Proof of the times--and sad times at that

Rating: 1/10 (21 July 1999)

This piece fails on many levels. The acting alone should be enough to alert viewers that George Lucas no longer cares about making movies. This piece is one long SpFX reel, and even these fail to satisfy. The CGI FX seem surprisingly thin and immaterial (a history of the filmmaking process)--who really cares that either Gungans or 'droids get there just desserts. Let's be honest with ourselves. Everything aside from the central characters are mere scenery that serve no purpose but to distract the audiences from the live actors' bad performances. Jar-Jar Binks manages to flop his way into the center of attention in scenes where we SHOULD be watching the actors in order to be drawn into the progression of the plot. Shame on you, George Lucas. You have abandoned the wonderful stories, mythology, and adventure of the Star Wars Trilogy in order to indulge yourself and fill your pockets.
To be fair, the pod race is a BRILLIANT piece of filming. Perhaps Lucas at his best. This scene alone will stay with you.