Sep
Star Warriors and Leaders
If you ask me, most of the Star Wars movies are lame. Nice visual effects, but not much of a story. The only one that I liked was the first one.
The only character I found plausible was Darth Vader. He showed a high level of leadership. If something needed to be done, he was on the scene. When anything got between him and his objective, he removed it. Be it a sword-wielding adversary or an entire planet, Vader made sure it did not stay in his way.
Toward the movie’s end, when the rebels attacked the “death star,” Vader had no obvious role in its defense. That would have been the duty of the installation commander, fire control and his flak crews. Rather than wait out the attack, Vader made himself a role in its defense. He joined the interceptor squadrons defending the installation. Vader provided leadership through a powerful example. You know darn well that in real history, leaders like that enjoyed the trust of their men.
They whole “Jedi” thing and the odd assortment of heroes is typical science fiction. This time it was the old wise man, the brash kid, the cowboy and the monster man. Contrast this with the Fantastic Four of comic books, or the Seven Samurai of Japanese cinema. Oddball hero crews are a staple of heroic fiction.
Darth Vader is unusual as a fictional villain. He has the attributes of a good leader. He may be firm and brusque, but he is not cowardly. That is unique for that type of science fiction.
