Third <em>Star Wars</em>: Not just bad, but violent

Looking to bounce back from two uninvolving, turgid Star Wars prequels, childhood-memory-destroying film director toy marketer George Lucas has announced that the third and final prequel, Revenge of the Sith, will be uninvolving, turgid -- and violent:

Director George Lucas has warned that young children might not be allowed to watch the third and final instalment of his Star Wars prequel films because of the increased level of violence in it.

Lucas revealed his concerns about audience expectations and the likelihood of a stronger rating for the film in a magazine interview.

"I think children, young children especially, should be warned that this is not your average Star Wars," he told Vanity Fair.

"It's a lot darker, there's a lot more scary stuff in it," Lucas said. "It's brutal in places and they should be aware of that."

Yeah, I know -- this is the part that explains the transformation of Annakin Skywalker into Darth Vader, so it has to be darker and more violent. But that doesn't mean it will be any good.

The problem with Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones wasn't a lack of graphic violence. It was forgettable characters, wooden acting, incoherent plots, and stilted dialogue, all of which look to be on tap for the next episode.

Sadly, what once would have been tipped as the biggest event in cinema history, is now relevant only to an ever-shrinking circle of aging, comic-book-guy-style geeks. And even they're getting fed up.