Sunday, November 11, 2007

Just when I thought I couldn't think anything more bad about George Lucas

I rented the DVD of the Return Of The Jedi: Special Edition last week, and yesterday I watched it with the commentary from Lucas and others. I don't think I'd ever realized before just how much of Jedi is filler.

But, I've more-or-less made my peace with the idea that the Star Wars films are profoundly silly, so that's not what bothered me. What bothered me was, at the beginning of the commentary, Lucas introduces himself as executive producer and writer of the film.

What name never crosses his lips throughout the commentary? Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote the screenplay for Jedi (as well as The Empire Strikes Back). Kasdan, to my mind, is one of the great unsung heroes of The Force. He performed for Lucas the much-needed service of giving his characters A) hearts; B) dialogue that sounds as though humans could speak it.

But I guess that doesn't fit in with the writ of George Lucas: Mythmaker, does it?

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