[jariten]

of course, the midichorians are not the force, and virgin births were a staple of greek legends and myths going way way back.

JYAMG- yeah, I couldnt believe it either. dont worry, it wont happen again

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

so, it's not just the bible GL has ripped off for the midiclorian idea... it was the greeks too. thanks for clearing that up.

WORST IDEA EVER.

when midiclorians were mentioned in ep 1, and qui-gon 'uploaded' annie's dna via wireless internet, my left testicle crept up into my abdomen, never to return.

[jariten]

if youre troubled by Lucas using other work for his inspiration, how can you enjoy any Star Wars film?

[Despondent]

or Abusing other work as his "inspiration." If you can get past the fact that they're written for children (and no, not for the children "inside of 'us'") the PT is perfectly acceptable. And colorful. And; Let's try spinning. that's a neat trick!

[jariten]

i know we`re in trouble, just hang on!

[Despondent]

Yeah, that line wasn't near as cool as Han slapping the Falcon back to life in ESB.

except maybe Qui-Gon grabbing JJ's tounge. No, I'm wrong.

[Helena]

of course, the midichorians are not the force, and virgin births were a staple of greek legends and myths going way way back.

It's never made entirely clear whether it was the Midichlorians or the Force itself that were responsible for Anakin's birth, but it's effectively the same thing anyway. And the whole point about 'virgin' births in Greek myths is that they were the result of liaisons between gods and humans, just like in Christianity. In any case, how is ripping off Greek mythology better than ripping off Christian mythology? Neither fits in particularly well with the Far Eastern beliefs and legends on which the Force and the Jedi are clearly based.

[J m HofMarN]

If Shmi had enough midichlorians to create a new sentient life form than why didn't she just force push Watto into a nest of Rancors or something?

Oh, that's right. The force dosn't work on him... sigh.

[jariten]

It's never made entirely clear whether it was the Midichlorians or the Force itself that were responsible for Anakin's birth, but it's effectively the same thing anyway

well, considering the force and the midichorians are two different things, i rather beg to differ.

In any case, how is ripping off Greek mythology better than ripping off Christian mythology? Neither fits in particularly well with the Far Eastern beliefs and legends on which the Force and the Jedi are clearly based.

i dont see the problem with letting him mix it up a bit every now and again. i dont much like the midichorians, but if i have any problems with them, this isnt one of them.

[civilian_number_two]

Well, then jariten, you really won't mind when the next film refers to a Herod/Rameses-styled "slaughter of the innocents," and when at some point Padme says "Let my people go!"

I'll tell you what is wrong is with borrowing from the Classics in the way Lucas did: everyone knows that the reason he's doing it is so he can wax pretentious aboout how far-reaching and deep his "vison" is. Yet anyone with a 3-digit IQ also knows that what Lucas is doing could have been done by any nine-year-old kid in Bible camp. He's just plagiarizing, and not well.

It was cute when he updated Kurasawa. That's the sort of cribbing that is allowed. But cribbing from the Bible or any other well-known common source (like say, THE WIZARD OF OZ), is as dumb as all those movies based on fairy tales (FREEWAY), or Urban Legends (SINGLE WHITE FEMALE), or the Big Book of Questions (CELLULAR), or notions raised in Philosophy 101 (THE MATRIX (which I like, but for reasons apart from its story, naturally)). This kind of writing is what real screenwriters and novelists do whejn they're trying to become "unblocked." It's an exercise. You're never supposed to actually release the stuff, let alone ask anyone to take it seriously.

STAR WARS is an action film. It's fun. It is not mythology. Trying to turn it into mythology is to try to tuen it into BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, which even as a ten-year-old kid I knew was crap derived from the wanderings of the Jews. Lucas took a blow to the head somewhere in the early nineties, and decided to turn STAR WARS into BG, and his films haven't been the same since.

[Despondent]

Yeah, BG was crap. And Robbie Rist could not save the ship, but it was free space battles.
Space Academy was what it was. (and Space Ghost had a revival. the 2 kids of the 60's cartoon- and a space monkey. that's always good, a sidekick. I digress. the two kids, Janna and Jase. Are those EU names for real?)

These prequel movies demand the investment of time and money on the movie goer's part.

I've paid my money so I have an investment in it.
Therefore it's not like battlestar galactica at all.

[Helena]

well, considering the force and the midichorians are two different things, i rather beg to differ.

We are told that, and I quote, "Midi-chlorians are a microcopic lifeform that reside within all living cells and communicates with the Force." How could these 'microscopic lifeforms' create a baby? I presume you actually know how babies are created? Clearly, however it happened, the Force had something to do with it.

i dont see the problem with letting him mix it up a bit every now and again. i dont much like the midichorians, but if i have any problems with them, this isnt one of them.

a) It's way, way too blatant. How could anyone could think of anything other than the story of Jesus after hearing Shmi talk about how "there was no father that I know of"?
b) It doesn't make sense. As I said earlier, all 'virgin births' in Christian and Greek mythology are the result of humans mating with gods in some way. The Force is not a god or any kind of sentient being, it's just - to quote Obi-Wan - 'an energy field created by all living things'.

[jariten]

It doesn't make sense. As I said earlier, all 'virgin births' in Christian and Greek mythology are the result of humans mating with gods in some way. The Force is not a god or any kind of sentient being, it's just - to quote Obi-Wan - 'an energy field created by all living things'.

hmm, well lets think about this for a second. the force appears to possess a will and desire of its own that is largely unknowable but that influences the lives and destinies of those it comes in contact with, is powerful, has a connection with people and a large group of robed followers. remind you of anything?

[Just your average movie goer]

the force appears to possess a will and desire of its own

Where DID you pull that crap from?

[civilian_number_two]

hmm, well lets think about this for a second. the force appears to possess a will and desire of its own that is largely unknowable but that influences the lives and destinies of those it comes in contact with, is powerful, has a connection with people and a large group of robed followers. remind you of anything?

Bullshit. The force is a power that is in all living things, and a notion of body-mind unity. It can be tapped into to enhance one's sense of self, but it does not have ideas. Use your anger impulses, and the force will enhance your aggression. Use your calm impulses, and the force will lead you to enlightenment. Either way is power.

Sound anything like Zen mysticism? It should.

And the robed fellows, travelling about with the swords, spouting practical koans not based in any notion of deity, who focus on meditation, discipline, and physical fitness: which sorts of monks do they resemble to you, the Christian ones or the Zen kind?

I'll tell you which kind: they are the Zen kind.

Lucas took a serious blow to the head and decided to turn STAR WARS into myth, and couldn't be bothered to study the source myth. So he's just wedging in whatever crap he remembers from Sunday school. And it's embarrassing. If he managed to use elements from both traditions, and work them together like there was any kind of coherency, then that would be fine, commendable even. But no, no he didn't. He abandoned one half-assed but fun approach in favor of another half-assed and embarrassing approach.

His choice; his movie. God bless him.

Q: How can oyu honestly justify Obi not having a midi-count kit in his home? He could have tested Luke on the ship, since the things seem to be so important that Jedi walk around carrying them on diplomatic missions. Certainly Yoda would have had them.

A: The midichlorians are as embarrassiung an idea as the jet boots on R2 D2. It makes as much sense introducing huge changes like that so deep into a story as it would to suddenly colour-tint Han Solo to make him black, and then say he's Lando's brother.