believable). There are some cool new bad guys, and some cool new good guys, and just to shake things up, the bad guys beat the good guys.

We knew all of this from having watched Star Wars, A New Hope.

I’m probably sounding too harsh. I love Star Wars. Compared to so many other movies, they are a fun, wild ride. I guess I was hoping to feel like I did back in the day, when my dad took me and my brothers to see Star Wars. When Darth Vader stepped onto the ship, I almost wet my pants. He was so evil, and Luke was so good. The good guys won, and all was right with the world.

Back then I used to dream that maybe it was all real. Maybe the Jedi were watching me. And if I practiced hard enough, they would take me out to the stars.

Those days and dreams are over. I’m sure I went in expecting too much. All in all, it was a great film. I think I was hoping for one last escape from reality. To believe, one more time.

I’m off to bed.