A long line again appeared in front of the Ziegfield Theater in Manhattan, but this time it was full of fans with tickets...

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Wednesday, May 19, 1999 3:33:52 PM EST

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...and the scene was similiar in front of a Los Angeles theater

(CNN) -- Either the critics have it wrong, or "Star Wars" fans are blinded by loyalty. Moviegoers began packing theaters for showings of the "Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. And, unlike many critics, they came out with rave reviews.

"The best of the bunch," extolled 16-year-old Phillip DeBono, who saw the film at New York's Ziegfeld Theater. "It's as good as Darth Vader is bad."

The rest of the folks leaving that Manhattan theater reassured those waiting outside in the rain that they were in for an "excellent" and "fantastic" experience. There were similar scenes at theaters across the country, from Charleston, West Virginia, to Los Angeles.

The New York crowd, filled with Wookiees, Obi-Wan Kenobis and Princess Leias, partied for hours before the first show. Scalpers joined them, asking $100 for a ticket, more than 10 times face value. They'll be working long hours. "The Phantom Menace" is playing around the clock at five city theaters.

Theaters are filling seats at all hours of the day and night

Cinemas shouldn't have a problem filling up. One employment agency has estimated that 2.2 million people will skip work on Wednesday to see the film.

One Indiana company -- Net Direct, an Internet access company -- tried to head off a potentially costly sickout by giving its 25 workers free tickets to a midnight screening in exchange for showing up the next day. The general manager says paying $100 for the tickets was chump change compared to what it would have cost if they didn't show for work.

A company in New Jersey took a different approach. It decided to suck up the loss and please a dozen employees, by giving them the day off to see the movie.

Warren Deans knew better than to play hooky. The 26-year-old paralegal from Brooklyn, said he would still be able to make it to work Wednesday morning after a 6:30 a.m. screening.

"I've been waiting 16 years to see this," he said. "It brings back the child in all of us."

The new film is the freshest "Star Wars" material, since "Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" was released in 1983. Fans say it was worth the wait, while most critics argue that director-producer George Lucas should have quit while he was ahead.

"It took you almost into another world," marveled Keith Arbeeny, who donned a "Star Wars" stormtrooper's helmet. "It was mind-boggling, like nothing I've ever seen."

"I'd see it five times, 10 times... it's a very good movie. Better than the first one, maybe."	"The best part was the last part, the action series... that was the best part. No way (was I) disappointed, critics are wrong! 'Star Wars' number one! "	"The movie was amazing! By George, you've done it again. It was wonderful."

Reviewer Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News apparently was looking for more substance. "It's all sound and fury and special effects, signifying nothing," Bernard wrote.

Fan Robert Farrel says paying $100 to a scalper for tickets was worth every penny. "The special effects are out of this world," he said.

This guy is giving away free software from online retailer Beyond.com at a movie theater in Los Angeles

Was he just rationalizing?

Variety reviewer Todd McCarthy wrote that he found it neither captivating nor transporting. "It lacks any emotional pull," McCarthy declared.

Ultimately, the box office cares only about what the fans think -- they're the ones buying the tickets. With a five-day opening window, "The Phantom Menace" is expected to beat the opening record of $90.2 million set by "Lost World: Jurassic Park" in 1997.

No doubt the film will be able to cover the $115 million it cost to make, but the bigger question is whether it can get enough repeat business to match the $600 million "Titanic" collected in North America alone.

The film also will be competing against its predecessors. The original "Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope" is the No. 2 film of all time in sales, with $461 million in domestic box-office revenue. "Return of the Jedi," the No. 7 film, has grossed $309 million. And "Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" has made $290 million to earn ninth place.

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The voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones, on why "Star Wars" is important to people [471k WAV] or [2.7Mb QuickTime]

Sure, the hype should help generate business. But it also seems to prompt some people to considerable efforts in response.

For example, a 28-year-old actor in Tucson, Arizona, says he has legally changed his name to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Terry Wilkowski says it wasn't a publicity stunt. But it could help his career. He says he didn't get a lot of calls because his name was long and hard to pronounce.

This is not an original idea. Earlier this month, North Carolina school teacher officially changed her name from Jennifer Briggs to Obi-Wan Kenobi Briggs.

It's all too much for Peter Allen Webb, a sophomore at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He and his friends got so fed up with the hype, they've created an anti-"Star Wars" Web site, www.ihatestarwars.com. Webb insists the backlash is all in good fun. He has tickets for a Wednesday showing, too.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.