Anchorhead said:

msycamore said:

Don't try to pretend it's something different than it is, it's a very well made fantasy film for kids, and when I say kids, I mean 7-18 year olds, (yes, a kid can be 18) don't be ashamed for liking a good film primarily directed towards kids. Just because it showed burned bodies in one scene doesn't directly make the film only made for mature audiences.

I don't pretend it's something it isn't. No two ways about it, it's an outer space fantasy enjoyed by all ages. My point was that Star Wars' darker moments had a feeling of heaviness, of actual danger. Return's darker moments were either cleansed or played for laughs (or at least along with laughs).

During Return, at no point what so ever did I get the feeling our heroes were even close to any sort of danger. In Star Wars, Luke's family is murdered, Leia's family is murdered, Vader murders a guy while he's talking to him then throws his body on the ground, and Ben is killed (albeit willingly). There's a seriousness to Star Wars & Empire (to me, at least) that doesn't exist in Return.

Return is like a roller coaster at an amusement park. When it goes through the dark tunnel, you know the monsters are fake, so you laugh while you're jumping out of your seat. In Star Wars & Empire, when it goes through the dark tunnel, the monsters burn your family, kill your best friend, and cut your hand off.

I guess it really is about perception.

When I saw Star Wars back to back with Empire in 81' (aged 6) only Empire gave me that sense of palpable danger to any of the the 3 main heroes.

In SW,even when Vader was blowing up all the other rebels in the trenches I never felt Luke himself was really in danger.

It did not matter because the whole thing looked f*****g awesome!