Early Episode III review from Kevin Smith

[Weltall]

The writing and acting was done that very particular way because that's how Lucas envisioned the series to be like. It's a mixture of the styles of Flash Gordon, Bogart, and even Shakespeare. Everybody wants realistic dialogue, even in unrealistic settings. Current audiences have no taste or familiarity with the kind of dramatic romanticism found in moves from the 30's, 40's, and 50's. It's a very particular style that does not conform to modern tastes, and I have immense respect for Lucas because of that.

Yes we do, but there is a time and place for that, and when it suddenly appears in a movie series after not being there for four entire movies, it goes without saying that some are going to question the logic for it being there at all. Star Wars had already went through one major love match (Han and Leia), and that felt much more natural.

Besides, the Anakin/Padme love fest smelled much more like A Walk To Remember than Casablanca to me. Humphrey Bogart was never a whiny little prick.

His motives and character will be fully explained, but no, you will not find out that he was molested as a child and is trying to escape from his lifelong torment by oppressing those whom he considers to be responsible for his innocence being taken away from him at such a young age.

I take it that that's the only thing that will be satisfactory to you, judging by past comments. You don't want realistic bad guys, you want unrealistic movie bad guys will tormented pasts!

The Emperor steals the movie.

I don't need to know that some past event made him the way he was (although that's EXACTLY what the first three movies are about, the events than turn Anakin into Vader), but I do want motives and reasons. Realistic bad guys don't wake up one morning and decide to take over the universe for no reason. How you could praise Lucas for drawing upon the works of Shakespeare and in the next sentence claim that Palpatine is a 'realistic bad guy' is amazing, when I've seen saturday morning cartoon villains with more comprehensive backgrounds than Palps.