Just back from the Marcus Theaters North Shore in Mequon and...

Well the Star Wars: Episode 1 trailer was quite impressive and also quite the spoiler. I'll try to be fairly ambiguous in my descriptions, so as not to ruin too much, but the preview shows quite a bit in 2 short minutes.

The film is indeed called Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace (though I do have a copy of a trailer for a certain film called "Revenge of the Jedi." :) I managed to see it 3 times, and though it goes by really fast, you get to see a lot of characters, ships, aliens, robots, villains, and some beautiful scenery. Ewan MacGregor looks the part of Obi Wan, Natalie Portman is stunning in her full royal garb and makeup, Yoda looks young, virile, and kinda pissed off, C3PO is not quite himself, and Darth Maul...well Darth Maul looks like one evil Lord of the Sith...oh and there's this kid with some kind of power they call the Force or something.

Anyway If I've got the name matched to the character correctly, then I predict that a lot of kids will want their Jar Jar toys next year. Watto looks like a kid pleaser as well. There were a zillion Battle Driods on a battlefield, a speederbike style chase, and a space battle around a giant space station.

In other words it looks like Star Wars, sounds like Star Wars, and it feels like Star Wars. I can't hardly wait 'til May 21st.

Run out and see it this weekend (hopefully along with a better film than

The Waterboy)!!!

--greg