The Future Will Be More Generous

Rating: Null/10 (18 July 2001)

The most anticipated film of all time, if it was a cross between THE GODFATHER, GONE WITH THE WIND and CASABLANCA it could not have lived up to exectations. The peculiar plot, based not on someone taking over the Galaxy but over some trade difficulties (that came to the attention of the GTO, the Galaxy Trade Organization, I presume) that might've come out of Kissenger's DIPLOMACY. Unfamiliar characters, in the main, except for R2D2, Yoda and Palpatine (other familiar characters we know appear, but in such different incarnations that they're unfamiliar), make the movie a little less accessible than the last two "Star Wars" movies.
The film contains many weaknesses. The most glaring and often indicated is the Rastafarian Jar-Jar, perhaps the most annoying character in movie history. Yet the kiddies loved him, so perhaps Lucas knew what he was doing (making money-wise, and that's what movies are all about). The pod race is also annoying -- not the race so much as 1) the announcer, who sounds like he couldn't make it in NASCAR, and 2) the fact that we know who's going to win. Darth Vader's origins were too suspiciously and needlessly Messianic (I suspect Palpatine, or someone like him, met Darth's mother in a bar and played the ol' Jedi mind trick on her). And the origins of C-3PO are unbelievable (though they may explain a few of his personality quirks). The promising Liam Neeson remained unengaging and talked more egregious mystical blather than anyone in the film so far (at least Alec Guinness, who hated "Star Wars" and thought the "force" talk was unadulterated foolishness, nevertheless was so professional that he gave it unparalleled sincerity) But we have to remember, keeping the faults in mind, that Lucas is preparing a solid base to support the rest of his vision. The film had, of necessity, to be slower and with more loose ends, and he shows the descent of Palpatine and Vader.
Strengths are Lucas' realizations of new worlds, especially, whatever we think of the inhabitants, his under-sea civilization. The Senate Chamber was a masterful (and vertigo-inducing) stroke. The Jedi Council, though underused in this film, gave us hope for the movies yet to come. Mace Windu, merely making a bow in PHANTOM MENACE, lifted the production significantly. And Ewan McGregor's Alec Guinness impersonation was pretty good.
The greatest problem with the film, perhaps inspiring much of its dislike, is that it caused a paradigm shift that will forever change our view of the series. If Lucas had been able to give us the final trilogy (which now Lucas says he never intended), the shift might've been mitigated. THE GODFATHER SAGA may be seen as stories of Don Corleone and Michael. STAR WARS cannot now be the story of Darth Vader/Luke Skywalker. Luke has been relegated to a supporting role, and Han Solo's stock has declined even farther. Whether we even realize it or not, the hero of the "Star Wars" saga is no longer Luke Skywalker. All the movies, from now on, will be just episodes in the life of Darth Vader.
Yet future generations, who did come come in watching the series backwards, but who can see all six films in a boxed set of whatever replaces DVDs, will see a very solid series of six good films whose stories get better as they roll along (I like ewoks). And, like it or not, this is George Lucas' vision. If we want our vision on the screen we'd better come up with a couple of hundred million simoleans and have good blarney to persuade some cynical producer that however much you spend on production, you'll be able to make a hundred times in action figure sales.