The Audience Strikes Back

I'm not sure what the previous reviewer was expecting but I can't think of anything more boring than 90 minutes of Star Wars - and nothing else. What I liked about the film was the way it took the themes from Star Wars and used them to address all the critical issues of the day that divide us as a nation. I thought the fundamentalist character was well acted and scripted and was treated very fairly. it reminded me - in a good way - of the way "12 Angry Men" addressed the social issues of it's day.

I do think the acting was uneven, but the script was original and thoughtful and the treatment was interesting. This was all done on a tiny independent (really independent) budget with a first time director. So maybe my expectations were lower, but I was impressed with the final balance achieved between entertainment and social commentary.

In these days where movies endlessly rehash the same things, remakes, Lethal Weapon 16, and other "sure-fire" titles, it's refreshing to see a film that provides one person's unique view of what has been creating this red state/blue state nightmare of the past 8 years. I'd love to see what this creative team could do with a bigger budget and some marketing power behind them.