- The first "Star Wars" film was released 20 years before I was born.
- Although both of my brothers are huge fans of the film franchise, I've never had an interest in it.
- I simply can't get past the fact that "Vader" literally translates to "Father."
- No, I will not be watching any of the "Star Wars" films on May 4th.
- But that doesn't mean you shouldn't.
May is the month of memes. On the first day of the month, Twitter and Instagram timelines are flooded with the infamous picture of Justin Timberlake from his *NSYNC days, captioned with "It's Gonna Be May," instead of the hit boy-band song "It's Gonna Be Me." The joke has run its course but nevertheless, fans take to the internet every May 1st to share their love for the meme.
And only a few days later, on May 4th, is #StarWarsDay. In place of the NSYNC memes are pictures, usually of one of the movie's leading characters, captioned with "May The Fourth Be With You."
But maybe I don't really get the humor because I've never seen one of the original "Star Wars" movies. The force—or fourth, if you will—is not with me.
The first "Star Wars" film came out in 1977, nearly 20 years before I was born. At the time of my birth, the original trilogy of the worldwide film franchise had already been completed and released to the public. By the time I was 8, the prequel trilogy was out and I had still never watched a second of the any of the six films.
Not because I didn't have the opportunity: Both of my older brothers were obsessed with the film, investing in merchandise and dressing up for the midnight showings.
I remember once, on the night that "Revenge of the Sith" was released, my oldest brother and his gang of "Star Wars" loving friends dressed up to head to the midnight showing. I was both intrigued by their costumes yet baffled why five or so 20-year-olds were so obsessed with the franchise.
I've tried watching some of the original films before. It's lasted approximately 10 or 15 minutes before I've turned the television off, bored by the 1977 original film. I'd much rather be watching the "High School Musical" trilogy — which, by the way, deserves even more movies than "Star Wars," in my opinion, for its iconic cast — or binge-watching "Gossip Girl." Catch me any day of the week and I've probably watched either of those (or, more likely, both) in the previous few days.
But in my teenage years, I decided to give "Star Wars" a try. I bought a ticket, sat in the theater, and watched "The Force Awakens," the first film in the sequel trilogy of "Star Wars."
And yes, it was good. The cinematography was great, obviously likely much better than in the 1977 film. The story was entertaining and action-packed, suspenseful at moments and intriguing at others. But once the film was over, I still wasn't hooked. Sure, it was a good movie, but what was all the hype about? I just couldn't understand the intense fascination with the franchise.
For me, the film was nothing new. Beautifully done, yes, but somewhat derivative from the original movies (which I had read about prior to attending the screening). The plot lacked a sense of originality and so, I found it to be entertaining yet nothing mind-blowing or game-changing.
My lack of obsession with the film likely strings back to the fact that I wasn't even born when the first three films were released.
I was late to the party and, by the time I was old enough to understand words and develop an attention span long enough to sit through an entire film, my interests had nothing to do with "Star Wars." Maybe if I was born in 1987 like my eldest brother or even 1994 like my other sibling, I would have become a fan. And maybe if I would have seen the films back then, I wouldn't have found the new one dull, but more nostalgic. But "Star Wars" is just not for me.
Here's what I can't understand: the world-shattering moment where Darth Vader reveals — spoiler alert — that he is Luke Skywalker's father. It's a moment that many hold as one of the biggest cinematic reveals in history. And yes, in essence, it's groundbreaking.
But as Anna Kendrick kindly points out in "Pitch Perfect," the word "Vader" is Dutch for "Father."
Vader literally means father. Do you want to tell me that no one could have predicted that before the big reveal?
Either way, "Star Wars" just isn't my thing. If you love it, that's great! Enjoy #StarWarsDay and may the fourth be with you. But please, don't bombard me with questions of why I've never watched the films or tell me that I have to give them a chance.
Please, go ahead and binge-watch the film franchise today and let me be as I enjoy the fact that "High School Musical 3" is now on Netflix.
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