There is No Hero

Rating: Null/10 (15 May 2002)

The whole Star Wars Prequel (both I and II) has been one big disappointment. All that movies seem to rely on these days are special effects. I found Star Wars: Episode II to be as confusing as Episode I. The genius which Lucas had drawn from the works of Joseph Campbell in the 1970s is highly lacking in the new episodes. Maybe it's for the simple fact that one has no interest in relating to any of the characters in the movie because there is no true hero and no real character involvement. Though George pushes for it, we all know where Anakin is headed and we are loathe to identify with this future traitor. The glory of the first Star Wars trilogy lay largely in the hero, Luke, who embodies the noblest and most ideal qualities of humanity. Luke Skywalker inspired the audience with his naivete, integrity, growing wisdom, lofty idealism, and his eventual journey towards Jedi glory. The viewer lived out Luke's experiences vicariously. But in the new Star Wars triology, there is no one to take on the responsibility of our imagination.
Certainly not the illaudable Anakin, who is surely the greatest known disappointment, nor the personality-less Jedi Council and grammatically challenged Yoda. Not the uninspiringly fallible Obi-Wan (his folly being his conceit). And definitely not the passively hyper-feminine Senator Padme (at least Leia had an attitude on her--thanks to the saving grace of the Women's Liberation movement). These characters provide little fodder for an audience's yearning for heroism with a greater purpose. Though the prequels provides the history to Star Wars IV, V, and VI, they are unlikely to appeal to mass audiences who care less about science fiction and more about universal themes of human growth, change, and triumph over adversity. In Star Wars I and II, Lucas fails to engage the audience with these crucial elements that comprise a great heroic epic.