Oh that is lovely. A tour de force!

In that "Star Wars is Satan's Tool" page, is that red trident supposed to be R2-D2's schlong.

I was never crazy about the 1st one. If I remember right, I saw Empire Strikes Back with an Army buddy who was so bored we left halfway thru. Return of the Jedi was like a bad musical, where you cringe every time the music starts; I cringed every time another light saber duel started.

On the other hand, I was one of the few who LIKED Jar Jar Binks, because he was the only character not sleepwalking thru the film. I avoided the Clones.

I finally posted my review which is a slightly controlled rant. But then again, control is overrated.

See also: Revenge of the Stiff!

George Lucas. Star Wars. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.

The Jar Jar link has GOT to be a parody. PLEASE tell me it is a parody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This may be the best B.A. post ever...

I can't help but feel completely, utterly, fervently, indifferent.

All of this SW ranting and raving could be avoided if people only realized that the first SW film was (regardless of what Lucas wanted) really a movie for kids 10 to 15 years old. Unfortunately, it was hijacked by everyone calling it a "film for kids of all ages".

Since Ep IV, Lucas has acted schizophrenically. In Empire he added disturbing father-son relationships and major character dismembering. Strangely, in Return he changed "revenge" to "return" to avoid giving a bad example to the little tikes and added teddy bears to the mix but put Leia in a fetish outfit.

Adults keep saying that Empire and now Sith are the best films of the six, but that's because they are the "dark" ones. None of this changes the fact that the whole thing is still for kids.

Why anyone over 15 makes such a big fuzz about the whole thing is beyond me.

Gad, the teddy bears...

("Would someone mind explaining how C-3PO could forget to mention he had been created by Darth Vader & knew all about his turn to evil decades before Luke heard him say, In fact, I'm not even sure which planet I'm on, when, in fact, he was on his BIRTH PLANET talking to his creator's son

Well, to be fair, at the end of this last movie, Ewan McGregor specifically orders "wipe the memory of that protocol droid."

I mean, there's so much else to bitch about without floating inaccurate complaints ...

And I kept trying to imagine actors that ooze charisma in the roles of Anakin and Padme, to try and envision whether it's mainly that the dialogue is unmanageable or whether the actors bear responsibility ... but then it hurts my head.

The reason it's worth commenting on is because of its huge cultural icon status. Love it or hate it, Star Wars is hard to ignore. "The Force" and "Darth Vader" have been part of mainstream popular culture for 28 years now. "Star Wars" itself acquired a significant political connotation in the 80s with the SDI. "Jabba the Hut" was a great character for me, a dead ringer for many of the business excutives I used to work with. (In contrast, Jar Jar Binks is the single most annoying character I've ever seen on screen.)

Unhappily, the series never lived up to the modern myth/great stort-telling expectations generated by "The Empire Strikes Back." The third film was weak and the fourth and fifth films were horrible. The final film was better, but that isn't saying much.

Further to my last post, check out the great analysis of why Star Wars still sells at "Star Wars, Nothing but Star Wars: Episode III may be a steaming pile of Sith, but that hardly matters," by Nick Gillespie. http://www.reason.com/hod/ng051905.shtml

Bill,

Sam Jackson is a fine actor and his role was HORRIBLE. His dialog was some of the worst in the film delivered like he was an amateur. It is the dialog, but more importantly, it is the direction.

What happened to the director of American Graffiti?

A lesson for artists: your ideas about what you should be doing aren't necessarily where your talent lies. Chekhov thought he was a failure because he never wrote a novel. Hardy had a low opinion of his novels because he thought he should be writing verse.

Something about the space opera gets in the way of Lucas' talent. Or maybe he was just corrupted by Hollywood.

But you have to admit it's better than World Cup SUCKer ANY freaking day!

JohnnyPod of The Weekly Standard

and

"The Derb" of NRO's The Corner

are both playa hatin' on the new Star Wars.

Well, I haven't seen III yet (2 of my daughters did yesterday - both liked it) but I'm going to because I have to have some closure here.

