"It's like I wrote every note with my own finger": September 2011

Star Wars was a big part of my childhood. I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me. I remember obsessing over renting the movies at our local video store (remember video stores??) and watching them all in order again and again. I had hundreds of Star Wars toys growing up including my own lightsaber. I remember when I heard that special editions of the movies were going to be in theaters I begged my mom to take me and I went to every movie the week they opened. I remember saving over 3 months of my allowance to buy the special editions when they came out on VHS. It was one of the happiest moments in my young life. Freak even my friends and I ditched out on school to see one of the prequel movies opening day.

I have loved this series my entire life..which is why it pains me to say that I'm trying my best to get over Star Wars. Yes, I'm moving on and you can chalk it up to every cliche in the book. It's not you its me, I met someone new, I'm looking for more in my life. Why after over 20 years of loving Star Wars am I now deciding it's time to move on? It is none other than George Lucas. I truly feel he gone off the deep end when it comes to changing these movies. I was too young to really notice any of the changes he made in the special editions and I'd even say I thought they were really cool! I even liked the prequel movies (I'll still defend Episode 3 to this day). As I get older however, I realize just how not good they are. I can still watch the original movies and get joy out of them. I don't feel the same way about the new movies now that I see what they really are...effects heavy shells of what the first movies were. The original movies had characters you cared about and could easily relate to. In the new movies I couldn't relate to any of the characters (anyone who can relate to jar jar binks, I'm sorry there's no hope for you). The dialog is so bad I can't decide if I want to cringe or laugh out loud.

Anyway back from my tangent...when i bought the dvds of Star Wars I noticed more of the random changes Lucas made to the original movies. Like at the end of Return of the Jedi where he replaced the original Anakin Skywalker with Hayden Christensen from the new movies. Um...why? There's no reason. He didn't replace the original Obi-wan with Ewan Mcgregor. I don't understand...plus all the extra effects he puts in just don't add anything and instead really stand out like a sore thumb in the original trilogy.

Well..he's at it again with the Blu-ray release. Here's a few of the main changes.

I read a great review of the new blu-ray release of the Star Wars movies on www.bluray.com that I think hit the issue with Lucas right on the nose.

I have a theory about George Lucas, and it

has to do with third-world cult-of personality dictators.

Hear me out. Why is it that dictators always wear the most

ridiculous outfits? In his green jumpsuit, Kim Jong-il looks

like an elevator repairman. General Idi Amin Dada wore

a kilt and pretended he was Scottish. Colonel Gaddafi is a

veritable anti-fashion show of sartorial blunders. Why?

Because there's no one to tell them, "No. You look like

an idiot. Put some real clothes on." I never thought I'd

quote a Kanye West lyric in a review, but "No one man

should have all that power." And I think that's what's

happened with George Lucas. He has too much power.

He can toy around with his creation as much as he'd like,

and there's no one to tell him, "No, George, stop. You're

only making it worse." You've probably already heard that

all six films are now in the process of being retooled for

3D theatrical re-releases. Sigh. What's ironic and

self-condemning is that, in 1988, Lucas once issued a

statement to the assembled U.S. Congress, asserting

that, "People who alter or destroy works of art and our

cultural heritage for profit or as an exercise of power

are barbarians." I'll let that one speak for itself.

This is exactly how I feel. Lucas has become so powerful that he has yes men who tell him every idea he has is a good one. "Sure George Jar Jar Binks sounds like a classic idea! Your a genius!" "Yes George lets make yoda fight in a giant lightsaber battle." "Yes George lets make the ewokes blink! your a cinematic genius." No one who works under him has the courage to say, "George what are you doing? Leave your movies alone! Don't you have better things to do?" I feel like if I shell out more money to Lucas all he will do is keep updating these movies for the worse. I'd prove that I don't care what he puts in his movies cause I'll still buy them and support him. Not anymore, I'm taking a stand.