"RE: Defending Episode I" By Ryan Bradley

Review of “Defending Episode 1”

I do not think that one can state that the releases of the prequels are simply of cash-cowing. In this regard I agree with the claims made be Mr. Slight. These days we are seeing more and more of our beloved movie icons, Rocky Balboa, Rambo, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars prequels, attempting to make one last stand in world of Hollywood; Are these all acts towards money grabs? or is it a simple case of bringing back our childhood heroes and giving them a new aged feel? I believe that if an honest effort has been put in to revitalizing the original then it is not simply a case of mooing for money.

So, did George Lucas try to avoid this and is Adam Slight’s support of Episode 1 justified. George clearly did attempt to add a modern twist to the classic films that have been the root of nerd wet dreams for over 30 years. This attempt grants these prequels the right to a in a galaxy far far away. The question of whether the methodology of the new films was successful utilized has raised much debate in the realm of critics, nerds, movie lovers and scholars. I must say that the defense laid out by Adam is relatively legit with a few degrees of error.

The cinematic experience that Episode 1 provided is nearly up to par with it predecessors as almost every shot in the movie counts. Lucas’ success in this matter has lead me to often catch myself smiling with glee at different points in the movie such as the Darth Maul battle. Criticism for the over use of special effects is completely unjustified. Advancements in the movie industry have made the techniques of the classic trilogy completely obsolete. Had Lucas not tried to spice up this new movie with some new special effects, I’m almost positive that he would have be scrutinized for his lack of film integrity and inability to adapt with the times. The cinematography is combined beautifully with special effects and he does not completely rely on the CGI.

The worlds and characters of the star wars universe are explored and presented with ALMOST no error. The set design the new worlds such as Naboo and old worlds like Tatooine stayed true to the beauty of the old movies as one gets a perfect feel for the atmosphere of the setting of interest. For example, Mos Eisley is still the place where “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy ones” as seen in every shot in the city like the conversation with Sebula or the inclusion of the Hutts. The characters are also presented in such a manner where it is easy to understand how each is related to one another, the mysteries linking them all and all of their motivating forces behind their actions. Many of the character interactions exemplified in this movie are evident throughout the distinct social history of our real world. This cinematic connection used by Lucas allows the viewer to fall in love with every aspect of the worlds and immediately understand the complex relationships linking them all.

This being said, I cannot fully support Adam’s claim “To condemn Jar Jar for his silliness would be to put one’s self at risk of ethnocentricity”. This is not a matter of ethnicity by any means of the definition. Had Jar Jar been a goofy human, he would have still taken away from the overall cinematic experience. I could write a whole essay on reasons why Jar Jar Binks is the worst thing in any of the six films. “I Spack” “Ooh mooey mooey I love you!” “whatta meesa sayin'?”; four of the 100 lines that Jar Jar Spacks in the movie that makes me want to tear up every time I hear him say something. Least we forgot “How wude!” x 20. Big Boss Nass and Captain Tarpals were strong characters and the gungans clearly are a mighty race. What really bothers me about Jar Jar is that Lucas seemed to forgot that “cute and loveable” characters that supply comic relief yet still have a crucial role in the plot have no place in the star wars universe. Ewoks USED to be the most hated things outside the old republic until this Binks character came along. I can assure you, the fact that I wish Jar Jar’s face got burnt of in a power coupling is in no way for ethnocentric reasons. (My distaste for the ewok race may in fact be, but that’s a whole different story).

A final problem with the movie as well as Adam’s critique is in the podrace scene. I realize that this is a crucial scene in terms of the plot, but its easily 15 minutes too long. I have also watched the Ben Hur clip and do think that the similarities between the two is a clever and I also recognize that the chariot race in Ben Hur is long. However, Ben Hur was an extra 100 minutes long in total, thus it had time to pull something like that off as the viewer clearly was sitting down for an epically long movie. I love star wars and everything that it stands for but the length of this podrace and its lack of connection with the rest of the series makes me almost struggle to keep interest.

Adam accurately defended this movie for all the right reasons despite my two above objections. There are other things that I agree with that I do not need to touch because of the excellent arguments deployed (ie. The dialoged of the movie—“Sand storms are very…. Very…. Dangerous” is not exactly A material but its stays true to the classics). If you did hate the first episode, I also encourage you to fire up your vcr, sit back, mute the Jar Jar scenes and give it at least one more shot. Don’t look for reasons why it’s not as good as the original three. If you must compare, look for similarities between the two and, I promise you, it will not disappoint. I look forward to the next two analyses and the coming discussion revolving around my future claim that Episode 3 is the most star warsy out of the three. We shall cross that Great Pit of Carkoon when we get there.