I finally got around to seeing Star Wars, going so far as to seeing it at a digitial theatre, one of only two in San Francisco proper. I think there maybe one more digital theatre and it's in Marin near Lucas Ranch.

First off, seeing the move on a digital screen was amazing, especially since George Lucas shot the movie in digital. The sreen is so huge and the sound is great. There's just one problem. The screen is almost too big and there's so much going on in the whole frame that you have to tell yourself to check out the whole screen once in awhile instead of just focusing on the middle. Then sometimes, something on the side would catch my eye and I would stop paying attention to what was happening in the middle. Maybe the answer is to sit in the last row so you're further away? We sat in the middle.

Secondly, what a familiar sight the whole Star Wars logo is and that blaringly loud theme music. I jumped out of my seat and my friend Kim was laughing at me. Honestly, that opening note is so loud it's like a thunderclap. And what about the opening where they tell you what's going on. How familiar is that and how paradoied is that set up too.

The special effects were fantastic, although I couldn't help but flashback to all those making of star wars documentaries and picturing those tiny scale replicas Plus, with the advent of computers, I spent the whole time wondering what's real and what's computer generated.

And some of those backdrops were so beautiful, although I couldn't help but think some of the prettier scenes looked like something out of Thomas Kinkade painting, especially the ones at the lake. Maybe George Lucas has been spending time at the Thomas Kinkade store in Marin, which I think is now out of business. My friend guessed the lake site was the Lake Cuomo area in Italy and she guessed right because it was in the credits. I knew it was a shot from some Italian vista. Aren't all romantic scenes, no matter what time and galaxy they're from shot in romantic Italy?

The actor playing Anakin Skywalker was not cute. He had those bulging eyes like Susan Sarandon. Ewan Macgregor is definitely the better looking of the two. And Yoda too. Christopher Lee was great as always. The guy makes such a great villian. He was great in The Lord of the Rings too, only this time he even got to fight with a light saber. The old guy can definitely still move.

Rachel Portman was cute and I loved all her outfits and that whole no bra look. She's got a teenage girl's body and not really curvy enough to be playing a mid 20 something, which I think is Padme's true age. And yes, the first time she greets Anakin, she does sound like a Valley Girl from Naboo and not a princess or a senator. But you can see shades of Princess Leia in her daringness and her ability and willingness to fight.

And what about that Bambi scene, with Anakin and his dying mother. Was George Lucas taking a cue from Disney Land? Very Freudian. I'm sure there will be a ton of high school and college essays written about that scene. I think even Steven Spielberg had a Bambi and his dying mother scene in one of his movies, but I can't remember which one.

Then there was the execution scene which was right out of Russell Crowe's Gladiator. It's nice to know some of my favorite movies were echoed in Star Wars. My friend said it was more like a bull fight scene, except this time with space creature bulls. Even Anakin got to do the cowboy thing when he tamed the crazy creature with the horn.

And what about Bobba Fett? Wasn' t he just the cutest little kid? Was there some mother of a serial killer or other deranged criminal in the audience being reminded of her cute little son and what he grew up to be.

Then the last scene was like right out of Romeo and Juliet being married by the friar in the garden. How romantic!

It's like George Lucas tapped on everybody' s collective consciousness and gave it all back to aka Star Wars. Is that why the Star Wars series is so popular?

I liked the parallels that I saw in Attack of the Clones with the three previous Star Wars.

Anakin and Padme's romance mirrors Leia's and Han Solo's romance. Both mother and daughter had a thing for rebel types I guess.

Anakin and Luke, both liking to fix things, both on the desert planet, both disobeying their Jedi masters to help out their friends.

I'm sure there more but I just don't remember them right now.

Then the final shot at the end of the movie is the all the clones and they're playing the Empire theme song. You know the old dude senator is an evil thing. Why else would he be encouraging Anakin like that, making him think he's the next best thing to Yoda. The guy's got to be evil. Nobody is ever going to be better than Yoda!

But George Lucas did get the whole how you turn to dark side of the force right. My meditation teacher even talked about it. Doubt is the first thing. Doubt leads to distrust god and question what's happening all around you. You start to get mad a god, the force when events go bad, because you don't trust that it's happening for the good. Anakin definitely had alot of doubt in his heart when his mother died. Doubt opens the door to you thinking you know better than god, then the force, that you and not god, the force is the master of the universe. Doubt is the cause of all evil. I think Yoda would say a Jedi does not doubt the Force, a Jedi has Buddha like attachment and is a servant of god, unconditionally obeying and surrending to everything that is happening around him. In martial arts, they teach you that it is better to yield to an opponent than to fight him, because when you put up resistance, you lose your balance. You yield then your opponent is off balance then you strike.

Then there's that whole pivotal scene where Anakin and OB1 are in the cave with evil Count Dokuu. If Anakin hadn't charged, the whole Stars Wars series would have ended right then and there. No Darth Vader. But because Anakin was arrogant and thougtht he was stronger than the old dude, he rushed and was blasted. A warrior does not react out of anger or arrogance. There will always be someone out there stronger than you are. A warrior can only winning by cunning and by his own intelligence. Anakin has yet to learn these things.

But you know, Anakin is like a typical teenage boy, full of raging hormones. Just think the whole balance of power in the Star Wars universe was thrown off because of the antics of an arrogant, frat boy type, teenage boy. I'm sure there's another story like this around, but I can't think of one right now.

Now the question remains, how does George Lucas wrap up the story. How does Anakin finally turn towards the dark side. The seed of doubt is alreading inside him. Doubt opens a door to all the evil stuff like anger, revenge, hatred. I mean Anakin already did the slaughter the whole village thing, so there's definitely going to be guilt for that. And you know if you can slaughter the a whole village, why not entire civilizations, why not the whole universe. Is it true when they say all it takes it one baby step?

Then how is George Lucas going to resolve Padme getting pregnant? Darth Vader did not know he had offspring. There will have to be a separation between the hero and heroine. And how long before Padme gets pregnant? She is a virgin I think. Will it be the first night or will several months or a couple years pass. I say, the next installment of the story starts shortly after this story ended, while Anakin has all those raging teenage hormones running his brain. Anakin will be not be allowed to grow up and mature.

What about the plans for the Death Star? That doesn't come till years later, but in this installment you already see the plans for it.

I almost want to see the movie again, maybe in a regular theatre to see if digital really makes a difference. I saw Spiderman twice, I should at least see Attack of the Clones twice.