Let’s look at some of
the films that received failing
ratings from the majority of critics.
Films such as "Battlefield Earth",
"Freddy Got Fingered", "Ishtar" and
"Leonard Part 6" are good examples of
failures. Is Episode II worthy of
being compared to those films? I think
not. Episode II does not have people
walking out of theaters (as all of the
films mentioned had) and will not be
remembered as a titanic cinematic
failure if nothing else based on the
millions of satisfied fans and dollars
it will generate.
I think in many ways George Lucas has
become a victim of his success, and
there are members of the media and
Hollywood who hold a grudge against
him. The man is an innovator, as he
has evolved beyond his beginnings as a
writer, director and producer, to be
the genesis behind several successful
companies. Many of which are
innovators in the fields of gaming,
FX, sound and production. You would be
hard pressed to find a filmmaker who
has become so successful in so many
different areas as Lucas, and one who
continues to drive the future of
cinema as he has with digital
filming/projection and his THX sound
standard..
Where is it written that
if a man is successful in business
that he can’t be a quality writer and
director? As for the criticism that
the acting in the new trilogy is stiff
and the dialogue is absurd, let’s not
forget that the original series had
its share of bad lines and some acting
that at times was less than stellar.
The films are meant to be a fairy tale
in space. The series tells of
seduction, redemption and good vs.
evil, and above all, faith in the
future. This is not Shakespeare, this
is an epic sci-fi fantasy and a series
that has remained popular with three
different generations and become a
part of the world culture. If Lucas
had made the new series like the
original films then he would no doubt
be accused of copying himself and not
having any fresh ideas. Instead, he
has set the new trilogy in a time that
is very different from the original
series and contains characters that
reflect this. There is no wise
cracking rogue, as there is no
Rebellion yet.
This is a time of corruption run
amuck and a society in decay much as
we had in ancient Rome. The focus is
on showing how a Republic fell and how
a dictator created situations and
manipulated people to gain power as
Hitler did. The stories for the new
series needed to focus on mystery,
darkness, betrayal and the rise of the
Empire and Darth Vader, not wise
cracking rogues and a rebellion and
clear cut good and bad guys. This is
why the film seems so different to
many viewers; it is an era we have
never seen and one that is very
different from the one that was
established in the original trilogy.
Obi Wan tells Luke that a light saber
was an elegant weapon of a more
civilized time, yet Luke uses a
blaster throughout the trilogy. You do
not see any Jedi with blasters in the
first two films thus illustrating how
different society had become in the
original series where armed occupation
was a very real factor for many of the
characters.
I digress, I can see how some would
not like the dialogue, would find the
mystery aspect of the series and a
romance amidst the chaos unacceptable
when compared to the original. To
those of you that are in this category
I offer you this observation. Ask any
fan what they thought of Episode II
and I bet you would find at least an
80% approval rating. People who are
not happy do not give films standing
ovations and do not continue to line
up outside theaters a week after a
film opens. George knows what the fans
want and he has given it to them. He
is not making movies for Hollywood but
telling the stories that he wants to
tell to the delight of billions of
satisfied fans worldwide. In doing so,
Lucas has created a series that is so
epic in scope and technical complexity
that it continues to set the standard
for all other series to aspire to.
Most of the films this summer will be
forgotten, but thirty years from now
people will still love Episode II and
Star Wars. Thank you George Lucas for
doing things your way and creating a
series that will endure for the ages.