Annlyel James 
Annlyel explores the highs and lows of being a Star Wars fan…
As you may have figured out, I am a bonafide Star Wars fan.
(I am a writer for Future of the Force, hello.)
I have loved these movies since practically the beginning of time. Or my time, actually. My parents always tell me the story of how they went to see The Phantom Menace in the movie theaters in 1999 and as I was getting breast-fed the loud explosions happening onscreen caught my attention and I would turn to see what was going on. I would’ve been one at the time.
You see, Star Wars is in my blood. The power of the Force is in my DNA and I will always have a special love for this incredible franchise. Marvel has managed to join the party of franchises that I obsess over but it will never have that particular bond I have with Star Wars. It’s just not happening.
This bond can be a thrill ride and an emotional rollercoaster at the same time. The Force Awakens; thrill ride. The Last Jedi; emotional rollercoaster. How can I love and despise a franchise so much? At times I thank the maker for there being such a creation as Star Wars to enjoy in my lifetime. At other times I berate the actual maker, George Lucas, for destroying a perfectly good story with some truly messed up prequels (and altered versions of the originals.) But why? Why do I find these movies so repulsive when even the worst Star Wars film is better than most movies ever made?
While recently writing a quick review of Attack of the Clones–the review goes as follows; One word: sand 😒–I rated the film four out of five stars. You see the review is supposed to immediately convey the idea that I don’t like the movie and yet I gave it four out of five stars. Why you may ask? Because fundamentally Attack of the Clones is a very solid movie with some legitimately good moments and a pretty fantastic storyline.
Imagine Attack of the Clones was another movie. Maybe a science-fiction film called Across the Stars. It would, ultimately, be a heart-swelling romance about two lovebirds who cannot be together but can’t live without one another. Of course, their love is surrounded by the conflicts of the galaxy. Will they choose love over duty? We all know the answer to that question.
Obviously, there wouldn’t be any Jedi, Sith, or the concept of the Force and the characters’ names would be changed but if you tell the exact same story without all of the Star Wars material it would be one of the most epic science-fiction films of all time. Even with Hayden Christensen starring as the main character! (Or maybe change Hayden Christensen. 😁)
But because it’s a Star Wars movie millions of fans, including myself, have despised this film for years! It’s actually hilarious when you really think about it. Just think about that realization. Imagine every Star Wars movie that you don’t like, refigure it as a brand new science-fiction movie, and you will realize just how incredible all of these films truly are.
Because the best Star Wars movies are so perfect we look down on their sequels and prequels in an almost creepy, obsessive way but if we sit back and look at the movies for what they are–incredibly written stories–we can grow an unbiased appreciation for every Star Wars film, not just the ones that we deem worthy.
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Annlyel James is a prolific Staff Writer for Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Follow her on Twitter @annlyeljames where she channels the Force frequently!
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
