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I wrote "almost non-existant" because I remember a moment in one of the Episode 3 "Making of" features where Lucas told Christensen to turn toward Portman (away from the blue screen) when saying the line "My loyalty is to the Republic," or something such. Nothing on how he should deliver the line. Never anything like that. But Lucas does recognize the existence of humans in his movies.

Yet Lucas still always treated his cast members like puppets. "Faster and more intense," was his only direction, Mark Hamill recalled in the Bonus Disc "Making of" documentary. Actors are only another prop in Lucas's vision, one that Lucas has made clear is solely his.

Yes, he is a great filmmaker. He understands movement, mythology, storytelling, etc.

I just do not get why he is considered a "creative visionary."

He visits his various art departments, makes the occasional comment, chooses one of their designs, and that is that. It ends up in his film. The rest is based on things he liked from childhood, and while you can't blame him, Spielberg, Tarantino, you or me for wanting to pay homage to the things that bring us joy, it is not at all an original effort.

Examples: naming a character "Commander Cody"? Having Jango twirl his gun like a gunslinger? Han coming out from the blinding light of a star in the background like in a western? The Tarzan yell? The Wilhelm scream? Opening Return of the Jedi with a musical number? Even the mythological aspect of "the hero's journey" is not his (I don't remember the names of the stuff he read in college).

The first half hour of Star Wars (Ep.4, ANH). That is the work of a visionary. Nobody had ever seen anything like that before. I will admit that.

But I am a little disappointed that no one (except in maybe one or two of nine posts) has been able to argue for or against this thought, or even articulate why I'm wrong, which is always welcome (if polite).

Yeah they are both pretty good
though the first one is the funnier
but what was up with Anakin's voice being all high pitched

gotta love that scene where Padme
tells Anakin she's preggers
Sure he was overcome with happy emotions

Whatever, guarenteed he was thinking of ways
to kill her and make it look like an accident
hmm......

Oh, so true.