1999 was a very special year for Star Wars fans. It had been more than 15 years since a new Star Wars movie had hit theaters, but that was all about to end with the release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”. Fans would now get to see how the Empire rose and how one of the most famous villains in cinema history, Darth Vader, came to be.
I was part of the Star Wars generation. I saw all the original movies in the theaters. In fact, when Return of the Jedi came out, my mother took me, my brother and sister out of school early on opening day so we could see the very first show. The line was already around the theater when we got there, but my little brother saw a place where he could cut the line and got tickets for us all.
As the release of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” drew closer in May of 1999, news stories of fans camping out WEEKS beforehand were making headline news across the country. If you are asking yourself, “Why didn’t those people just buy tickets online?” allow me to give you a small history lesson; the Internet was not what it was back then to what it has become today. Nowadays, you can buy movie tickets sometimes over a month in advance. Back then, the earlier tickets went on sale was one week before the movie came out and at the box office which is what you had to do if you wanted to catch that first Midnight screening.
I was not one of those crazy people who slept out weeks beforehand to buy a ticket. I was one of those crazy people who slept out just the night before to buy a ticket for myself and my brother (mom and sister were living in different states). I had plenty of company during that overnight stay too as hundreds of other fans were already camped out. I even ended up getting on a local news channel after I got my tickets. It didn’t end there because less than a week later I was camping out at the theater again to make sure I would get the best seat in the house. It was all worth it because I and every other person in that theater loved the movie, Jar Jar Binks and all.
Now all six Star Wars movies are slated to be re-released in theaters and converted to 3D so a new generation of fans can see the movies on the big screen. I thought it was only appropriate that I catch the Midnight screening of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D”. This time I did not have to camp out and neither did anyone else attending the movie. The theater was not even a quarter full, but those who did attend were huge fans. Many had lightsabers with them and others were dressed up in full costumes.
Whether you are a fan of the prequels or not, there is no better way to experience a Star Wars movie than on the big screen. The 3D conversion was clean. It wasn’t sloppily done the way other movies are converted to 3D in order to make a few extra bucks. At the same time the 3D effects in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D” did not stand out either. I think there were a few extra seconds added in here and there and the digital Yoda in the movie was completely redone. He looks much better in this new rendition than the previous version. If you are of the Star Wars generation, like myself, and have children who have never seen one of the movies in the theaters, then you MUST take them to see “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 3D”.
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