Obligatory Star Wars Post

This week marks the conclusion of George Lucas’ new series of Star Wars films, and while I’m not planning on battling through crowds of costumed fans to see it in the theatre, I figure I’ll eventually end up seeing it on DVD. Early reviews suggest it’s an improvement over the last two films which unarguably fell short of their potential, but the trailers leave me feeling a bit underwhelmed. It looks to be full of spaceships, lightsabres, shooting and shouting – and much darker – but I’m still not that interested. New dads don’t go to the movies as often, and I’ll probably only see one or two films in the theatre over the next six months. Star Wars is unfortunately not my first or second choice. If I want escapist fantasy, the new Harry Potter film seems a better pick. Actually, that franchise has been surprisingly well done, and I imagine it holds the same place in the minds of this generation’s kids as Star Wars did for mine.

Star Wars is one of the first movies I can remember seeing in the theatre. I clearly remember the TV commercials for it, and asking my parents all about it. My dad and I went, and it was a really big deal to me. We went to see all the films together, right up to The Phantom Menace. I somehow managed to get a spot at the front of the line for the first evening screening on opening day at one of the big theatres in Toronto. My mom and dad came in from out of town to see it with me and Catherine who I dragged along as well. My parents were technically the first in line when we went into the theatre. We were all pretty disappointed when we got out, and we didn’t bother seeing the next film in the theatre at all. My dad is gone now, which is another reason I think I’ve lost interest in the series.

Still, it’s fun to see everyone get excited by the end of the Star Wars saga, and the accompanying commentary and fan projects are often more entertaining than the main event. The effort that went into the Star Wars: Revelations fan film really impressed me, DJ Coffman’s Star Wars comics are pretty funny, and the guy writing Darth Vader’s Blog is doing a great job showing a softer side of the dark lord. The reviews of the new Star Wars are fun to read, ranging from the blindly enthusiastic to the bitterly disappointed. Some people, like my brother Kevin, have opted to write a review of the Star Wars they would have liked it to be.

Unlike a lot of people my age who grew up loving Star Wars, I guess I’m not really bothered about whether this movie will or won’t live up to my expectations. I’m content to remember going to see the first movie with my dad—a long time ago, in a country far, far away.