This..pains...me....
Bad review. Pain me it does.
The transformation of Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader is supposed to be truly dark and probably far deeper and violent. I'll go see it, buy the video or DVD and watch it a few times along with the other 5. I'll be disappointed, but oh well it's the missing piece to the ultimate epic film.
What do you expect? He's calling it VI when its actually III. Seems to me Podhoretz doesn't have a clue from the getgo.
It pains me too.
All the years, the unlimited money and technology- and Lucas, himself, is so limited we get the PT.
It's so sad. There was no reason for it at all. No excuses.
I am reminded of a quote by Lucas- years ago, warning filmmakers who would copy SW.
" The special effects are not the story. The STORY is the story." And his taste is so juvenile, that he thinks what he writes( even after admitting he's no good at it) IS a good story!
He's a filmmaker, not a writer. Whatever ideas he had should have been worked on by a real, competent, adult script writer.
To hear that he hates dialog and scripts is sad. It is also why he is so successful.
In the intervening years the audience has been dumbed down to the point where dialog and scripts don't matter. It's the perfect recipe for success.
What shame. The PT could have had it all. Incredible special effects AND an incredible story/script.
It didn't because of the basic limitations of Lucas himself.
Another ' what if' for history.