Star Wars

Star Wars (now known as A New Hope)
Classic story structure put into a sci-fi setting. Because of this, it is the best of the bunch.

The Empire Strikes Back
Overall, a good movie. With the best cliff-hanger in the history of episodal movies.

Return of the Jedi
Meh. Incestous relations revealed, Wookies downgraded to Ewoks, and lots of other lackadaisical writing. Worst of the original three. Special effects never trump story. Probably the best thing was Leia in the slave-girl outfit.

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The Phantom Menace
Just when you think the series couldn't get more provocative than incest, lucas goes for pedophilia with a nine-year-old Anakin(Jake Lloyd) and a seventeen-year-old Padme(Natalie Portman). Jar-Jar Binks who made C3PO look cool(not even touching the Jar-Jar french kiss candy). About the best part of this was the pod-races, as it made for a good video game. In fact, all the flying seems to be specifically to sell video games. That's not bad for the bottom line, but only if it doesn't detract from the story.

Attack of the Clones
Terrible Title, good action, but lucas had lost a huge amount of the crowd with his error in judgement for phantom menace. Now the main 'romnce' players are at least the same age(apparently using Star Trek Continuity). Zam Wesell rather than padme was the strong female. Padme's parts were missing the complexity that leia had. If Jango were a mandolorian, and storm-troopers were his clones, then genetic drift must have taken place by the time of episode IV as the troopers then were easy to knock-out and kill. Overall the best of the newer trilogy.

Revenge of the Sith
Lots of good points on this movie. Wookie warfare instead of Ewoks. The big battle scenes are cool, but lack the individual perspective that makes people love movies. Significant over-evilling of Anakin with the padawan scene. The worst of this movie is Padme. I died from heartbreak for anakin, rather than love my children. That's pathetic on a new level, and what makes this one a bad apple.

The Clone Wars
This one came down to small screen video game graphics for a big-screen movie. It should've just been direct to dvd. Again, this is directed more at selling video games and related merchandising rather than telling a great story.

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So what could have been better? Well, I'll focus on the new movies since he was not limited by budgetary concerns.

The Phantom Menace
The kid should have been at least on the verge of teenager-dom. Age twelveor maybe a small thirteen would be a good figure. Remember, kids want to grow-up to be the hero ... Always. I would have probably used a younger Padme and an elder matriarchal advisor.

Attack of the Clones
Instant title change, not sure to what, but something better than this. I would have killed off the previously added elder advisor with the Padme deception. Given Padme a more girl-power role, and kept the focus on character rather than huge battle scenes. Make Anakin start the gradual descent to the dark side here.

Revenge of the Sith
Probably a different approach to Anakin's descent into the dark path. Padme should have died in child-birth, probably from injury rather than a broken heart. And the whole mention of midi-chlorians should have been avoided.

The Clone Wars
Live action or at least they should have invested in at least SHREK type of graphics. It's like sitting next to the X-box while someone else plays.

This is not a digg against Lucas as a whole, but he seems a tad out of focus with the movie-goer now. This is also shown by IJ4, but I'll save that movie for another post.