Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

The other day, whilst in a video store, Tiarnan, five, insisted on buying "Star Wars". He had a choice between a package that contained the first film I had seen in 1976 (the one with Princess Leia and her bun hair style!), which was now labelled no. 4 in the series, or a package containing The Phantom Menace, now labelled no.1. He took the Phantom Menace, despite some misgivings from me about the quality of this film.

It was very interesting to see my sons' reactions to the Phantom Menace. As it began and the titles came up, Fintan exclaimed, in some surprise: "So old-fashioned!". I had to smile. The mystery of it, for me, was that he had enough cultural references to think of that style of writing as "old-fashioned".

Then, the scrolling writing came up, to set the scene - a ludicrous plot out of a bureaucrat's mind, about taxation of planetary trade.

"Is this film just about reading?", asked Fintan a little piqued.

"No, that is just the introduction."

He settled down to watch and, with him, Tiarnan.

Now, you should know that Tiarnan is five, Fintan is seven and Ainan has just turned eleven. The Phantom Menace should be an ideal film for children, however, my sons' views of it were rather telling. As the film progressed, instead of them becoming more absorbed in it, they became more and more fidgety. Even I found it dull. This was, supposedly, a science fiction film - but its subject of politics, bureaucracy and taxation, could not have been less interesting. George Lucas had, it seemed, become a very dull man in his later years. Shakespeare had known how to write of Kings, interestingly, but George Lucas has not mastered the modern equivalent.

About half way through the film, my sons made a decision:

Fintan let out an exasperated: "I am SO bored!", and got up and left.

Tiarnan joined him. Then Ainan, too.

George Lucas' supposed masterpiece was left alone to itself.

What a crappy film.

At this point, I should let you know that this has never happened with any other film that we have brought into the house. Thus, in all their lives, my sons have never been so bored by a movie as they were, by George Lucas' Phantom Menace. A film with so much potential appeal for children, that actually manages to bore my sons, can only be described as a total failure.

They returned about half an hour later, after having played and, rather steadfastly, watched the second half. To be fair, there were some more active parts of the later stages that they enjoyed. Overall, however, they didn't think much of The Phantom Menace.

This now presents a problem: will my children ever see part four, the original Star Wars film - which was, actually, worth seeing, in my childhood remembrance, anyway? It is altogether possible that they won't suffer through the first three, not very good, films, to see the second much better trilogy.

We shall see. However, it was good to see that the hype and marketing surrounding George Lucas' Star Wars oeuvre didn't prevent my sons from seeing the absolute boredom of The Phantom Menace. At least their inner sight, is clear...

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To learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, 10, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, 7 and Tiarnan, 4, this month, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html

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This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited. Use only with permission. Thank you.)

Brotherly love vs. Harry Potter.

Which is more powerful in the life of a child: brotherly love or the magical wizard, Harry Potter, lord of the box office? Well, yesterday, that was put to the test.

Syahidah had planned to take Fintan and Tiarnan to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This seems quite apt since they are both "half-bloods", themselves...though, I have yet to secure the title "Prince" for them!

When Syahidah arrived at the cinema, where I waited, she had only Tiarnan in tow. Fintan was nowhere to be seen.

The story turned out to be a sweet one. On leaving for Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, Syahidah noted that Fintan was hesitating.

"Are you coming?", she asked him.

"I don't want to see Harry Potter: Ainan will be lonely.", he said, looking at his brother who was soon to be left behind.

Syahidah objected that he would not.

"You can't see it...but he is very upset.", he said, concernedly. Perhaps the "upset" he thought he saw, was the thought of being left home alone, without his brothers.

Syahidah relented and let Fintan stay with his brother. She was touched to see that he cared so much about his elder brother that he would forego the film she knew he so wanted to watch.

As it went, however, it was lucky that Fintan didn't go to see Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - for it was a dire concoction. Syahidah judged it as being up there with Transformers 2 as among the worst films she can recall seeing. Truly, Hollywood is churning out trash these days. She particularly criticized the PLOT as utter nonsense - and that would seem to be J.K "I don't plagiarize, honest" Rowling's fault. She also observed that it had disturbingly close similarities to elements of the Lord of the Rings - except that LOTR was fun, well put together and skillful - none of which could be claimed for Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.

Now, I wasn't able to see Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince myself, at that time...even though I had gone to the cinema: so I consider myself lucky not to have wasted another couple of hours in a darkened room.

Given the creative poverty of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, it is fortunate that Fintan's brotherly love is stronger than his taste for all things Potter. It seems, therefore, that his brotherly love has wisdom in it, too, as well as sweetness.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

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IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals.If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)