In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the release of Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace this month, the film has returned to theaters. And at the behest of the editors of this magazine, I returned to theaters to watch it on the big screen once again, as I did for its 20th anniversary five years ago.

The Star Wars prequels — that is, Episode I: The Phantom Menace, along with Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith — represent something of a generational yardstick for me and my fellow millennials. Each anniversary milestone it hits, we are reminded of how old we were then, how old we are now, and the ever-growing gulf between those ages and times. Each generation has these cultural yardsticks, of course. Every parent has heard how old and lame his or her music is, how bygone and forgotten his or her starlets or athletes.