WAITING FOR `WARS'

Strolling down Mass Ave. the other day, I heard a man behind me whistling something familiar. I couldn't quite put my finger on it--that is, until the man finished the meandering intro and hit the main theme at full volume. It came flooding back--more than 20 years of Star Wars history (all of cinematic history!) in a few power-packed notes.

The buzz has begun.

To start one of the greatest marketing strategies in history, George Lucas attached the new Star Wars Episode I trailer to select films for one day only--the trailer hit all theaters later in the week. Naturally, an army of fans stampeded into theaters on November 17 and walked out satisfied after the first two minutes a random movie. Lucas has since put the trailer on the Web to satisfy rocketing public demand. Star Wars is everywhere again--seven months before the actual movie comes out.

The hype will only get stronger. This is, of course, George Lucas' groundbreaking vision--the trailer offers every indication that the new Star Wars episode will be planet-shattering. In two minutes, witness the rush of images, tantalizingly cryptic and yet strangely familiar. The sheer amount of creatures--humanoids, robots, wacky monsters, Yoda, etc.--Lucas shoves in two minutes is mind-boggling (but where's Chewbacca?). Plus, the detail is astounding; freeze-frame a shot on your browser and notice how "busy" each and every frame actually is.

And then there's our familiar cast of characters, only much younger and less cautious. Jake Lloyd is young Anakin Skywalker, soon to become Darth Vader. Liam Neeson dons Jedi gear, Natalie Portman assumes her role as queen, and Samuel Jackson even throws in a oneliner. Leading the cast is Ewan McGregor as the young Obi-Wan-Kenobi (if you think about what Titanic did for DiCaprio, imagine what will happen to indie-film-loving McGregor). Lucas knows that characters--unlike many sci-fi special effects extravaganzas--are the key Star Wars' success. Thus, he casts B-list stars that blend into the Star Wars world without ruining the illusion.

True, in 1977, the sheer originality of Star Wars was astonishing. But by 1999, we'll have seen it all--a sinking Titanic, revived T-rexes, rabid aliens, etc. Why should the new Star Wars impress us?

In two minutes, Lucas silences all doubts. He reminds us what we have missed for the past 15 years--the imagination, the magic, the sheer wonder of the galaxy that is far, far away. No other movie ever been as daring, so in love with its own illusory universe.

The trailer might as well be a limited number of postcards from an exotic, tantalizing new world. In seven months, you might, just might, be able to get tickets for the grand tour.