I think a lot of people who loved Star Wars and were impressed by Lucas’ Joseph Campbell references mistook him for some kind of guru. Ultimately, however, George Lucas is just a guy who makes movies. He seems to fit the image of a successful Hollywood flake, combining Donald Trump business skills with Jane Fonda politics and Tom Cruise religion. He’s a shallow thinker, a bad writer, and a spiritual sophomore.
What he has is a great visual imagination and the drive and management ability to get the products of that imagination up on the screen for us to see. That’s the Lucas we want to remember: the magical storyteller who fought the evil forces of Hollywood to share his amazing worlds with us. When he used these assets primarily to create and entertain, he was one of the best in his field. But when he tried to think deep thoughts of his own and stick them in his movies, he invariably broke the spell. Ewoks were the first example. The last three movies contained too many to list.
I’ll always be grateful for Star Wars. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in a movie theater up to that time. I also wish Lucas had quit while he was ahead.
