Right then.....
Before I saw Star Wars Episode 1.....
I was what 8 when this movie came out. I hated the trailers that kept airing for it....it was really annoying actually!
My dad was a huuuge Star Wars fan, his hype for this movie knew no bounds.....but he failed at convincing me to see it at the cinema's.
I remember him coming back after seeing it and saying it was ok, not as good as the old one's.
Then 2 years later we finally got the DVD for Star Wars Episode 1.....I REALLY didn't want to see the movie.....everything about it seemed off from this trailer I saw about it....I hated how the droids looked, I hated the war scenes and I hated that weird frog antelope thingy (Jar Jar binks).
But alas.....I saw it that day and it changed everything......
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Now I didn't like the start....it was odd...who were these weirdo's in cloaks talking in cryptic ways....and those ugly dudes talking in a funny accent.
But I was hooked from the moment Darth Sidious came on screen with Darth Maul behind him.
And then the movie just did something for me that no other movie did.....it made me interested in its setting, world, characters, events.
I found myself CHEERING for Obi-Wan, qui-Gon and little anakin.
People found Anakin saying "yippee" annoying......but I was excited....I said yippee when he said it.....when his pod racer worked I cheered. when he said "yippee" for getting off Tatooine I was EXCITED...I was wondering what planet we'll be seeing next.....and my jaw dropped after seeing Coruscant.
When they freed him and were leaving Tatooine I cheered....and that fight with darth Maul there was awesome
coruscant was an awe inspiring location....I was fascinated with the Senate room...all these revolving places.
It was a real adventure and I was a part of it.....I had never been so sucked into a movie in this way before.
When everyone decides to go back to Naboo from Coruscant it felt like after a long journey I was going back home to the start, in Naboo.....and what an ending it was after that with the gungan war, the duel of fates and amidala trying to get to the throne room. Darth Maul's double lightsaber.....Qui-gon's death made me cry out in shock!
It was an epic adventure....the Jedi lore amazed me, space travel...hell this began my fascination for SPACE....I had never seen such awesome special effects ever. I never cared about political drama.....but somehow I liked it in this movie.
And by the time it was over I wanted to watch it all over again.....my dad was surprised by my fascination for the movie.
If this movie WAS targeted at "kids" it did its job thoroughly well by mesmerizing me and making Star Wars my most beloved franchise in anything.....I was a "kid" then and I always become one when I see it again.
I immediately forced my parents to get me figures from the movie, I got Star Wars Jedi Power Battles for PS1...a game I adore to this day, I got the soundtrack for it.....I went crazy for it. I bought lightsaber's....all sorts of things. Its all I talked about with my friends....it changed me for better or for worse!
Now when I watch it again I can see many many maaaaaaany flaws in the movie......BUT there is no doubt this is the movie thats had the most impact on me, its the first time I felt like I was on an adventure in a movie.
This movie is my "super mario world"/"final fantasy 7"/"Gran turismo 1"........its a defining movie for me.
9.8/10
