Letters

Wake up. When it comes to Star Wars, it's a mix'n'match of the good, the bad, and the neutral.

Curtis Bailey
Irving, Texas

BORE WARS

Michael Atkinson, in his review of Star Wars Episode II, aptly uses the word "groupthink" to explain why the film is a cultural phenomenon. The original Star Warsmovies inspired our adulation to such a degree that each new installment has been a guaranteed success at the box office. Yet about the only thing the newest movie inspires is confusion.

When we were younger, we gazed upon a bright, distant image of a galaxy that sparked our imagination. Despite ridiculous dialogue, we could identify with the hero's desires. We grew older and Star Wars grew famous. Although the new movie is crammed with impressive technical wizardry, it is curiously devoid of adventure. Attack of the Clones only compounds the problem by giving us more action, none of it exciting.

In science fiction, it is important to create not only a new world, but one we care about. By suspending natural laws, the filmmaker can transport us to fantastic places—but why do we want to be there? The earlier Star Warsmovies created mystery and inspired our imagination. By attempting to explain everything through tedious exposition, Episode IIremoves any mystique.

Ko-Ming Chang
Manhattan

BAARD, COONEY WIN DEADLINE AWARD

Erik Baard and Rebecca Cooney have won the 2002 Deadline Club Award for Reporting by Non-Daily Newspapers for their article "China's Execution, Inc.," which appeared in the May 8, 2001, issue of The Village Voice. The article detailed the trade in body parts of executed prisoners. The award is given by the Society of Professional Journalists.