Bah! I'm starting to CARE!

Crap. After making a big deal about not getting excited for Episode III, word is starting to leak that the movie might actually be good... as in not as good as Star Wars (I refuse to call it "A New Hope"... it's just Star Wars, dammit!) or The Empire Strikes Back, but better than all the others, including Return of the Jedi.

First came Kevin Smith's spoiler-filled rave review. I discounted that, because he liked Attack of the Clones. Then came Steven Spielberg's endorsement of Sith on BBC Radio. To paraphrase, he said "It's wondeful, the best one since Empire, and you will cry when you see it." Well... okay, except Spielberg gave Phantom Menace a glowing review and he just so happens to be Lucas' best buddy, not to mention he co-directed an action sequence or two in Sith itself.

But wait... what's this? Time Magazine has reviewed the movie and loves it? Adding to the fire, I purchased The Art of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith this weekend, and have barely been able to take my eyeballs off of it. It contains hundreds of GLORIOUS pencil drawings and paintings, colored with the help of Photoshop and Painter's digital markers and oil paints. (I am really becoming intrigued with this process of coloring pencil sketches digitally. It preserves the pencil marks while adding finished, print-ready colors. Check out comic artist Mike Weringo's site for some of his samples. )

Oh, yeah... the Dark Chocolate "Dark Side" peanut M&M's aren't curbing my enthusiasm, either. The kicker? An ever-cynical friend of mine, known as ElJefe on the forums, reminded me recently: "Even if you hate the last two Star Wars movies... Lucas is still 3 for 5."

Curse you, Lucas! If this one isn't good, I'm gonna take it out somebody!