SWTOTD SWTOTD 19 - Troops need Troops 4/5/2005 11:15:00 AM | Zeroplate Someone has started a petition to get the troops in the US Military who are serving abroad the chance to see ROTS on or as close as possible to the May release date. I know from living on a US Army base abroad that it can be difficult to keep current with movies, and that when movies do blow into town, they are only there for a one or two weekend run, so you get a small window of opportunity to see a film if you are interested. But... Star Wars movies have the largest scale international simultaneous release of any movies. Episode III will be playing in a theater near you, with a few exceptions, no matter where you are on the globe in May. For those in remote or front-line positions or actually riding in tanks on May 19th, yeah, seeing the new Star Wars flick on opening day isn't going to be an option, but it's probably not the foremost thought on those folks' minds either. Besides, from what I hear, digital bootlegs are cheap and everywhere in Iraq, so the troops will probably have access to the ROTS dvd before any of the rest of us, and can watch it frame by frame if they'd like. But all of this side-steps the real weird thing to me, which is this: do we want to be showing a film about an Evil Empire taking over the galaxy through manipulation and military force to our servicemen and women who are, like, doing the same thing? Let's not forget that the rebels in Star Wars are terrorists, using small, single-man fighters to fly into and destroy large Imperial ships and structures like the Death Star. They are a rag-tag network of spies and mercenaries and para-military types who want to see the current administration destroyed. Now, I'm not saying one is equal to two here, but history has a funny way of siding with the victors in any situation like this. Would the rise of the Empire be a rallying piece of propaganda for US troops, or would it cause some of them to think that maybe what they are out there doing is a little misguided? Probably neither, in reality, and I'm all for people getting see Star Wars. I'm just sayin'. Back to Top {0} Comments

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