May the Force be with me.

If you've been reading this and/or my old blog for a reasonable period of time, you probably know that I have a certain...ambivalence when it comes to Star Wars.

I was five years old the year Star Wars (not "A New Hope," bitches) came out. It was BIG in my life. I saw it 20 times in the theater plus I don't know how many on cable/video/network TV since then.

And I'm pretty okay with the idea that some things in the Star Wars adventures really don't need to do much more than look pretty badass (two words: Boba Fett). I don't even mind comic book (and not in the best way) things like the Ewoks...that much.

But I think Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace was an insult to the intelligence and I look with disdain at most of the tie-in novels, comic books and such. I particuarly resented being told by a fan or two that I needed to read said novels, comic books and such to understand who some characters in the prequels were.

I see this as little more than George Lucas' attempt to separate more cash from more brain-dead "collectors." And I do get a little sick of references to the series passing for dialogue in films made by overage fanboys (Kevin Smith, I'm looking at you).

However.

This is incredibly cool.