American Graffiti and Star Wars in the 70's giving way to The Phantom Menace and Revenge of the Sith at the dawn of the next century is, to my mind, a deterioration in talent and skill.
But is it so far off from the natural order of growth and decay that colors most lives, most accomplishment and most art on this planet? I heartily applaud artists who can continue to produce great works for decades, in their old age as well as in their youth. But how much should we chide George Lucas for not rising to that rare and lofty level?
In fact, I personally don't chide him for (imo) losing his talent - but rather for betraying his legacy (or for being fool enough to not know when he is betraying his legacy).
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