I want to believe... or how I hope Lucas will redeem this story

I am Neema Aghamohammadi and I'm a recovering Star Wars addict.

I was a true believer. My childhood memories are filled with Star Wars memorabilia. I eagerly awaited the rerelease of the original trilogy in '97 and could barely wait for Episode I. I saw it the first day... and came away disappointed. Yet, I still believed... and even saw Episode II on opening day. It wasn't such a bad movie but it wasn't what I had imagined. Having read the books from the original trilogy, there were many tantalizing hints.

What drew me (and likely many others) to Star Wars and the mythology of the movie was not the lightsaber duels or the battles. It wasn't the corny lines or the bad acting, either. Unfortunately, what drew me in was the story of how an entire civilization be co-opted and destroyed. How could evil triumph over good? How did the Emperor corrupt Anakin's soul?

Unfortunately, the lure of money and greed corrupted George Lucas. He created a universe and a myth far larger than anything he could imagine in his own mind. Rather than bring in others to help him with the creation of this universe, he relied on technology and CGI to do the real work. Episodes I & II lack the beauty of the original trilogy.

I can only hope that somewhere, deep inside Lucas beats the heart of the original trilogy. I don't want to be disappointed. I have look forward to this story for far too long.

I want to believe.