Now that the Star Wars blogs have launched, it seems fitting that my first post here will be on the eve of the premiere of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Oh, sure, I imagine that the real die-hard fans are in line already, waiting for their chance to see it at one minute after midnight this evening... but, alas, distance and children require that I see it in the morning at the earliest showing I could find; 10:45 am.

I'm already quite "spoiled" -- having read the illustrated screenplay, and then the novelization of Episode III, several weeks in advance of the film's premiere. There may be some subtle differences, but I certainly know the major plot already. And yet, I'm as excited to see the film as ever -- perhaps even more excited -- even though I have read these things. This is due to the fact that the screenplay and the book both severely lack in a major area: they don't adequately describe the ACTION. All of the action sequences will still be a surprise to me -- and lets face it, the action sequences are the whole point of going to see a Star Wars film.

The vast majority of early reviews of the film are glowing, most rating it "second only to The Empire Strikes Back," which is high praise indeed. If that is true, then it is surely the Star Wars film "we've all been waiting for."

That said, I have to say, I absolutely disagree with the vast majority of fans who are quick to criticize the inclusion of Ewoks and Gungans in these films. Wicket and Jar Jar are my kids' favourite characters! I think that anyone who hates the Ewoks and Jar Jar are just losers who are completely out of touch with both their "inner child" and likely don't have (and hopefully never will have) children of their own. The truth of the matter is, it's the Ewoks and Jar Jar who have made these films the blockbusters that they are! It's them who make it family-friendly fare. The die-hard fans can criticize it, while George Lucas laughs all the way to the bank: Wicket and Jar Jar and the droids sell these movies to a larger audience than Liam Neeson and Natalie Portman ever could!

I'm definitely tired, too, about hearing this and that scene or dialogue in the prequels described as "lame." How quickly the fanboys seem to forget how teeth-gratingly lame certain sequences from the original trilogy are! Remember when Chewbacca yells like Tarzan? How about the part where the Millenium Falcon is swallowed by a worm? Lets not forget the little green muppet, the farsical musical numbers, and the ridiculous looking bad guy wearing a black plastic mask and cape. Harrison Ford's acting is as bad in the first film as anyone in the prequels, and he doesn't even have blue screen as an excuse. How quickly this is forgotten. Mostly I blame the Internet, for giving the whiners a forum where their insignificant voices can be heard. It somehow became "cool" to bash Star Wars... but now, when I hear the bashing, I think only one thought: "Wow, that loser needs to lighten up and get a life!" When your five year-old son cheers as Jar Jar comes on screen, maybe you'll start to realize how pathetic you've become.

Ironically, my biggest beef with this new, critically acclaimed Star Wars film is precisely what people most like about it: It's darkness. It has been given a PG-13 rating (well, in the U.S. -- the film board in Canada rated it PG, the fools.) This film, which is in theory the last Star Wars film that will ever appear on the big screen, is entirely too dark and violent for me to take my children to... at exactly the time when they might otherwise have been old enough to see a Star Wars film on opening day.

Instead, if I want to see this film on the big-screen, I need to hire a babysitter to watch my children for nine to twelve hours while I drive to the nearest theatre (a six hour round-trip, in and of itself). How selfish of me is that? Will my children ever understand what is so important about a mere film?

I don't know. All I know is, it's important to me. It's a precious part of my childhood, for reasons that go beyond the scope of this post. I just have to see it, one last time, before it's all over. Tomorrow, I say goodbye to an important part of my life. And it's just a movie.