Movie Death Match 2007 tuh 2008

Star Wars over Billy Madison

Okay, this was actually kind of a tough pick. Billy Madison was filmed in my home town just down the street from where Jeff and I grew up. And it's the one where we all really fell in love with Adam Sandler. And then I almost picked it when I started thinking about how bad those first three episodes of Star Wars are. I mean you've got Luke whining all the time, Han Solo only looking out for himself, those damn ewoks, and how fake does Jabba the Hut look? But then I started thinking about the other three episodes: the timeless and universal character of Jar Jar Binks, Senator Amadala's penetrating political insight (not to mention the whole cool doubles fakeout with Padme in Episode I), Anakin showing us what a true whiney teenager actually sounds like, the whole doubles fakeout with Senator Papaltine and the Evil emperor (fooled again!) and great, great lines of dialogue (isn't amazing how Lucas can get inside two lovers' heads?). I mean Lucas could have chosen to be as self-indulgent as say, David Lynch, but instead really strove to perfect his art. How could I not reward that with a pick?