It's really over now

I saw Revenge of the Sith yesterday. Yeah, it was really good just as everyone's been saying. I felt like I was watching one of the first three movies again.

However, I felt really sad at the end and not just because the movie is a tragedy and we see Anakin become Darth Vader. I felt it was the end of an era, the end of my childhood even. Of course, here I am, thirty plus years old and childhood is long behind me. But the promise of a return to Star Wars, that great adventure that so captured my youth, kept that sense of youth alive inside of me despite jobs, responsibilities, bills, and having kids. I've always summed up my philosophy as "innocent man". You hold onto the innocence of youth while still accepting and fulfilling adult responsibilities. I never realized what a big part Star Wars was until it hit me that it was really over.

So I'm feeling somewhat maudlin today. Of course, part of that might be due to the terrible weekend I had.

In thinking about all six movies, I have come up with a ranking.

Tie for #1: A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

A New Hope is number one because the wonder of the first movie was so overwhelming and life changing. It was the perfect hero story and probably is responsible for shaping my desire to be a hero in my own life and my fascination with heroes that I have explored in my writing and other's writing.

Empire Strikes Back would have this number one spot all by itself if it weren't for the fact that A New Hope came first. It was easily the most exciting, most real, best acted movie of both trilogies. And it had the best humor. Not suprisingly, Lucas didn't write it or direct it. I'm just saying.

#3: Revenge of the Sith

Revenge of the Sith takes this spot away from Return of the Jedi, although I'd like to watch Jedi again soon to feel the fresh impact of the climax when one considers what happened in Sith. Still, this movie was the fulfillment of the promise, and I greatly appreciate it. Plus, the pain I felt while watching the betrayal of the Jedi was palpable. I think one of the best moments of the movie was the very young jedi padawan trying to fight his way to Bail Organa and being cut down just short of escape. The end where Anakin falls in battle with Obi Wan was cataclysmic and the transformation to Vader was perfect.

#4: Return of the Jedi

Jedi gets this spot despite the Ewoks. I really wish Lucas had gone with Kashykk instead. I'd love to have seen the Wookies fighting the Empire at the end. Anyway, it was a fine end to the series and will probably resonate more now that we've seen the fall of Vader.

#5: The Phantom Menace

Worst title, but not the worst film. This movie had enough excitement to draw us back in. Sure we weren't thrilled with "midichlorians" and yes, Jar Jar was nearly unforgivable on so many levels, but overall the film worked. The introduction of Padme and the young Obi Wan was well done and Qui Gon Jinn was a great character. A lot of people weren't thrilled with seeing Anakin as a kid without any hint of Vader within him, but I think it was the right way to go. Kids are just kids even the ones who become mass murderers. That's the lesson the fall of Anakin teaches us - we're all susceptible to the dark side. We make the wrong choices and we could end up on the edge of a lava river horribly burned and near death. Well, okay, maybe that won't happen, but still.

#6: Attack of the Clones

This was the movie that almost made me give up on Star Wars. It was boring. It had a terribly cliched romance. (When I think of the great Han-Leia romance in comparison, I cringe.) The acting was awful. And I blame Lucas for that because there is no doubt that Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Ewan Macgregor and Hayden Christiansen are good actors. I wish I could rewrite this movie.