[Mmogamer]

Movie critics are almost always wrong. If they hate it, it is almost certainly a good film to see. If they like it, usually it is dreck.

[ansel12]

The first time around, I was looking for something more Sci-fi, and I walked out, but eventually I forced myself to just relax and try to see it as others did.

I got it the second time and thought that it was kind of a fun movie, but that first one was it for me.

[Olog-hai]

“The Force is with us, indeed, and a lot of it is hot air,” wrote the New York Times’ powerful critic, Vincent Canby …

If it bothered the NYSlimes, it did a decent work there.

[odds]

“The plot seemed incomprehensible, the made-up fantasy names absurd.”

It’s simple: initially The Force wasn’t with them! ;)

[BenLurkin]

Oh come now. You just have to approach it with the right attitude:

Disney Princesses Welcome Star Wars Princess Leia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HTOWbxykLI

[Mr Rogers]

I seem to have been the only person who remembers walking away from watching the first film’s original release, seen on The Big Screen, saying, “That was stupid!” And the sequels somehow managed to go downhill...

[chajin]

After all, as Kenny and others point out, Lucas’s visual language and storytelling in Star Wars were inspired by Akira Kurosawa.

Kurosawa was influencing America directors long before Star Wars, so that is no surprise. Mark Hamill growing up in Japan may have had something to do with his being cast for the Luke Skywalker role, though Lucas was also looking for unknowns, and other than a few minor roles in TV and B films, he was quite unknown.

[Darksheare]

Ewoks, Jar Jar Binks, midichlorians, Vader as an idiot duped into the dark side instead of wanting more power...
The idiotic decisions by Lucas himself go on and on..

[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."

[SkyPilot]

I watched this entire video once, featuring behind the scenes footage of Lucas making The Phantom Menace:

Star Wars Episode I The Beginning: Making Episode I

Several points come across rather clearly:

- Lucas is not nearly as talented (or as smart) as he thinks he is

- Statements from him such as "Jar Jar is the key!" are not only laughable, but demonstrate his foolishness

- He bullies his staff, and they treat him like a demi-god in return

I still cannot make myself call the third sequel, "Episode 1" anymore than I can force myself to call the 1977 original "Episode 4." It is the equivilent to people asking me to call Bruce Jenner "Caitlyn" or refer to that butchered man as "she."

Still -Lucas is a billionaire, and I am not. But at least I have a belief in Christ, which is something he clearly lacks. For him, this fantasy he created is his religion, along with the virgin birth of the annoying blonde kid playing Vadar as a boy, and the rest of "The Force" garbage.

Good luck to him......he is going to need it.

[Sir Napsalot]

>>> “..... 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.”

Who could live without a NYTimes/New Yorker “renowned” film critic? (I’ll be the first one to raise both of my hands)

Wny does even every film need to be gritty, amoral, ideology-driven, or completely dry but edgy/profound dialog?

The same critic probably praised the “Tomorrowland” to no end, is my guess.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Frankly there is a lot truth in this article. I think the Star Wars movies along with others probably helped dumb down the film industry.

Where once you had a plethora of diverse films of all types we see too many special effect laden movies deigned for mass appeal and little else.

This is not say that good drama’s, thriller’s, and comedies are not there but they certainly get overshadowed in the film market today and as such do not get the kind of audience they once did. I will backtrack and say that a really good comedy can score big if it’s done right.

[ozzymandus]

People are afraid to admit they think Star Wars sucks. I’ll admit it, every Star Wars movie sucks, and I’ve never watched one all the way through.

[PAR35]

The first two films glorified fascism and racism.

The award scene at the end of the first move is cribbed straight from Leni Riefenstahl. The plot line of the second movie is that a Black man will sell out his friend for a chance at a white woman.

[Organic Panic]

What snooty movie critics.

“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.”

CAN'T WE JUST HAVE FUN!!! Does EVERYTHING have to shove liberal morality in our faces? These fools will laugh and impugn anything remotely Christian and moral but will celebrate the filthy anti-American lies from De Palma!

Star Wars was just fun. Brain candy. The Phantom Menace trio was abominable. Even the Star Wars Christmas special was better than those three. For the best take down look for Mr. Plinkett's Star Wars review on youtube. WAY better than the movies.

[DemforBush]

I saw the first three SW films in theater as a kid (very little, for the first one). I was oohed-and-ahhed by them, no question. One of the big attractions was the eye candy factor. For a kid raised on reruns of 60’s tv sci-fi Lost in Space and the original Star Trek, that first shot of a Star Destroyer hunting down Leia’s vessel took one’s breath away.

I would agree the movies aren’t deep, being more soap opera in space than genuine science fiction. And George Lucas, has always made the mistake of thinking that just because they can direct an action blockbuster, that he can also write good dialogue (see also: James Cameron). The fact that I’ve never bothered to watch any of the original three as an adult sort of speaks to how they’ve aged, in my view. I’ve seen Star Trek: Wrath of Khan at least 20 times, by comparison.

I’ve never bothered to even try to watch any of the newer films. They all looked mindless, even compared to the thin scripts of the original trilogy.

[sauropod]

bfl

[Darksheare]

And for extra pain: The Star Wars Holiday Special.

[Rummyfan]

After The Empire Strikes Back, it's been all downhill. The last three were almost unwatchable, mainly due to the horrible casting of Hayden Christiansen. And Jar Jar Binks? Ugh....

[Stentor]

I can’t believe that anyone who grew up reading Science Fiction in the 50s, 60s, and 70s would think that the first movie was anything other than boring crap. Saw it the first night thinking that there was finally going to be a good sci/fi movie. So disappointing.