Yes, by the title alone, you’re probably curious as to either how far off the deep end I’ve gone or what foreign substance was in my system upon watching Star Wars Episode 1 in 3D…on opening day.

Let me give you a little background on my decision for going: it was pretty much on a whim. My Dad and I like to go out on his days off, usually Thursdays or Fridays, and the one Friday we were out, he remembered that Star Wars was showing. I was tickled that he remembered and I warned him about Jar Jar. This was his response:

“I don’t mind Jar Jar as much as I mind bad 3D movies.”

…glad to see where his priorities are.

He was not exactly thrilled with Tron: Legacy, but loved Thor and Captain America. His absolute favorite was Journey to the Center of the Earth. That was our first 3D movie and in my opinion he was spoiled with that one, especially since he usually compares all 3D movies to the 4D shows you would see at Universal Studios like “Honey, We Shrunk the Audience”.

Like I said, high expectations.

But on we went, in the Regal Cinema equivalent of IMAX, which I think doesn’t hold a candle to IMAX in comparison, but that’s for another time.

I had my concerns when a lot of the previews were more aimed towards kids and before the movie was an animated short for Scrat in another one of his misadventures finding his precious acorn. It was comical and lightened the mood, but I wanted to watch Star Wars.

..then, the music hit.

LucasArts came up on the screen.

…and for the first time in a long time, I was actually antsy for Star Wars again.

As I sat in silence watching the story that I’m sure I knew many times before…but for some reason, it all felt new again.

…and that’s when it dawned on me.

I knew going into it the vast criticism of the prequels, how it can never measure up to the original. How Jar Jar ruined a good story that we all already know anyways.

 

…sorry, that’s just what they tell me.

Well, regardless of all of that, when I just sat down, shut up and embrace the moment in the darkness of the theatre, however quiet it can be for roughly half a capacity crowd or less…it was actually something to behold.

Sure, we all know about the bad publicity it got from die hard fans, especially when we connect the dots and figured out Elmo was indirectly involved.

(For those that don’t know, look it up on IMDB.) 

But to me, it was a combination of a lot of things that I was able to overlook the technical stuff. For instance, how can we forget the dynamic chemistry of C-3PO and R2-D2? That is something, regardless of how old you are, you can still appreciate.

…and this woman. X3

I don’t care what you say, she can wear Harley Quinn makeup and I would still be seduced by her charm. What better woman to play the part of the child bearer of Mark Hamil & Carrie Fisher? (I say that with all due respect and a slight bit of envy.)

I think we’ve all become a society where critics dominate and in the realm of social media, we all have become critics. Even if something is praised universally, you’re still going to have raging fan boys that will find anything and everything to nit pick at that will never be satisfied ruining the illustrious vision that is George Lucas’ iconic chronicle.

Lucas finds your lack of faith disturbing.

I fully understand that the greatest accomplishment in the entire saga has been and probably always will be A New Hope or The Empire Strikes Back; that has been instilled in our minds since the beginning. All I’m saying is sometimes things just are what they are. Take a look at a theatric entry of Star Wars, free from the heckling and side conversation you’d get at home, sit down and actually do something that seems to be a foreign concept: enjoy the movie.

I can honestly say no matter how many times I’ve seen a movie, nothing quite sets the mood better than a good theatre to completely dim the lights and immerse yourself in the moment. There are some of us out there that will be experiencing this for the first time, so why ruin the magic for those that haven’t read the vast backstories in the novels and video games?

There are more iconic characters that you can recognize at a glance from Lucas’ grand vision than pretty much anything else that is out there in the realm of the film industry.

So for those that question this entry: Yes, I will call a steaming pile what it is when I see it. I am not bias towards everything in the Star Wars Universe. I may not know everything about it that I probably should by heart, but I will not deny that there was a different kind of magic that made me remember the first time I watched Star Wars that day.

Maybe it helped that it was quiet and I went with my Dad, who is obviously a casual fan. But I will stand by what I saw and that no matter how many reincarnations of Lucas’ vision exists, I will continue to be enthralled with the illustrious grandeur and the spectacle that is Star Wars…and there is nothing that can replace that feeling.  

Side Note: Upon further research, I’ve discovered Kevin Clash is not Ahmed Best. Rest easy, fan boys.