Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Back when the release date for Star Wars was announced, I began to consider taking the next day off from work so I could go to the midnight premiere. I haven't been to a midnight premiere since college. The last few times I've attended movies that began after 10 I fell asleep in the theater. But for Star Wars, I was willing to insert an IV drip of caffeine so I could thoroughly enjoy the first showing.

It turns out that I'm not the only one for whom midnight premieres aren't exactly feasible, and the industry is beginning to realize this. Across the country, the movie was shown at 7 PM on Thursday. A cynical person might call this a money grab (Star Wars shattered records, and I'm sure at least part of that is because of the extended opening weekend), but I was thrilled for the earlier showing that meant I wouldn't have to chug coffee or miss work.

I was even more thrilled when Zach discovered that we could get tickets to see the movie at the IMAX at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. It was perfectly nerdy, and exactly the right place to enjoy the new Star Wars film. There was even something special about it being one of the few theaters to show it on film rather than digitally, not that I'm the sort of person who can tell the difference.

I wore my Jedi dress to work and was sorely disappointed by the reactions of my coworkers. Many of them hadn't even realized that Star Wars was premiering that day. One person complimented my hood, but then she admitted that she'd never seen Star Wars before. But it was all fine, because as soon as work was over I caught the train downtown.

Zach had arrived early to pick up tickets and secure a place in line. I snarfed a sandwich on my walk over because I wasn't expecting the Smithsonian to have food available. I was pleasantly surprised to find a concession stand that sold both food and beer. Our group stood in line drinking beer, talking, taking pictures, and generally getting really excited.

The movie itself was fantastic. I had done my best to lower my expectations, which worked in my favor. The plot itself was somewhat predictable, as though a fan were writing fanfiction of the original movie. But that's exactly what it was (albeit with an enormous budget), so I can't really fault it too much. The predictability drained the tension of a handful of scenes. But the movie was so much fun that I couldn't really care that much.

We ended up in the very front of the theater, so close to the screen that I had to physically move my head from side to side to read the rolling text in the beginning. The corners of the screen were outside my vision. It made for a delightfully overwhelming experience. Though I do want to see it again on a more normal sized screen, so I can better appreciate the movie as a movie and not just an experience.

This was the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time. Possibly in my life. I'm so glad the movie was as good as it was, and I'm really excited for the sequel. Here's hoping for another fun night at the Smithsonian in a few years.

Phantom Menace Revisited

I was thirteen when The Phantom Menace originally hit theaters. I had been raised with the Star Wars movies and was incredibly excited to see the newest installment. I couldn't wait to revisit the galaxy far, far away and see what Anakin Skywalker was like before he became Darth Vader.

I actually have incredibly vivid memories of all the build up to the movies. It's the first time I can remember anticipating a movie that much. My dad, my brother and I were on a road trip to Toronto the week the movie premiered and the whole trip is tinged with Star Wars. We stopped for lunch at a KFC one day and got cups decorated like R2D2. The lids even had legs. I kept that cup for years.

On the way home, dad promised we could stop and see The Phantom Menace in theaters, so my brother and I prepared by watching marathoning the original trilogy while my dad drove across Kansas. I have to tell you that this is the best way to drive across Kansas.

We stopped in a theater not long after crossing the border into Colorado. But I don't really remember most of the movie. It was disappointing, which was only to be expected.

Still, we bought the DVD and proceeded to see the next two movies in theaters. I think I even went to a midnight showing of the last movie. But after that I didn't pay much more attention. I still watched the original trilogy over and over. But if one of the newer movies came on TV, I'd change the channel. Life without these movies wasn't really lacking much.

But I'm dating someone who loves Star Wars. He can quote along with the movies even if he's asleep. I've seen him do it. And he insisted on going to the 3D release of The Phantom Menace. So I agreed to go (though I refused to attend a midnight showing).

It was more or less what I expected. Jar Jar Binks was, incredibly, even more annoying than I remembered him being. How can a single character ruin every scene he's in? It's almost impressive. And the kid who played Anakin really wasn't very good. Still, the pod racing and the climatic battle were both really cool. It was almost worth the cost just to see those scenes on the big screen again.

Unfortunately the cinematography doesn't quite mesh with the 3D viewing experience. George Lucas is a fan of slow pans, which get all fuzzy when you add the third dimension to them. It was like I'd taken my contacts out. This was something I hadn't been expecting at all and it was sad.

I think this movie was worth the cost of the 3D tickets. Mostly because my boyfriend paid for them. It was definitely worth the time spent sitting in the theater. I'm really hoping he decides that Attack of the Clones won't be worth it, though.