[Dr. Sivana]

“a film with comic-book characters, an unbelievable story, no political or social commentary, lousy acting, preposterous dialogue, and a ridiculously simplistic morality. In other words, a bad movie.”

The comic book characters of Ancient Greece and Rome (Zeus/Jupiter, Venus/Aphrodite, Hermes/Mercury), are still with us,with the same famous stories told and retold numerous times.

"Star Wars" as a whole has a lightly gnostic undercurrent (one Force, light and dark), and the bit in "Phantom Menace" about Anakin having no father borders on blasphemy.

Seventy-five years later, "The Wizard of Oz" still makes everyone's Top Ten. There is nothing inherently wrong with trying to do a top shelf version of the old movie serials with high production values, just as there was nothing wrong with Hitchcock making Psycho as a top shelf horror movie with high production values (despite record production time).

There is nothing about the Star Wars franchise that prevents the next "My Dinner with Andre" from becoming a reality.

As Samuel Goldwyn once said, "If you want to send a message, try Western Union."

[BenLurkin]

the bit in "Phantom Menace" about Anakin having no father borders on blasphemy.

Is blasphemy.

[FredZarguna]

Was the myth of Mut-em-ua -- a virgin birth of Egyptian mythology that precedes Christianity by 2000 years -- also bordering on blasphemous? Were the incarnations of Vishnu, stories which predate Christianity by 500-1500 years similarly blasphemous? How about Zoroaster, born of a virgin 1100 years before Christ?

The truth is that the virgin birth myth doesn't originate with Christianity. There are dozens of examples of it. It's a popular mythical idea that Christians did not invent.