With the latest Plinkett review a few days behind us, I’ve found the ongoing discussion on CHUD pretty fascinating. The prequels obviously mean a lot to people, the ones who grew up on Star Wars. I am not one of those people.
So why, then, are the prequels so disappointing to me?
Star Wars has never played a particularly big role in my life. Being born in 1988, I’m too young to have been truly caught up in the cultural zeitgeist. The sheer awe and anticipation of the original films is something I could never be a part of. This does not have to be a deterrent, however. I have several younger friends for whom Star Wars means so very much.
Unlike them, I didn’t watch the films time and again. Oh, I had certainly seen them, but I never went out of my way. Out of every Star Wars film, I have seen Return of the Jedi the most times, and that’s only because it was recorded on a VHS right behind my beloved Back to the Future, a movie I watched almost every day. Some days I just didn’t feel like rewinding right away and so Ewoks it was. Star Wars and I have a relationship born out of convenience if not outright laziness.*
But then came the prequels.
This was my chance, I thought. My opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Maybe if I was a part of this new series, Star Wars could have some significance in my life. Like everyone else, I eagerly anticipated the Phantom Menace.
Then it came. And sucked.
Being a young movie-lover and not blinded by pure love for all things Star Wars, I saw through the movie’s trappings despite my age. And hey, I understand that first-viewing fan hypnosis completely. You should have heard me rave after seeing Daredevil. That’s right, Daredevil. We all have our dumb moments.
Menace had its fun moments for sure (despite Plinkett’s dismissal of it, I still get a kick out of that lightsaber duel), but it all felt hollow. Time would only be less kind to it and its sequels as we all know.
So that’s why I can also enjoy this Plinkett reviews immensely (other than the sheer joy of seeing him dissect bad filmmaking so well) but feel no need to contribute to any discussion. Star Wars and I were just never meant to be, it seems. It’s too bad, it might have been nice.
But hey, when Revenge of the Sith came out, I won two tickets to the midnight premiere and totally got paid $80 for my second ticket. So I at least I got paid to see that piece of crap.
*I will say, though, that I did go out of my way to see Jedi when it was rereleased. That was the one I was most familiar with, so that was the one I chose to see.