Star Wars Episode I Magical Night
Friday night, I asked my son if he wanted to see Star Wars in 3D. He looked at me with these sad, Shrek Puss-in-boots eyes and said, “Yes. I was going to ask if we could go see it.”
So, we went, and it turned out to be a magical night.
First of all, big props to the Liebe Ridge Cinema 8 Theatres. I had not been to that theatre in over a decade; the stadium seating looked great, and the customer service was outstanding, particularly at the ticket booth.
The theatre was mostly full. It was definitely a pro-Star Wars crowd, which was a welcome relief from the typical snark you read online about Episode I. It wasn’t Mystery Science Theater 3000 night. It was actually people who laughed at Jar Jar, thought Anakin was a cute little boy, people who actually got it. We were on the same page with Lucas, for one night.
I suspect most people are on the same page with Lucas. How come the Blu-Ray and 3D and any other new release always sells well, if people hate these movies? What. Are people watching these movies again and again, hoping that something will change? I don’t think so.
Side-note: I noticed something watching Episode I again, this time in 3D. Pretty much every character in the movie is annoyed with Jar Jar Binks, starting with Qui Gon Jinn telling him to go away at the very beginning, through Anakin getting upset with Jar Jar when he made a mess in Watto’s workshop. Even Padme gave a funny, “This guy is weird,” smile on her face when she first met the Gungan. Big Boss Nass wanted to “Punish him,” and only liked him after Jar Jar did something right, at which time he rewarded him by drafting him into the Gungan Army! Then there’s the dinner scene, where Qui Gon is annoyed with Jar Jar again….
This is proof that George Lucas knew Jar Jar would be annoying to audiences. To quote Agent Smith, he set a plate of cookies on the table “Purposefuly, deliberately,” for non-fans to throw against the wall.
Why ™? Well, a tweet from Frank Jonen answers the question:
I remember talking with some friends from Jamaica way back in 1999 who liked Episode I and Jar Jar Binks. It seems like, ahem, some people are quick to take their own prejudices and slap them on the goofy Gungan character.
I hate to give credit to Lucas for being a genius on this kind of visual Rorschach, because I believe he was unaware of this nuance. I think he unconsciously created this possibility. He was disconnected from his deep thoughts here. However, since he wrote the script and made it happen, he does deserve credit for revealing the race-bending tendencies of some movie goers.
Anyway, back to the point (that was some side-note): My son and I enjoyed Episode I in 3D, and would recommend it to anyone who does not hate Jar Jar Binks, LOL.
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