Early Episode III review from Kevin Smith

[OB1]

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.

It did feel more natural, but that's because of its light-heartedness and the fact that Han and Leia weren't two little kids. Were you ever in love at that age, or seen a couple in love at that age? It's very awkward. And it wasn't as big a part of the story as the Anakin/Padme relationship.

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.

You've obviously never seen The African Queen.

But I said that Anakin and Padme were reminiscent of a younger Bogart and Bergman. I could be more accurate with my comparison but I needed something that everyone (hopefully) would get.

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),

Yes, 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.

Realistic bad guys aren't always tormented by horrible pasts and become tragic figures. That's Anakin. Palpatine is the devil, basically. But you will find out how he came to be, and why he does what he does. Though I suspect that nothing short of a Lifetime tv-movie moment will be enough for you.