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March 19, 2005
This One's For Beezoo
The first genuine correlation between myself and the term 'fanboy' began at a very young age when I discovered Lucas' timeless space epic, Star Wars. Before I reached high school I had watched each movie in the series over 30 times and to date I have partaken in upwards of 50 viewings of Episodes IV, V and VI.
My feelings towards George's first two installments in his prequel trilogy have been mixed. I was absolutely crazy about Episode I and saw it at least 30 times during its summer release in 1999. (Disclaimer: I worked as an usher at a movie theatre at the time and watched The Phantom Menace frequently while on the clock.) I honestly didn't mind Jar Jar, though I certainly wouldn't count myself as one of his 'fans', and thought the overall pacing, visuals, dialogue and action sequences did the series justice. Attack of the Clones however, was an absolute travesty. Hayden Christensen should chew on an uzi for the abysmal butchering he issued to the craft of dramatic acting and the overtly baroque Yoda lightsaber sequence, though initially thrilling, seems entirely out of place. Just because you can make a crippled little green man flip around like a crack induced Pokémon doesn't mean you should Mr. Lucas. I liked it better when Frank Oz, not some 30-year old CG-animator, was at the creative helm of Master Yoda.
To say I felt let down was an understatement; the strong sentiment of betrayal experienced was more akin to being raped as I watched the legacy of my beloved Star Wars become tarnished and soiled. In order to avoid any future disappointment I tried not to emotionally involve myself in the hype surrounding Revenge of the Sith; I was excited to see Lord Vader's emergence but didn't want to set myself up for certain despondency.
No matter how much I convince myself that Episode III will certainly suck, last week's new trailer release has rekindled in me a new hope (excuse the pun) that Sith will deliver a dark experience akin to Empire. Another reason for my recent change of heart has to do with fellow insider fanboy Ewan McGregor's latest comments regarding his approval in the quality of this last installment. All venomous critique and speculation aside the mere thought that new, fresh information will be added to this treasured canon appeals to me greatly and it is a sure bet I'll have pre-ordered my tickets for the midnight showing.
Posted by Jon at March 19, 2005 10:33 PM