Thursday Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox announced the release date for the 3D re-release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and angry “Star Wars” fans and film snobs around the world did exactly what you’d expect them to. They took to movie websites, film blogs and message boards and rekindled the unending debate over the quality of the 1999 science fiction prequel.

3D re-releases of all six “Star Wars” movies were announced by Lucasfilm Ltd. in September. Lucasfilm is converting the six movies into 3D using a digital post-processing method made popular with movies like “Alice in Wonderland” and “Clash of the Titans.”

Many longtime fans of the series are skeptical about the decision, citing the low quality of other unconverted 3D movies as well as George Lucas’s old habit of squeezing money out of beloved film franchises.

I may be putting a lot of my Star Wars street cred on the line by admitting this, but I genuinely enjoy “The Phantom Menace.” It is not a good film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a blast to watch and fun movies become more fun in 3D.

Look at “Jackass 3D” or “Step Up 3D,” they took the already successful formula of the first two “Jackass” movies and made it more enjoyable by adding a third dimension. Imagine how exhilarating it will be to see podracers zooming past your face as Anakin struggles in a race for freedom or the thrill of experiencing the Gungan army and the Separatist droid army facing off against each other in the 3rd dimension.

The fights were well choreographed, the locations were beautiful and the movie has worked as an incredible tool for bringing newer, younger viewers into the sometimes daunting world of hardcore “Star Wars” fandom.

Finally, It took me several years to come to grips with this, but I’m a fan of Jar Jar Binks. I love watching that adorable, amphibious alien bumble around Tatooine getting Ewan McGregor and Liam Nieson into trouble. Sure, he was loud, obnoxious and a totally offensive racial caricature, but I stand by my personal belief that Jar Jar was, and continues to be, a great addition to the “Star Wars” Galaxy. At the very least, watching him stick his tongue into the glorious third dimension will be enough to woo even the snootiest of cinephiles.