Originally posted by: Go-Mer-Tonic
So your mind is open to the possibility that you will never change your mind?

This whole line of questioning is suspicious. Either you're trying to make yourself look good -

"MY mind is open and you can't see the value in the PT because of your closed mind"

- or you're championing a totally uncritical, relativistic attitude toward the arts.

"You know, if you just look past bad dialogue, bad acting, and convoluted situations, American Pie II was as good as any comedy ever".

PT gushers have some pretty interesting methods (read: myths) for defending the PT. I feel kind of stupid for critiquing the PT, since a lot of it was pretty good and it was new Star Wars cinema, but I admit that I get a little annoyed at those PT myths.

MYTH: Both the PT and OT featured bad acting, so how can you criticize the PT for its bad acting?
FACT: New York City and San Jose, California are major American cities. That doesn't mean they are comparable cities (no offense, San Jose). What I'm getting at is that there are degrees. San Jose is the 10th largest city in America - population 950,000 plus. NYC? Over 8 million. See what I'm saying?

MYTH: Your mind is not open.
FACT: Casting aspersions at critics doesn't make the flaws go away. If I contend that the following line of dialogue is poor -

MACE
You know, Your Highness, Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He wouldn't assassinate anyone, it is not in his character. (emphasis mine)

- you can call me every name in the book, but let's face it. "You know" is lazy, dime-store exposition. (This is the part where you give me the "from your own point of view" speech...speaking of which)

ANAKIN
From my point of view, the Jedi are evil! (emphasis mine)

(In the middle of a death match, Anakin needs to elaborate to Obi-Wan that this is his own perspective!? I think Obi-Wan figured out where Anakin stood on this issue when he watched the temple security hologram, or when Anakin came after him with both barrels. Anyway, more myth-busting)

MYTH: You complain that the PT is an effects showcase, aren't effects what drew us into the OT in the first place?
FACT: Many of these myths sound good because there is a good deal of truth in them. Of course the effects drew us into the OT. The thing is, it kept our attention through characters we genuinely cared for. The lasting memories I have of the OT come from the drama. Unfortunately, most of the lasting memories of the PT I have come from the eye candy. There are exceptions - one of the best lines in all the Saga comes from Obi-Wan in ROTS: "My allegiance is to the Republic - to DEMOCRACY!" The anger, sorrow, and despair in that line is top shelf. I was genuinely moved, and it's just a shame there wasn't more of that in the PT.
George Lucas was proud of the fact that in ROTJ, they built an elaborate set for Jabba's Sail Barge without giving the audience a tour of the thing (I'm looking at you, Star Trek: The Motion Picture!). He didn't care for filmmaking which "showed off" all the work they did; he didn't want the set to dominate the picture. Then, in 1999, he gave a CGI character a major role in a Star Wars movie. How soon they forget.

MYTH: That (Greedo shoots, midichlorians, Jar-Jar, NOOOOOOOOO!, fill-in-the-blank) was part of Lucas' Ultimate Artistic Vision(TM) all along.
FACT: (1) Bullshit. Just because he's the one with access to his archives - we're supposed to take him at his word that _________ was in the hopper this whole time? Lucas has lied about many other things - why am I supposed to believe this assertion?
FACT: (2) Even if it is true, THERE IS A GOOD REASON HE DIDN'T USE THAT STUFF BACK WHEN HE HAD HIS YOUTHFUL EDGE. Age and wealth have changed him, like it does everyone. It's patently obvious to most that the OT didn't suffer artistically for those omissions.

MYTH: Lucas is a great auteur.
FACT: Yeah, what did John Williams, Ben Burtt, and ILM ever bring to the Star Wars Saga? Because of the collaborative nature of film, the whole idea of the auteur filmmaker is a little suspect to begin with; Star Wars films in particular require a lot of manpower. I don't dispute that the bulk of the credit or blame lies with Lucas, but Uncle George's lapdogs seem to think the Saga is all George. The most devoted PT fans ought to scoff at the idea of Lucas=Kurosawa.

MYTH: OT fans are "fanboys".
FACT: "Fanboy" is to Star Wars fan community what "Communist" is American Politics, 1955. Whenever the word "fanboy" brings to mind the segment of fans you dislike the most, it's long past time to retire the word. It has no denotation whatsoever.

I appreciate PT defenders that don't resort to Killing The Messenger or Comparing Rocks To Boulders. Refute the assertion, please - don't try to hide it in the OT or create a diversion.

And my mind is as open as my biases will allow - just the same as you, thanks.