>>7028741Your admiration of Lucas is through rose-colored glasses.
History will show that Star Wars was a smash hit in spite of Lucas, not because of him. While he created an interesting world to play in, it was the people he surrounded himself with - especially in that first movie - that turned a schlocky B-movie into a blockbuster.
Ben Burtt's sound effects, Rick Baker's creature effects, ILM's special effects, John William's score, Marcia Lucas' (the most unsung hero) editting, Ralph McQuarrie's art and Gary Krutz holding it all together. That's what made Star Wars a success.
When Lucas stepped back and let more talented people play in his sandbox, we got The Empire Strikes Back. When he interjected himself back in a little bit, we got Ewoks in The Return of the Jedi. When he took full control, we got the awfulness that was the Prequels.
Lucas proved with the sequels that he had - and still has - no idea what it is that the fans tapped into when it comes to his creation. Now we're actually getting movies from those fans in Abrams and Johnson.
Star Wars, by all accounts, should have been a disaster. It was overly-long, ham-fisted, hackneyed, and incomprehensible. It took the efforts of some of the most talented people in Hollywood to save it. The fact that it became the blockbuster it was was by sure accident.
