The "star wars is for kids" line is literally just the deus ex machina for the entire Star Wars franchise that people use to excuse all the bad writing that came after 1981. Because if something is "for kids" then it's okay for it to suck, apparently -- or so the logic goes.
It's "for kids" yet has a plot based entirely around political intrigue, senate hearings, trade laws and blockades. Oh, and murder and slavery. Hmm.
Also let's not pretend George Lucas had any clue whatsoever what he was doing in 1977. The truth about Star Wars is --and I can't reiterate this enough-- that it was never supposed to be a series. It was just a project cobbled together from various old and obscure cinematic influences into a quirky B-movie whose success surprised everyone, even Lucas himself. The idea of Star Wars being a trilogy, or even having sequels at all, was nowhere in the mind of George Lucas when he was writing the script in the mid-70's. The idea about "balancing the Force" as being the driving thematic device behind Star Wars is a cute retcon that makes you sound intelligent to nine year olds, but that's all it is -- a retcon. It was literally thought up 20 years later as part of the package deal of retarded ideas that eventually became known as the prequels. It was an idea introduced in 1999 -- and then never explained or built upon at all. The idea of George Lucas being some prescient secret genius who makes plans decades into the future and "you only understand if you're in the inner circle" is just such laughable self-congratulatory crap.
It's one thing to have contempt for your fans. It's another thing entirely to serve up your latest bowel movement as a sequel to your beloved franchise, then answer all negative criticism with "yes, it is a piece of shit, but you forgot this movie is for 12-year-olds" and "I'm friends with George Lucas, fuck you." Can Hollywood just hurry up and fall into the sea already?
