The Occasional Solipsist

So the last Star Wars movie ever to be made has been seen by our family.

Because Superwife is so pregnant, we opted not to wait in line forever to try and see the movie in the first couple of days of its release. Although I'll admit to a fairly nagging compulsion to get ahold of an old monk's robe and a Toys R Us lightsaber and wait in line with the rest of my kind. Instead we went to see it on Victoria Day, assuming that we'd have a better shot at getting good seats without having to go hours before the show started.

So, because I'm me, we showed up an hour before the show started anyway, and were the first people in the theatre. Superwife even got one of those 'I-feel-your-pain' looks from the ticket girl when she told us we were too early, and we had to wait for the theatre to be cleaned before we could go in.

Now I had intended to sit on the aisle, to facilitate Superwife's frequent bathroom visits during the movie - as it turns out, having 20 pounds of baby and associated fluids in your stomach causes some kind of pressure on a woman's bladder. Who knew?

Anywho, Superwife wasn't having any of that. She told me that on any other non-pregnant day, we'd be sitting right in the middle of the theatre to watch one of the most anticipated movies of my lifetime, so that's what we did.

She's a real trooper, my wife.

In case I haven't mentioned this, and I have, she's very likely a much better wife than yours is.

I'm just saying.

So this movie didn't turn out to be anywhere near my expectations for it. But not in the way that you'd think.

It was better.

So. Much. Better.

When The Phantom Menace came out, I was, like every other Star Wars fan, somewhat VERY VERY disapointed. Lucas had taken his original saga and begun a new storyline that seemed either bent on conscripting new fans, particularly young fans, with obscene characters like Jar-Jar, or in selling videogames, a la that seemingly endless pod racing scene. Original fans, like myself could enjoy the movie, but nowhere near to the extent that they wanted to enjoy it.

With Attack of the Clones, Lucas did a much better job of taking the childishness out of the franchise, and making a really good setup movie for the third installment. I'm actually a big fan of 'Clones'. Especially the part when Yoda enters into a surprise lightsaber duel. I still remember watching that with my buddy Jon Taylor, and both of us giggling at how cool that scene was. What can I say, I'm a child?

So now we come to the last Star Wars movie ever to be made. And it was dark, thoughtful, passionate, tragic, extraordinarily violent and contained a not so ill-timed political message about enforcing democracy.

Yes, you should be clearing your throat America.

This movie has immediately been put in second place behind 'The Empire Strikes Back' in my list of favourite Star Wars movies. I know, bold statment, but I fucking loved this flick. I will have to see upon subsequent viewings, if it may end up being my favourite Star Wars movie of all. Lucas makes Skywalker so sympathetic a character, that you're almost willing to take his side, right up until the part in the council chamber with the 'younglings'.

And who was that bastard that laughed out loud during that scene, when everyone else sat in flabbergasted silence?

Oh yeah, that was me.

So even though the return of the franchise had a rocky start, I'll be the first to say I was wrong not to have faith, and loudly proclaim:

'All hail to the one true king, George Lucas'.

Nicely done.

And just so it's been said, Luke and Leia make for some great baby names, no?

Labels: movies, scifi