Pest Management Professional, March 2014

face off Corporate pop culture behemoth Disney now owns the Star Wars franchise news that has reignited an old but long fought debate Are the Star Wars prequels episodes I II and III worthy of standing aside the original holy trilogy episodes IV V and VI One of us thinks so Will Nepper t Managing Editor Marty Whitford t Publisher Editorial Director A s a parent I love almost anything that can draw me closer to my kids If that something also can help me relive my childhood and pass on cherished memories to the next generation even better And if that something also happens to share a key life message that Dads prose might not do justice to it just doesnt get any better The Star Wars prequels hit this dads treasured trifecta By the time the third installment of the prequels was released my kids were 11 10 and 8 prime viewing age for this epic space opera I should know I was 11 when the original Star Wars movie captivated millions around the globe or should I say around this and other solar systems A ticket to relive my childhood with three kids I love far more than the Star Wars franchise the prequels did grant Toward the light I know as parenthood I do hope young Will Nepper one day will turn Decades later when the prequels hit the silver screen this Old Man truly appreciated the trilogy providing a backdrop of how an innocent gifted little boy could transform into Darth Vader the embodiment of evil Who among us hasnt let fear and resentment darken a day or two But let me be clear My pro prequels stance has nothing to do with a delusional belief the writing and acting were on par with that of the original Star Wars trilogy Its not about which trilogy is better Its about how the prequel trilogy jump started a franchise stuck in neutral and opened the door for dads like me to discuss good versus evil with our kids and how its never too late for even a Darth Vader to turn toward the light You can reach Whitford at mwhitford@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3766 T here are only a few times in U S history when weve been so divided as a nation that our role as a global superpower has been threatened How can we react to the news that Disney bought the Star Wars franchise when fans still cant agree on the quality of the prequels What did you think I was talking about Politics The prequels are not only inferior to the sacred timetested original films Star Wars aka A New Hope Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi Theyre not even worthy of being called Star Wars movies The prequels look and feel like seizure inducing video games so packed with computer generated effects characters and settings that any fun is crushed beneath the weight of optical overload Despite A list performers Samuel L Jackson Liam Neeson Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman the prequels suffer from B grade acting The prequels are proof George Lucas is terrible at directing actors Thats why he passed the directorial torch of the original trilogy The prequels lengthy dialogue about galactic senates and trade federation blockades bore children and adults alike The Force lightsabers Darth Vader and Yoda are ruined by the prequels The Force described in Episode IV as energy that connects us is reduced to a blood mutation Lightsabers once a weapon for a more sophisticated time are overused and tricked out like custom cars Darth Vader is exposed as a bratty insecure jerk And Yoda the consummate alien pacifist becomes X TREME Yoda whipping out his lightsaber at the slightest provocation Thanks to the prequels epic fail the fate of the world now hangs in the balance as Disney readies the first of its Star Wars sequels launching December 2015 PMP You can reach Nepper at wnepper@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3775 8 March 2014 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net