Star Wars, Episodes 1-3

STAR WARS - episodes 1-3

Cute little Anakin Skywalker grows up, becomes a Jedi under the tutelage of Obi Wan, falls in love with, marries and impregnates Senator Amidala, is seduced to follow the Dark Side by the chancellor, kills a lot of other Jedi including Jedi children, becomes Darth Vader and helps establish the empire.

When you put it that way, it doesn’t sound that interesting.

I have a lot of problems with these episodes.  Perhaps the worst is the negative stereotyping. Between the crooked traders, the inane Jar Jar, and the hook nosed, aerodynamically impossible slaver Watta, Lucas has managed to insult Japanese people, Caribbean Islanders, and Jews.

The plot flaws are numerous. Some, like emphysematous robots and submarines going through the planet's core, are small and annoying. But there is one major flaw that is central to the plot and renders ludicrous the portrayal of Jedi as wise philosopher-warriors--that is the failure of the Jedi to try to rescue Anakin's mother in episode one. How can Anakin not grow up a little screwy with the worry about his mother haunting him. And it would have been so easy to fix--just have the slaver refuse to sell her, and have her escape to the other man, Lars, later.

The characterizations don't work for me. In contrast to the wise and ultra-cool Jedi played by Alex Guinness, Ewan McGregor's Obi Wan is here a dick--arrogant and condescending (Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn isn't any better.) Anakin in episodes two and three is a typical bratty teenager with no trace of the wisdom and understand one would expect from a young Jedi. And Amadala is ridiculous the way she suddenly falls in love with bratty Anakin.

The first time I saw episode two, it confused me because I was used to seeing the clones as the evil stormtroopers in the second three episodes. However, if you start watching the series from episode one (instead of episode four as we alta kockers did), it makes sense.

I wonder how many people have watched the six episodes in order, and what they thought of the second set.

In spite of all my criticisms, watching it once more sucks me in. No matter how often I've seen those centipede like creatures crawl on Amadala's bed to poison her, I still tense up lest Obi Wan and Anakin not get there in time to rescue her. I'm watching it again for the fourth time, and the minutes speed by as I pedal.

From an artistic standpoint, it's not that great. As a workout movie, it's mixed.  I give it ++++ - it will frequently get your pulse up to a run. (And I'm eager to see episodes 7, 8, and 9 to come out.)