One night during Celebration IV, I had my own personal moment for Star Wars' 30th's birthday. I was going to blog about it, too, but I didn't. But today I see that I wouldn't be the only one wishing Star Wars a happy belated birthday. So here I go.

All week, I'd seen Star Wars fans from everywhere, of every age, of all shapes and sizes. That night, I did something simple. I watched A New Hope. No marathon, no party, I just sat and watched the movie that started it all 30 years ago. I tried to watch with fresh eyes again, not viewing it as a movie I'd watched time and again, and knew all of, but as a movie that I wanted to see as I would any other.

It may sound trivial to some, but I wasn't around in 1977. I've never been in a theater, seeing Star Wars for the first time, not knowing what to expect. I tried to do that as best I could this time. It's impossible not to draw on information I already have, and I can't ever be a first time viewer, but still, it was special for me.


That was weeks ago, but I wrote down some thoughts I was having while watching it, and here some of them are.

C-3PO: No, I don't think he likes you atoll!
R2-D2: Bweep?
C-3PO: No. I don't like you either.

That's just a great scene. I love the moment with all my heart. It's such a charming, funny moment between the dynamic duo. And it's delivered perfectly ("at all" spelled "atoll" to reflect that great inflection).

I want to know more about Obi-Wan and Owen's relationship. How well did they know each other? How often did they talk? What happened between them? Even within the context of only A New Hope, I'm curious. But add in everything else we know about them... Obi-wan is a great Jedi, who delivered Luke to them, and he didn't even know Owen, did he? Something happened, and I'd love to see that explored.

Things look old. It's been said time and again, and it's great. The Star Wars universe is used and run down. The Millennium Falcon is a piece of Junk, Mos Eisley is a dirt hole, and the Rebellion is hiding in a thousand year old pyramid. It makes the movies work so well.

Obi-wan, that old scamp, hiding what he knows, just like Jolee Bindo. Jolee Bindo is one of my favorite characters from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Yet for some reason, I never really noticed just how similar to Obi-Wan he is. He's a thoughtful exiled old man, who acts as a protector, who knows a significant and important truth, but doesn't say a word. They're both great, and I love them for similar reasons.

Darth Vader clings to the power of the Force with great ferocity, because to admit that technology has an advantage is to take away his own power. He lost his power because of someone else's, and had to submit to technology to stay alive. It's a matter of pride, and convincing himself that he's still the strong one.

In the trash compactor, Han shoots the door and Luke says he already tried it. There wasn't enough time for that to be true. Seriously, Han jump into the chute mere seconds behind Luke. Yet apparently Luke had enough time to recover from his fall, decide to shoot the door, and survive the long ricochet. So I guess Han got stuck for a while on the way down the chute or something. That's a funny image.


So there's my random collection of thoughts. What was going through my mind as I watched A New Hope in honor of its 30th birthday. Happy Birthday, Star Wars, and thanks for the great party.