There is a difference between Lucas and Kurosawa.

Kurosawa a great director and artist.

Lucas a maker of popular entertainments.

Star Wars is like candy too much of it is bad for you.lol.

And without the likable and memorable characters, it becomes junk of the mind. And not in a good way. It follows the worst tradition of the bad Saturday matinee serials. This is the level it fell to in recent years.

I think someone coined the term "Twerp cinema" when taking about how Lucas and Spielberg created the blockbuster and destroyed the movies.

In the end if people want to debate what really seperates star wars from B level science fiction or fantasy, comic book movies more power to them. I only know what i like and what i don't like and i don't need for it to be quote "art" or serious to enjoy it.

Like you could sit down and critique the prequels and say what worked and did'nt work for you in those movies, and people would have different opinions and responses from each individual.

Me i can't always articulate what bothers me about a movie i just turn it off and put something else in to watch. Were i writing articles as a critic i might approach things differently then from being a general viewer.

The Hidden Fortress line Vader speaks in star wars was deleted but shot.

I don't know if it was cut for pacing reasons, or to remove a reference.

Still the reference to the film 2187 stands, Some dune references are still there. The Biggs American Graffiti in space scenes were cut though.