[gregebowman]

PvK, I think the reason why some of those movies stink is that the direct/producer/executive productor relied too much on special effects. Sure, you can have a totally digitized, computer-enhanced film, but without a great story to match the great effects, then the picture is marred. I think that's what happened to George Lucas. He waited so long for the special effects technology to catch up to what he wanted to be done, that he forgot that it was the story in the original movie that captivated people. Sure, there was some pretty original effects in Star Wars (I'll still call the fourth film that until the day I die), but it was the story that drew people in. The man had this idea floating around in his head for 30 years, but he actually didn't write it down until he starts making the first episode? I think he just lost touch with his own creation, and relied on special effects and fancy marketing. Just look at Jar Jar as an example. Not only was he annoying, but you just couldn't stand to watch him. I think George Lucas should be forced to watch Spiderman 2 50 times so that he can be taught how to create a great sequel to an already great film. As a matter of fact, anybody who's considering to make a sequel of any film should be forced to watch this movie as an example of how it's done correctly. There are too many examples of how it's been done wrong (Highlander 2 is the most obvious in my memory).