If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

"George Lucas in Love" is, as the title already suggests, a "Star wars fan film made over 15 years ago by aspiring Joe Nussbaum. He went on to direct a couple teenage-oriented films, but this one here is probably still his best-received work to date. Unfortunately, I cannot really see why. These 8 minutes were full with obvious showy "Star Wars" references, but this movie had zero subtlety and I found neither the humour nor the love story particularly creative and inspiring. I guess there is a reason why the lead actor did not really manage to achieve an impressive career in the industry. Then again, he is not the worst thing about this film here, it probably is the script, but it's really more of a collection of mediocre efforts all around. This film does not suck entirely, but it's also not really worth seeing.

This 8 minute short film purports to show us the experiences of film student George Lucas as his writer's block is solved when fellow student Marion inspires him and romance blooms.If you are a Star Wars fan and you haven't seen this film, you must stop what you are doing immediately, go out and find it, and see it without any further delay - you will love every second of it. Conversely, if you have never seen Star Wars then don't waste your time - most of the references in it won't mean anything to you at all.It is affectionate, witty, hysterically funny at times, and crafted by people who love what Lucas created while remaining aware of what critics say. Oh, and it's blessed with a couple of terrific payoffs (and some smart playout music).

Director George Lucas is without a doubt one of the most important filmmakers of the 70s, as while his body of work is often considered of lesser quality then the work of other members of his generation, it is by far the most influential in the field of science fiction thanks to the creation of "Star Wars", the epic saga of fantasy and sci-fi that changed the way people looked at sci-fi movies. With "Star Wars", Lucas created not only one of the most bankable franchises in history, but also a story that has inspired countless sci-fi aficionados across the world. Since "Star Wars" is nowadays a defining element of pop culture, it is not a surprise that it is often referenced in other works, sometimes as a homage, others as a parody, and sometimes as both. Joe Nussbaum's short film "George Lucas in Love", is probably among the best of the homages/parodies "Star Wars" has received across its history.Set in 1967, "George Lucas in Love" is the fictional story about how Lucas created "Star Wars" during his last year as a student at USC. Lucas (Martin Hynes) is suffering from writer's block as he tries to shape his still unnamed space opera. Lucas has only three days to finish it or he won't graduate, but he is unable to begin writing as he can't make it work. He tries desperately to find inspiration in college, and even asks for advice to his odd professor (Patrick Kerr) but nothing seems to work, until he meets Marion (Lisa Jakub). Marion is a young girl (with a strangely familiar hairdo) who admires Lucas' previous shorts, and thinks that he is talented. Lucas finds his muse in Marion as she encourages him to write about what he feels and just follow his inspiration.Written by Nussbaum himself along with Daniel Shere and Timothy Dowling, the film is of course a spoof on the premise of 1998 film "Shakespeare in Love", a movie detailing William Shakespeare struggle with writer's block. Filled with countless references to "Star Wars"' first film (as well as other works by Lucas), the screenplay is very well-developed for an 8 minutes short movie. While of course there are a couple of plot holes in the story, they are devised that way to be more funny references to Lucas' legendary space opera. The story unfolds nicely in its short time and always remains focused on its spoofed themes. Unlike most similar parodies, it never relays on cheap attacks and takes its subject with a very fresh intelligence.It is worth to point out that director Joe Nussbaum shows his love for the "Star Wars" movies without being too respectful and staying true to his comedy roots. Working nicely with both visual gags and jokes referencing Lucas' biography (and future filmography), Nussbaum creates a very creative movie and showcases his very promising talent for comedy. He also knows the limitations of his medium, and exploits the joke to the most without making it boring or tiresome, and always keeping that light hearted approach that gives the movie a really appropriate touch of sweetness. True, the film shows some of the common problems of short films, but the movie shows that Nussbaum truly put a lot of work in this "calling card" that it's not a surprise to discover that he has started a career as director of comedies. To tell the truth, Nussbaum manage to do more in 8 short minutes than many filmmakers do in 90. The cast if truly effective and one of the reasons the movie works so nicely. Martin Hynes is excellent as George, playing him as an intelligent writer, but lacking a bit in his social skills (without a doubt a play on the stereotype of "Star Wars" fans). Lisa Jakub is not only beautiful as Marion, but also adds a lot as one of the most experienced members among the cast. The rest of the cast appears briefly, but most tend to leave a lasting impression as not only the script allows them to shine, they truly make the most of their small roles. Particularly funny is Patrick Kerr (another of the experienced members of the cast), as Lucas' professor who may be the inspiration for a character famous for its odd way of speak."George Lucas in Love" is definitely not the work of a genius, but it's truly amazing when one considers it was conceived as a student film. Nussbaum finally began his professional career as a director in 2004 with the teen comedy "Sleepover". Story says that the success of this modest short film played a major part in he being hired by Dreamworks, and personally, I wouldn't be surprised if that were true, as this movie is definitely something special. Hopefully Nussbaum will deliver another comedy as good as this short, as "George Lucas in Love" seems to be only the beginning of a very promising career. 8/10

I attended USC film school and had CNTV 241 (the entry-level film production class) with Joe Nussbaum, the director and co-writer of this short film. I used to borrow his tripods and lights all the time...Even though we were shooting on Super 8 at the time (now they shoot iMovies in CNTV 241), Joe was at the head of our class at crafting funny, memorable narratives in little short films. When George Lucas in Love became a surprise hit a few years ago, I wasn't surprised at all. For me, it was a continuation of the incredible filmmaking talent Nussbaum displayed at USC a few years back.I remember reading Nussbaum got a feature film deal shortly after this short was made, but it seems that never came to pass. Que sera sera, but still keep your eyes out for him, as his talent is too strong to lay dormant forever. Even if you never get the chance to see his Super 8 comedy masterpiece The Whiz, like I did a couple of times back in 1994, you can watch and enjoy this very sharp and funny short.