Just read a review of the Episode 3 DVD, and it reminded me how different my opinion of Star Wars is now. 10 years ago, if you’d suggested to me that I wouldn’t even have *seen* the last of the second trilogy six months after the movie had been released, I’d have never thought it possible. Now? I can’t even believe it’s possible I’d have *ever* felt that way. Episodes 1 and 2 were such terrible movies that if I want to remember why I liked Star Wars at *all*, I have to go back and watch the first film, or Empire. Flawed movies, certainly. But still – the actors had chemistry, the storylines felt epic, and it was a joy to behold.

I think, sometimes, that it must have been the weight of impossible expectations – but I think about the image of the potential I had in my mind, and though Lucas’ vision is beautiful, it’s immensely uninteresting. There are no curveballs in the origin story, it’s exactly as you might have expected. Less so, even, for all its hamfisted convolution of the plot, there’s simply nothing particularly compelling about it.

Compare something like that with a movie like Serenity, and the difference is like night and day. Serenity has deep, interesting characters – realistic ones, that we care about immensely. It has a story that’s both unexpected, and incredibly … powerful. The effects are eye-catching, but not anywhere near the central focus of the movie.

Anyway… not really any point. Just seems strange that my perception of the franchise is so different, not.