Star Wars update:

You saw it hear first. According to the AP's report at Salon.com, Episode III of the Star Wars saga will be called "Revenge of the Sith." The AP reports that fans seem to approve, as there is a symmetry between this title and the original concept for Episode VI, which was going to be "Revenge of the Jedi" until Lucas realized that Jedi don't take revenge, and changed it to "Return of the Jedi."

I like the new title, except that it seems to incorporate information that so far "pre-dates" even the sequels. The Sith will take their revenge for what? For being driven out of the Jedi order thousands of years ago? Unless you are a serious "baki" in Star Wars mesorah, you won't know what the "revenge" is for. That is, people who have watched the films but aren't uber-fans won't necessarily "get it."

That cloudiness seems in keeping with the general fuzziness of plot of Episodes I and II, particulaly Episode I, which should be called "The Phantom Plotline." Lucas seems so intent on giving these films an "old world, look-I-just-wrote-a-new-myth" feel that there are purposefully many questions left unanswered. Of course, in many ways the same could have been said for Episodes IV, V, and VI.

Perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to judge. Perhaps the answers will come in Episode III. I can't wait to see it! (Especially, I admit, Amidala's wardrobe. If only I had her stylist . . . . and her body . . . . and an anti-gravity suitcase . . . . and an R2 unit and a gorgeous Jedi knight to protect me . . . and hair that miraculously gets thicker and longer just when I need it to wrap around one of those cute, eye-catching, 6-foot-high hairpieces . . . . and a secret retreat on a lake in Italy . . . and a gorgeous Jedi knight to protect me . . . who is 6 years younger than I am . . . mmmmm . . . . .)