Episode I - Affirmative Action

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 2003)

Took me 5 years to eventually get around to see this. Only serendipitously too, as I sauntered down Lexington Ave, trying to kill time before a rendezvous, I happened upon a seedy antique/junk store. There covered with dust, hidden amongst forgotten B classics, and gay porn, I found this movie. My time had finally come. I shelled out the 5 bux, and threw it in my bag. Verdict: I liked it. One thing I had never been able to get out of people was just how good is it compared to its predecessors. My opinion, its in the same ballpark, somewhere between the first two and the weaker Return of the Jedi. The storyline is very simple, and the dialogue none too clever, but all in all it works and seems a fitting introduction to the saga the entire world knows so well. The obligatory 'chariot race' action sequence, as well as the obligatory 'duel to the death', both are imaginative, new and expertly delivered. One thing negative; where the first two movies raised interesting questions and puzzles, and left you hungry for answers, this movie is all answers. Almost as if Lucas feels he is running out of time, and that the remaining installments won't be sufficient to reveal all he has to tell. In that, it's sort of hokey. I don't think we, as viewers really needed this. Example: C3PO was assembled as a sort of toy in Darth Vader's youth? All I can say is we better see what happened to his memory banks that erased all recollection of that, and his time on the planet he returns to in the original Star Wars. As for my one line summary? What are we to think? That since there are virtually no African Americans in Star Wars, which takes place AFTER this, that only Billy Dee Williams survived into future generations? It's kind of silly. JaJa Binx got bad press. He's actually got some funny moments. One thing, I know this was made in the mid 90s, but the scene at the Republican senate was eerily similar to what is taking place in the UN today. The democratically elected Queen's planet has obviously been invaded, but the terrorist invading force is able to manipulate an impotent bureacracy, and filibuster condemnation and action, by ordering a frivoulus full-scale investigation. Yup, Lucas is still a genius.