Robbie Iles will ring in his birthday in a galaxy far, far away.
The geography senior turns 23 on Friday, and he’ll kick off the celebration at tonight’s midnight premiere of “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” in 3-D. His girlfriend surprised him with the tickets — the perfect gift for a die-hard fan of director George Lucas’ space saga.
Iles is a long-time lover of the series, who says he’s seen each film at least 10 times.
“I remember back in the day watching it on the VCR,” he said. “I would rewind them over and over I.”
The re-release is a chance for “Star Wars” to reach a new generation of fans, but it’s also an opportunity for fanatics to go back to the universe that has enchanted them for years.
That’s the case for kinesiology freshman Logan Horton, who also plans to attend the midnight premiere. Horton said the series carries a message of opportunity and possibility that anyone can connect to.
“Both the main characters from the prequels and the original trilogy, Luke and Anakin [Skywalker], they’re average guys,” Horton said. “One guy can just change the fate of the