It was great...a long, long time ago.

Rating: Null/10 (24 August 1999)

I first saw STAR WARS, way back in 1977. I was 7 at the time and of course i was totally blown away by the experience. Needless to say that i watched it again during the years everytime i got the chance. Then video appeared. By now i must have watched this at least 50 or 60 times. I still love it, but of course i just don´t get to feel the magic the same way anymore. And i realy miss that.
One of the things that contributed to my disappointment with STAR WARS, was when i read a series of "forggoten" books writen by an american sci-fi writer called E.E.DOC.SMITH. This guy for those of you who don´t know, was the man who invented the whole concept of the genre, in wich STAR WARS is included, an area of sci-fi, known as Space-Opera. Giant space battle cruisers, lazers, light swords, young heroes, space mercenaries, robots ,evil cyborg villains and space battles the way we know them. ALL these were invented by E.E.DOC.SMITH way back in the early 30´s up untill late 40´s, when he created a series called "LENSMAN", that you might even heard of because there is a Manga movie made out of them. Anyway this guy, was the TOLKIEN of sci-fi, Space-Opera. Every cliché we now know, because of the STAR WARS movies, was invented by E.E.DOC.SMITH in the 1930´s. He created everything !
Among his books writen in the 30´s, there is a particular serie called "LORD TEDRIC". This was one of his "forgotten" works, because at the time of writing, it was no more than pulp fiction and nobody took it seriously because nobody except kids read science fiction these days. And so it got forgotten during the years. What is so amazing about "LORD TEDRIC" books, is that, we find, a young farm boy who becomes a hero, a space mercenary who becomes his friend, an alien cantina, two robots, a giant battlestation the size of a planet which is a sphere and blasts planets with a giant ray gun, an old mystic master, a frisky courageous princess, a villain which rules the sphere and he´s half man half machine, dresses in black and wears a mask and a cape, called FRA-VILLION (two names. ring a bell ?) and most impressive of all a strange FORCE wich is the basis of the story, (only this one is artificial and scientific). Anyway, there is much more but i guess everybody gets the point by now. Read the "LORD TEDRIC-THE BLACK KNIGHT" by E.E.DOC.SMITH for example if anybody is doubting this.
This was what disappoints me in STAR WARS this days. Are all these things in "LORD TEDRIC" books just an incredible coincidence ?! Even the trading politics from the new Star Wars movie is present in those books.
And George Lucas sued BATTLESTAR GALACTICA for imitating STAR WARS ?!!!
I still love STAR WARS, and im glad they keep doing some more movies, but i just don´t think much about the imagination of George Lucas anymore. My first disappointment was with WILLOW, which followed exactly the same formula of STAR WARS, then i read "LORD TEDRIC" and i couldn´t believe what i was reading. Anyway, i still think STAR WARS is a very good movie, which everybody should see at least once. And despite all this years it still isn´t dated. Only the good movies are like that. So i don´t think it´s that terrible as some people think.
But i would love for someone to ask George Lucas, about DOC SMITH´s books.
Coincidence or not, but im very curious.