Just try and enjoy the ‘Star Wars’ movies

Adam Tumino

A new trailer for the ninth and final installment of the “Star Wars” Skywalker Saga premiered Monday night.

Also premiering Monday night was a new episode of another seemingly endless saga: “Return of the Angry Online Commenters.”

A relatively large number of “Star Wars” fans will find an issue with nearly every frame of the new trailer. They spend the years between movies meticulously crafting theories about characters and plot points, and they are always disappointed when the movie does not follow their vision.

Some people just take “Star Wars” too seriously, so much so that they are deprived of any joy the movie might be able to provide.

I absolutely love Star Wars. I know who the characters Bib Fortuna and Sio Bibble are. But I refuse to lose the enjoyment the movies bring me by taking them too seriously.

The “Star Wars” movies should be fun. They are about adventure and exploration.

Instead of nitpicking minor plot points, people should let themselves be amazed by the masterful music, breathtaking special effects and vast sets and locations.

But perhaps the biggest problem with taking Star Wars too seriously is that they are not serious movies.

Some of the films have dealt with darker themes, but any movie featuring laser swords and eight-foot-tall characters who only communicate by growling is not a serious movie.

The major characters communicate through giant holograms and the armor worn by the bad guys is comically ineffective.

One of the franchise’s most beloved figures is a green puppet for God’s sake.

Also, if the “Star Wars” movies were serious, they would be mostly silent films. Much of the action takes place in outer space and the explosions and sounds of starship engines are abundant. But there is no sound in space. If “Star Wars” was serious, it would have been totally silent when the Death Star exploded.

The “Star Wars” movies have always been about the adventure and the spectacle.

My fondest memories of “Star Wars” are of the creatively constructed and exotic planets, the stylish space ships, the sprawling space battles and dramatic lightsaber duels.

I do not dwell on plot holes. If you look hard enough, you can find a problem with every movie you watch. But why rob yourself of the enjoyment?

Please just enjoy the space movies. It is much more fun to live that way.

Adam Tumino is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].