negative1 said:also, why are we leaving out the prequels? they were aimed at the same teen/young adult audience,
also.........and i hardly think that based on the subject matter they were strictly for kids... yes
clone wars appeals to kids, no doubt about that, but the tv show has shown a much wider
range and appeal.....if you're only looking at the movie, then yes i agree with you..
Actually, I think that may have been one of the PT largest problems. It didn't seem to know what audience it was aiming for. On one hand we have a silly childish atmosphere, poop jokes, several cartoonesque characters, comedy acts in the middle of an intense battle (what a drag... and fortunately I forgot most the rest of Threepio's routine). Then we have the main character not just killing bad guys, or even just good guys after he turns, but we have him casually killing women and children, at one point even killing a room full of children who know him and look up to him. Yeah, that subject matter most definitely is not for kids, but it is surrounded by subject matter that is most definitely not for adults. You happen upon a lot of movies intended for kids that adults totally get into and enjoy while watching them with their kids, or sometimes even by themselves or with other adults. Then you have kids movies that are so childish only kids can really appreciate them. There are movies I enjoyed as a kid, and watched or tried to watch in adult hood out of nostaligias sake, only to wonder how I had ever thought this movie was cool.
C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, among other books, once wrote that he does not believe in writing down to children, because they are smart and don't need to be written down to. He would argue that when writing a story for children, the author should write the kind of story he'd like to hear, not the kind of story he feels a small child might like to hear. By doing this he is far more likely to stumble upon a story that will capture childrens' imaginations than by making up some silly brainless rubbish he himself cares nothing for. Since the publication of the Chronicles of Narnia, they have often been cited as books written for kids, but loved just as much by the adults that read them to them. I think Lewis was onto something with this idea of his. And I think George wrote the kind of story he wanted to hear, rather than one he felt kids wanted to hear when he wrote Star Wars, but I think he wrote a story he thought nine year old boys would love when he wrote the Phantom Menace, then I think he became terribly confused while writting AOTC, as we all know how that one turned out.
as far as artistic merit goes, only 'star wars' has cemented itself in the history books,
i don't think empire or jedi will ever get that recognition (and rightfully so)....as they
really don't measure up to the original, and will always be in its shadow as for as
originality and impact... when you say 'star wars', everyone knows what it means,
what it stands for, etc......... empire and jedi will NEVER have that impact or recognition
outside of science fiction fans...
Hmm, not sure I agree with that. I think Star Wars is usually taken as a trilogy, and considered incredible influencial and ground breaking on those grounds. I am not really a film geek or a hardcore writer, but I do have and read books on the subject of screen writing and film history from time to time, and it seems Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are mentioned quite often, especially ESB. I wouldn't hesitate to say that the entire trilogy has cemented itself into the history books and won recognition for artistic merit, and that when people mention Star Wars they usually think of all three films. "I am your father" is probably one of the most recognizable movie quotes from any film ever made, and perhaps one of the most parodied. I'd say that is a pretty good deal of impact and recognition that obviously spans far outside of science fiction fandom. I wouldn't be surprised if "I am your father" is the first line the average person thinks of when they hear the words "Star Wars".