Best reviewers

First off, you are all wrong. Falstaff is A BEER, dammit! A character in a play? God, what sacrilege will be visited upon us next! As a life-long sci-fi afficianado I have to agree with Tubegroover, though Tolkein's works were more fantasy- than science-fiction. For me Herbert (Dune series), Heinlein (Starship Trooper, Stranger in a Strange Land and the Lazarus Long novels), Farmer (Riverworld and World of Tiers series) are tops. Interestingly, though generally not a big fan of the writer, Stephen King's "The Stand" is a classic good vs. evil story. It's one of the few novels brought to any screen where the true essence of the story was captured in its entirety. And it was made for TV of all media!

"The Shining" is the only King movie I care for (and I loved The Simpson's lampoon of it, called "The Shinning"). I haven't liked any of the tv miniseries based on King's work. If you are an SF fan, you shouldn't miss Asimov's Foundation series, and much of Larry Niven's work (he's Tom Clancy's favorite sf author).

Trelja, if that's correct, then I am wrong, and you are right. I saw the movie several times, but the sound was never up to "Jurassic Park" standards (EP 1's sound was a major disappointment for me), so I likely couldn't understand those words, if indeed they were uttered (on several of these occasions, the soundtrack was indeed DTS, but it still was sub-par by a mile!)..................However, here's something that has troubled me: if Senator Palpatine and Darth Sideous are the same guy, then how can the Senator be both human, and Sith? They refer to them as a "race", implying that they aren't human. Darth Sideous looks like an old man (every bit as old as he does as Emperor in 5 and 6), and the Senator looks middle aged. How can this be? I've debated this with others, who always seem to favor the "simplest is best" explanation...namely that it doesn't matter that they look different, they're still the same guy (I still am not convinced). Seems like it's too big a mistake to not be on purpose. And, I still think it's the death of Amadala that will be the final straw, though I have no doubt that Anakin's mom will definitely get "wacked" in Ep 2...probably by two thugs from the planet "Jersey-tooine", when she doesn't get square with her gambling debts...

All valid points Carl. Perhaps that's why we so look forward to the next movie. I have been feeling these things since Episode 4(1977?), always so many unanswered questions. As soon as you leave the movie, you are already are monstrously craving the next. It must be analogous to the way people get hooked on something. Maybe this is why I haven't gotten into any other science fiction. Not only sci-fi, but almost everything else in tv, movies, etc. never gives me that feeling. I do remember that Hill Street Blues had me hating that the show had ended every week. Many people feel this way about soap operas, but I don't have time for them. Thanks for your perspectives, you DEFINITELY planted more seeds in my head. Can't wait till Episode 2!

Trelja, you are too kind. Tell me this: if the movie will be finished in 2001, why must they wait until summer 2002 to release it? I hear that few movies will be made starting spring 2001, another actor's strike or some such nonsense, and so it seems like they shouldn't wait so long to release a time-tested product.