This second viewing was at the famed Manns Chinese theater in Hollywood and the lines, as expected, were as long as I expected.
The Star Wars Fans Online group had planned to meet as a group in costume on opening day, and when that day was changed to a day in the middle of the week, it had been decided by the masses that we keep our group day on Friday.
Those of us that could, would have seen the movie before then, but it would not take away the experience that would come from having 100 friends all together in costume waiting in line for the most anticipated movie of the century.
On opening day, they even went so far as to close down a stretch of Hollywood and Highland Blvd, right next to the theater, to accommodate all the people!
Many of us arrived early so that we would be guaranteed a good seat. And early meant 8 hours! But we were rewarded, as we ended up being 5th in line!
As they day went on, more of our group arrived, in costume, and joined us, much to the dismay of the people behind us in line.
The security walking the sidewalk, keeping us pushed back and out of tourist's way, tried, to no avail, to keep us from adding more people. Soon, they brought out metal rails and added them so that no one could join. We took up the entire length of the parking lot and that made it easy to sneak people behind the rail.
As the announcement was made that we would be entering soon, everyone crowded behind the rail and still more waited on the other side of the wall from the parking lot, waiting until the line began to move so they could climb over.
As the line began to move, cheerful whoops of joy rippled along the line and we all rushed to our seats, 45 min before the show was to begin.
Again, as in the first time I saw the film on opening night, the crowd cheered when the Lucasfilm Logo appeared, then the famed words A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far, Far Away, and then there was silence. The THX sound boomed the fan fare around us, shaking the floor and our very seats, and Star Wars Episode 1 began its slow crawl across the screen amidst the screams and cheers of every one of the sold out 1500 seat theater.
As Obi Wan and Qui Gon appeared, another cheer rocked the theater, and the same for R2-D2 and a boo-hiss for Darth Maul.
You could feel the tension in the room when Qui Gon fell, the excitement and pain in Obi-Wan's cries, the helpless feeling for Jar Jar and his people.
The fans were much more into the movie than those who I saw it with on opening night. The whole theater felt alive with anticipation, though most of the 100 people that I went with had already seen it. I'm sure most that were attending this showing, had already seen it as well.
The characters made more sense this time, it was easier to understand a bit more about the characterization and why Lucas did what he did. I still would have preferred more action, but what he did was necessary to explain and set into motion the events that would take place in the next two films.
Jar Jar Binks still annoyed me a bit and I would have preferred a few of his scenes to be taken out and have someone else added.
The lightsaber battles were the best part of the film. Kudos to the excellent choreographers who pulled off this excellent interpretation of how a well-trained Jedi Knight, or Sith, should be able to fight.
There were many cameo's in the film, the most notable, Nathan Hamill Warwick Davis, Lucas daughter (pilot of the Jedi shuttle), and several ET's.
So the film was more enjoyable the second time around but it a bit more directed toward younger viewers than it would be towards adults.
The next Episodes will, I assume, be directed toward a much more matured audience as we see the love story between Anakin and Amidala and the destruction and massacre of the Jedi Knights.
Until then, we will just have to wait and see.....