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I was contemplating what to discuss in the newest FACPOV and after reading/listening to much of the press, both from mainstream and other outlets, I decided to just touch on various topics that have intrigued me enough to elicit a response. For those of you who have not been able to see the movie and are trying not to be spoiled, I will do my best to reveal no spoilers about the film in my discussion.

On a 4-star rating system, TPM earned 3 stars. It was a good film, but it could have been better. It will be interesting to see how some of the points made in TPM, that seem to contradict some elements of the original trilogy, are played out in Episodes II and III.

I can honestly say that the only expectations I had for TPM was that I would be seeing the first new Star Wars film in 16 years. I successfully avoided having the movie spoiled for me and refused to buy into any of the hype that the press was generating.

The fans, on both sides, who keep pushing this ridiculous debate, need to find something better to do with their time. The amount a movie makes does not relate to its quality and rooting for a movie to make more than another wreaks of a popularity contest right out of high school. My apologies to any high school students who are above such contests.

The whole discussion/debate about racist stereotypes present in TPM is a case of PC gone too far. Critics, reporters, and some fans are reading way too much into the film. Perhaps they need to go outside and enjoy life instead of overanalyzing a non-issue.

I realize that some fans out there did not enjoy TPM for various reasons and that is entirely in their right. However, that gives you no right to belittle someone who did like the film.

Lucas doesn't owe us anything. It is his story and he should be able to tell it how he wants, not how we want him to tell it. I may have disagreed with several of his changes in the SEs and not entirely agree with the direction he has taken the saga since ESB, but it is his story, not mine.

There has been much ado on various internet forums after one LFL representative made a statement along the lines that TPM was a "children's movie." To those grappling with the "children's movie" statement, the original trilogy was marketed towards children as well. The only difference between Episodes 4-6 and Episode 1 is that all the kids who saw Episode 4-6 in their original theater runs have grown up and aren't able to view Episode 1 in the same light as they viewed the other three.

The only thing I can say about the spoiler mill is that it ruined TPM for some people because they walked into the theater with a bunch of preconceived notions about the film that didn't pan out. Perhaps the participants in the spoiler mill will make wiser judgments and not be so dog-eat-dog when it comes to trying to impress people or somehow make themselves feel important by releasing as much about a film as possible on the internet.