Good, but a bit depressing

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2002)

** possible vague spoilers **
Why did we see Episode I three times? Because the kids loved Annakin as a kid and especially the pod races.
Why are we NOT going to see this one three times? Because the kids weren't so wild about the love scenes and  get this  they thought that the movie was too violent. I think probably the point was that the violence does not result in a happy ending. The violence is leading us down the primrose path, which is of course the true nature of violence, but not particularly what the kids want to see.
George, I'm not really sure *I* want to see the sequel to this.
Episode II actually is a good adult movie. The acting was improved. The special effects were improved. The CG characters really move smoothly and gracefully this time, where they were jerky before. The thoughts being conveyed are subtle, important thoughts: Where does violence come from? Where does violence lead? How does a flatterer manipulate a person who is less than he thinks he is? How does an inexperienced foster father fail in raising an emotionally disturbed teenager? Why do great women destroy themselves by falling in love with men whom they know or should know to be evil? (Not that we can figure out the answer to this one from this movie, mind you.) And how do people in power manipulate public impressions to achieve evil goals?
But I get it. I know where this is going. You've really already told us what has to be filled in in the next episode. Do I need to see all the dismal, awful details? I don't want to see Mace Windu or Jar Jar Binks killed or the galactic senate destroyed. I especially don't need to see Amidahla killed (Please just have her disappear into hiding or stasis and maybe come back in episode VII, OK? PLEASE!!)
George, I want to pass on some advice from the kids. They want to see more prequels. They want to see the life of Yoda before he was led into the debacle of Palpatine's empire. They want to see the cute super-warrior doing great and productive things. Maybe he would be sort of a Pokemon, but the kids would like it. I think I would, too.
I mean we're sitting here in Episode II in real life as well. Somehow, through our own kind of blindness toward the dark side, our whole world is being dragged into World War III  the war Osama bin Laden wants to unleash and we can't see our way out of. We don't even have a Yoda. If it happens, it won't be pretty. A lot of us - maybe most of us - will die; maybe from being bombed, maybe from radiation, maybe from starvation after our economic system is ruined by terrorism. Do we need to see this on the screen in the next few years?
But of course I will go to see the sequel. How can I not? Star Wars is such a great cultural institution of our possibly soon-to-vanish culture. Assuming that anyone even still has electricity after World War III is over, I can only hope that kids will be watching Star Wars 2500 years from now, just as some people are still reading Homer's `Odyssey'.