I was 23 when the first SW came out and I suppose you really had to be a young adult at the time having grown up with wonderful, engaging written sci-fi of Asimov, Heinlein, Sturgeon, Bradbury, Clarke, Herbert, et al and yet being almost totally frustrated by sci-fi in the visual medium. There was this idea that sci-fi had to be shiney suits and weird music (forget about plot/theme/character...let's just stick some models on wire and swing 'em around..the kids will buy it). Yes there were brilliant exceptions, ie Rod Serlings masturful "Planet of the Apes"..but one got mostly schlock like "Logan's Run"

SW was different, from theng shot as the cruiser slides overhead...on..and on...and on (and I easily recall at many of the first showings I attended in Summer of '77, people literally slumping down into their seats as if the ship were truly overhead) you immediately knew this was different. You WERE in a different galaxy, but emotionally Lucas had you grounded in familiar mythological themes, anchored by a classical-based score that didn't jar your ears and distract from the story -- indeed, John Williams music heightened one's emotional involvement in the movie. (Recall the anxiety you'd develop, the goosebumps, when hearing the "shark's music" during Jaws, even if you never saw the fish.)

Empire built upon the theme... Luke's callow youth grew up, Han started thinking about other things beyond smuggling for personal gain, etc. It was a sequel that stood up, even in certain respects exceeded, the original.

Then it all fell apart. I don't know if it was because Lucas got sucked in by the dark force of merchandising so he crafted his epic to the demographic of "I want a Ewok for Christmas..and I x-wing fighter.. and..and.." or if he just didn't have a strong enough belief in the universe he created to carry it through the whole story arch.

SW at least allowed for sci-fi not to be treated by the film industry as the retarded child kept in the basement. If nothing else, studio execs are pimps and Space-Opera with big explosions and shiney things that can sell in a Happy Meal has them greenlighting Sci-fi's next trick. Even Spielberg prostituted himself with Jurassic Park II in order to get Schindler's List made.

Let's see if SWIII has the legs to go through the summer.

And it's sad, too, that Lucas has lost the touch to appeal to both kids and adults with great writing. I guess that's now left up to the folks at Pixar.

Well. I am an unapologetic Star Wars geek. I adored the first series. From the first shot of the starcruiser overhead it had me in its grip. I never took it seriously as philosophy or story, or acting or character. I can't imagine why people want to sit down and pick it apart so much. It was just huge fun, wonderful action adventure, and jaw-dropping state of the art cinematography.

The second prequel trilogy I possibly prefer in some ways to the originals. I haven't seen III yet. The CGI is even more awesome. The stories I found more interesting with some bigger ideas yet still not taking itself too seriously.

Unlike 90% of the rest of moviegoing humanity, I loved Jar Jar Binks. I found him hilarious in a classic slapstick way. Maybe his clumsiness and total uncool lameness just reminded me so much of myself that I couldn't help but love him.

All the advanced "buzz" about the big Space Wars Movie Number 3 really had me in a fever pitch this weekend, so I thought I'd head over to the Cineplex to see for myself what the hubbub was all about. But then I thought... instead, why not have sexual intercourse with a woman?

My impressions: while the dialog was, at times, stilted and awkward, I really enjoyed all the costumes and special effects. I don't want be a "spoiler" but the ending was really satisfying, although not everybody there agreed.

Lots of stuff blew up in spectacular fashion. Guys fought with lightsabres and I like spaceships.

Worth $8 bucks? Yeah.

Somewhere in there, some guy goes all evil and I really don't know why.

8 bucks?? You must have done the bargain matinee

And roll the fuck off Jar-Jar Binks, while we're at it...and that goes for everybody!
Damn: Does the phrase slap-schtick comedy-relief clarify the character for the non-thinking?

Heh...I saw Episode III at the first midnight showing and then again two days later.

I liked it.

And please - nobody start comparing Episode III to current political events.....you'll just look stupid.

(((jeffie)))
I was never crazy about the 1st one. If I remember right, I saw Empire Strikes Back with an Army buddy who was so bored we left halfway thru. Return of the Jedi was like a bad musical, where you cringe every time the music starts; I cringed every time another light saber duel started.

Oh, bah, humbug. As i recall you didn't like Videodrome much either! ;)

How 'bout alla 'chu post-modern sophistos drop the stultifying analysis and let the rest of us simple uncynical 14-year-olds-at-heart enjoy the movie?
And, umm, i am not alone-- the boxoffice don't lie. ;)