Well, my first blog entry EVER and it's only fitting that it's on the official Star Wars site! I'm watching AOTC and gearing up for the midnight screening of ROTS. I'm so anxious. So, what do you think? Everyone says (to use an almost tired phrase) how much 'darker' this film is; I'm sure it will be. I'm looking forward to it, in fact. Let's face it: we know what we're in for, we just need George to flesh out the details for us. The Jedi wiped out; Anakin's fall from grace; 'the duel'; the transformation; all of these things have been kicking around in the back of many minds for the better part of three decades - now we SEE what happens. Yes, a 'darker', much more somber film.

That said... I always agreed with the general tenets of Empire. I mean, c'mon: we live on a planet where homo sapiens are the ONLY race (let's not drag the animal kingdom into this, shall we?), and we have a hard enough time getting along! Imagine throwing all the races evident in the Star Wars universe into the mix? I think one may actually get a greater understanding (dare I say sympathy?) of the rule of Empire reading EU material, particularly the NJO books. Here you have this all-encompassing, galaxy-wide Empire, and it can't manage to subdue/wipe out a rag-tag band of revolutionaries? Hmm... as observed by... Luke (I think - may have been Han; I'll look up the exact quote shortly) in a NJO book, none of the Rebels realized how much time and resources were devoted to putting out civil wars and various brush fires throughout the galaxy.

Well, as is the case with many dictatorships, the old adage 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely' proves true in the Star Wars universe, as well. Too bad Palpatine wasn't such a megalomaniac. There has got to be a fine line between dictatorship and 'rule through force'. Philosophical discussions aside, for one reason or another, the Empire has always appealed to me, and I look forward to seeing its inception in ROTS.

Take care, and I'll be back soon!