I’ll probably be ousted from my position as movie reviewer for admitting this, but I must be honest: I had never seen Star Wars before it recently came back in the theaters.

I know, I know, I’m a traitor to my generation, especially since I was actually alive when it first bombarded theaters. But after I saw it this week, I realized that everything on the screen, except for a few lines that have become mantras for Gen-Xers, was new to my eyes.

Part of this never-seen-that-before feeling is due to the fact that this version of Star Wars does contain a few extra scenes, digital sound and a whole lotta improvements in visual effects.

Plus, seeing it with “adult” eyes puts a different spin on things — I finally got all of the jokes, I fully understood the plot, and I definitely picked up on the sexual tension between Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker.

But I still understand why this movie is such a blast with kids. The plot is pretty simple: Good versus evil in a David and Goliath sort of way is what it basically boils down to.

In addition, kids of all ages dig the special effects — a mish-mash of explosions, phaser fire, light saber duels and mid-galaxy adventure. The folks who reworked this film obviously spent a lot of time and moolah polishing it up after 20 years in a dusty vault, and their effort is duly noted.

The trilogy inspired an entire generation of adventure movies (and movie-goers), and despite its age, it can stand up to any of Hollywood’s present-day offerings. The special effects are that good.

The fight scenes are way more realistic, the colors are vibrant (not like some movies from the 70s that appear very brown and dingy), and there are a couple of additional scenes that explain heaps about what happens in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

The exchange between Han and Jabba the Hutt is amazing — that nasty slug actually moves and interacts with our man Han, and Han actually steps on his tail, eliciting a gasp and wince from the Jab-ster! Lucas and company really worked some magic.

The Empire Strikes Back is set to launch into theaters Feb. 21, with Return of the Jedi following on its heels on March 7. Everyone should see these movies. Like the guy in the previews said, “You haven’t seen anything till you’ve seen everything.”