Star Wars: Rug Rats All Growed Up

[Tommy]

Star Wars: Rug Rats All Growed Up
by Tommy
Watching George Lucas’ lastest installment of the Star Wars saga is like watching the Rug Rats.  All the characters grew up together.  It’s an obvious attempt to link the entire Star Wars universe, but the idea just doesn’t work for the series.  George would have us believe that in a Universe as vast as Star Wars, C-3PO is created by Anakin, Bobo Fett met Obi Wan, Creedo grew up with Anakin, Jabba the Hut witnessed Anakin’s first Pod Victory and R2D2 was in on everything.  Why not have Han Solo be somebody’s nephew or cousin?  No worry, I’m sure he’ll show up soon enough.

The Newer movies conflict with the older ones.  For instance, why didn’t Darth Vader recognize C3PO or R2.  Obi Wan would have recognized them too, and they him (the meeting occurs in Star Wars).  Also, people on some planets must age slower than others.  Padme was on the former.

In the 1970’s Star Wars saying “May the Force be with you,” was like saying “God be with you.”  No one exhibited signs of Jedi, it was just a polite gesture.  Whereas in the newer films, children are born Jedi.  They have Jedi reflexes, senses and all that mumbo jumbo...  Luke never displayed any signs of Jedi, yet he was the chosen one.  What happened to all the children who had Jedi potential, did they just suddenly stop being born?

Phantom Menace was much better than Attack of the Clones.  The story was more fluid and the script more memorable.  Clones just seemed to drag on in the beginning while the final conflict was cut short.  The Yoda battle saved the movie.  Another interesting observation is that both Menace and Clones are before Star Wars, but they look light years ahead.  Must be the CGI.

[frannie]

couple of bones to pick here:
1)  R2 and C3PO were generic robots.  Even though Anakin built C3PO there were others that looked just like him.  For example the "familiar face" 3PO sees in Cloud City.  A more contempory analogy would be going out to the parking lot of your local mall.  Could you pick the ford Taurus you owned 30 years ago from a sea of identical cars?

2)  Greedo didn't grow up with Anakin.  He was a teenager when he was killed by Han in the cantina.  Different characters but same species.

3)  I believe that people would still be born with Jedi powers.  The screening and training programs would have been shut down so

[Steven Millan]

                 Some really good points you made there,regarding the universe in the Star Wars prequels,Tommy,for it's the CGI FX that makes the Naboo/Jedi Counsel-reigned galaxy look a lot more advanced,and lights years ahead,than in Episodes 4-6(guess the Empire took away all of that computer technology,and every form of entertainment,just to keep the people of the galaxy down and in ruins).
                 George Lucas also sugarcoated the Star Wars universe for the kiddie audience,which he is heavily pandering to,thanks to his kids,with his inclusion of the pre-teen Anakin as one of the lead heroes in Episode 1,as well as that film's two headed alien sports commentator(in the pod races),and Jar Jar Binks(who is thankfully---thankfully---underused in Episode 2),as well as what you described in your first paragraph(why doesn't Darth Vader recognize Threepio on Chewbacca's shoulders in "The Empire Strikes Back"[too caught up in his own evil?],as well as the elderly Obi-Wan[guess it was old,senile age],).
                Despite your heavily despised first Godzilla post, I'm glad to see that you're giving us some very challenging posts that make us think,and explore
the concepts of any film you discuss,analyze,and openly disect.
                Welcome aboard this board,Tommy!

[J.R.]

The Phantom Menace is THE most disappointing movie ever. AOTC has enough cool action to make it much better. Ever since walking out of the theater after seeing TPM I've had a problem with tying everything together so neatly. That's one of the things I hate most about genre entertainment-coincidences. It's like to become a screenwriter you have to make everything come together unrealistically. The biggest offender isthe next Star Trek film, Nemesis. I've read several script reviews and the entire plot is a huge string of intergalactic coincidences. I guess it keeps things more understandable, but it's really annoying.

[Tommy]

Why Steven... I'm so touched...  Just joking with ya... Well, at much as it pains me to be objective, I feel I am responsible for what I write.