From my perspective (I was a sophomore in high school), I don't recall the hype and anticipation for the film being as great as it was for The Phantom Menace. This time around, it wasn't brought up in class on the day of its release and rarely mentioned in casual conversation. I was pretty pumped about it, though. I had been visiting StarWars.com and
's news page very, very frequently in the few years leading up to its release; the televised premiere of the final "Clone War" trailer that March had overtaken my imagination; and I happily spoiled myself silly when I downloaded the leaked soundtrack a month or so before the film's release.
I eventually saw the film with my older brother (whose Star Wars fanaticism had faded over the years by then). However, I remember being somewhat disappointed by the film. I think it had to do with the influence of some initial reactions from the internet and the considerably stepped-up use of CGI. This disappointment with the film continued past its DVD release and I found myself not caring when that rolled around.
But then, something unexpected happened. My older brother bought me the DVD of the film as a gift for the holidays. And then I sorta rediscovered the film in the few months following that and saw it with new eyes after a prolonged break from all things Star Wars. It also helped that I happened upon some very positive and critical essays about the film around this time. But apart from that, I began to really appreciate its classy cinematography; the angsty, relatable characterization of Anakin Skywalker; the love story's repressed sexuality; the sublime intercutting during the finale; the lightsabers-in-the-dark duel between Anakin and Dooku; and its general heralding of a new age of digital filmmaking.
And my feelings toward the film haven't really changed since then. And I'm happy about that.
Feel free to share your memories of the film, the experience of its release and post cool online memorabilia.
