I think it was the lightsaber that really sold me on the movie when I was a kid. I think I was what, 13? I remember talking Mom into taking me and my friend down to drop us off at the theatre like three hours early, to get a good place in line on opening day. I just ~knew~ there would be huge crowds.
Turned out that he and I sat there in line, #1 and #2 for about two hours before anybody else showed up.
Heh. But it was worth it. I remember just being utterly blown away. But the lightsabers were totally over the top.
I remember waiting in line for the second two films. Not the first.
But yeah, it was a revolutionary movie experience. Hard to explain to theboys. They just think movies have always been like that.
The cruiser flyover did it for me. "Massive" did just not do it justice.
Interesting that PJs combat system is called "Massive. But most of his special effects are so seamless, and so integrated into the story, that they're just accepted as part of the image.
I was "sold" on the opening scenes of the Shire in FOTR not because some grand special effects blew me away, but because PJ read my mind and produced the exact images I wanted to see.