SAVING STAR WARS
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review written 12/13/2004

Note: Because I participated in this film as an associate producer, I cannot in good conscience give it a grade and maintain any semblance of journalistic integrity. However I will share comments.

I was impressed at the scale and scope of the thing. They made great use of the convention and the locations. So many characters, so many costumes, so many extras. Cinematography was a little off—I don't know if the XL-1 is capable of better, maybe they just couldn't handle the lighting in a convention setting.

Acting wavered, but on occasion was actually good. And they made really good use of Dave Prowse—glad my investment wasn't wasted. He was more than just the cameo I was expecting. Indeed as time went on he had a fairly integral role.

We can't have enough praise for the beautiful and charming Lee Ann Millen. The amusingly named George Starkey also does a pretty good job playing George Lucas as a confused but never vindictive victim.

My problem is the film's attitude toward its characters and toward Star Wars. One minute the characters are complaining that they didn't like Episode I, the next minute, they're acting like their hearts have been ripped out and stomped on because there's only going to be six SW movies and not nine. A character who says TPM sucks has the poster on his wall and sleeps in bedsheets bearing the film's insignia. The main characters render Lucas unconscious, tie him to a chair, and steal his property, and yet they paint him as the bad guy.

Are we supposed to sympathize with the fans who are unhappy with the state of Star Wars? With the quieter fans who are just trying to enjoy themselves at a convention? With Lucas who gets tied to a chair by deranged fans and told he owes them three more movies? No one seems to have an answer.

Both Lucas and the main character say that Star Wars is just a movie. But no one takes a stand on if that's a message we should accept or reject. Are we supposed to say "you're right, boy it was a silly idea for the man to tie the celebrity to a chair"? Or shout, "no, Star Wars is life, how dare you cheapen my childhood?" Again, I would have liked a firmer stand taken here, even if it was one I disagreed with.

How ironic that the 1977 Star Wars, with its clearly delineated good guy and bad guy, eventually led to this, where there doesn't seem to be any. Just a bunch of people who don't seem to understand each other, and everyone—fans, Lucas, his associates, and even Dave Prowse, just seems to be confused. The only one who seems to have his head on straight is the little boy with cancer who loves Star Wars. At least he knows what he likes and why.