An Unmovable Force?

I've been saving this story for a few weeks, thinking that somehow it would come full circle. Today it did.

I was in Minneapolis a few weeks ago and had the chance to catch the "Star Wars" exhibit at the Minnesota Science Museum. Basically there were a bunch of props from the movie (the original droids, Darth Vader's mask, etc.) some retrospectives and other attractions. It was an extra $8 past the admission, plus a 45-minute wait.

A bit of background: I've spent a good 20 years of my life in the firm spell of George Lucas' "Star Wars" movies. I saw Jedi 7 times when I was 7 (see how that worked), I watched the OT whenever I was sick during grade school and in college I ate Taco Bell until I puked collecting those damn disks that came with their value meals containing characters from "The Phantom Menace." Even after that turd was deposited (and yes, you could dig up my apologetic review in the pages of the Kearney Hub if you MUST, but I've since come to see the light), I made it to a midnight screening for each of the new trilogy. I might still defend "Revenge of the Sith" while damning the entire new trilogy if you get a beer or two in me. Then there's the LEGO Star Wars games, the Little People Millenium Falcon set...I own a shirt or two. If 1 is someone who's seen the movies and forgotten them and 10 is that guy in Michigan who changed his name to Obi-Wan Kenobi, I'm about a 3 or 4.

But somewhere along the line I made a decision: George Lucas had enough of my money. I think it was the glut of interviews I've read where he basically shows no regard for the people who love his property. His faux apathy borderlines on disgust as far as I can tell. It was cemented this year when he did an interview for the latest and lamest Indiana Jones movie, and said (and I'm paraphrasing), "people are going to hate it no matter what it is. It's only a movie!"

No long Internet rant needed. He just doesn't get my money anymore.

And, the Science Institute was my first real test: See the C3-PO used in one of my favorite movies of all time or save 8 bucks, $45 minutes and see the rest of the museum. The decision was surprisingly easy. Mr. Lucas didn't get any more of my money.

But the decision sort of bothered me because I hadn't drawn clear distinctions in my mind. Was Lucas simply banned from my wallet for being a hack who wasn't able to pull off a three movie ark while at the same time disrespecting those who made him famous, or was Star Wars dead to me on a whole? If Star Wars was dead, what about all that time we'd spent together? What about all the midnight screenings, the late night quotations, the times I was comforted when sick by the Imperial March? What about puberty being explained to me in terms of Luke Skywalker's maturation process or that time my girlfriend was over and we watched "The Empire Strikes Back" and...

No, it couldn't be "dead," could it? I decided to find out.

The best way to do this, I figured, was to filter out all the stuff that killed Star Wars for many movie goers, namely the shitty dialogue. The best way to do this, I've found, is to play this amazing little special feature that came with the soundtrack to "Revenge of the Sith." Basically its a series of 20 or so music videos covering the major themes of Star Wars (the Republic, the Empire, the Rebels, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, etc.) with visuals from the movies, dialogue nowhere to be found and John Williams beautiful theme heavy score playing over the top. I decided to give it a spin when I was jogging to see if I felt anything.

At the end of the 37 minutes and 24 seconds (4 miles on a speed of 6.4 miles per hour), I can say my worst fears on the subject were not realized. In fact, I think things are OK. I don't feel nothing when confronted with Star Wars imagery and a swelling score (on a different note, I'm kind of a bitch when it comes to a swelling score. It can make totally hollow or unearned emotion connect with me in some odd way. See the end of Dragonheart and tell me the score doesn't make that thing work. Anyway) but I don't feel great either. Any time the New Trilogy showed up, there was considerably less emotion. During a couple of scenes replayed to music, it seemed I had forgotten scenes from the New Trilogy. "Oh yeah," I said to myself. "There was a big Jedi battle at the end of "Attack of the Clones." The neural dent it made must have been very small.

But, Han Solo, Princess Leah and Luke Skywalker still do it for me, at least on a small emotional scale. I'm not saying Star Wars was ever like The Elephent Man in terms of emotional bombs, but what can I say? I have a history with those movies and I think that history is keeping me a fan for the time being. I'm not going to check out the new "Star Wars" movie coming out this summer (coincidentally, I felt nothing but dread at the LucasFilms logo that used to invoke such unabashed joy), and I have no plans to purchase anything Star Wars stuff for a while, but it's nice to know that initial connection is still there.

At least for now.