Feel the Force within you

starwars, originally uploaded by watson.

First-off I'd like to clarify that I'm a big Star Wars fan. I've watched episodes 4 - 6 countless times, rode the amazing Star Tours at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, read the excellent trilogy after Episode 6 by Timothy Zahn, and collected action figures.

And here I am this Sunday morning, my mind drawing blanks as I try to churn from it ideas on how to start my article for Questor Magazine due on the 15th. So I play Return of the Jedi to jumpstart my still-sleepy brain. And it got me thinking, 'how come episodes 1 and 2 is not as endearing to me as 4 to 6?' Big, big question. I loved the lightsaber duels, but something more than eye candy gives 4 to 6 its oomph!

And then I got it. It must be the way the story is told! I remembered how we were watching the Episode 1 premier at Camp Aguinaldo (this is a military base; don't ask me why they were premiering Episode 1 there; a review of war tactics perhaps?). When Qui Gon Jin and Obi Wan appeared on screen everybody cheered. And then everything went by so fast. Before you can ponder on what was happening, another scene is placed before you. It was hurrying through the storyline. The latter part of Episode 2 was also like that. It was hiding and investigating at one moment, then the next thing you know Amidala and the gang were already fighting for their lives in the arena and then the Jedis came in to give a piece of their mind to the rebels, and then whoa! The big war. The transitioning was just not right.

Take the series of events in Return of the Jedi culminating to the fight at the Death Star. You personally experience their gathering, their jump to light-speed, the events at the forest moon of Endor, how Lando and Admiral Ackbar's team desperately gave time (and lives) til the Shield generator was destroyed, Luke's anger at his twin sister's discovery by Vader. Episodes 4 to 6 had emotions you can relate to, even if you had viewed these scenes countless times. Oddly enough, it was difficult to feel these in 1 and 2.

Gotta concentrate ... feel the Force around you ... and make Episode 3 the best ever ...