A solid return for Lucas

Rating: 5/10 (6 December 2004)

Following on from the greatest trilogy of all time is a hard act to follow, so it was inevitable that many would be disappointed by a film which isn't the one that the fans expected i.e. the return of Darth Vader and the classic good vs evil battle of the originals.(you'll have to wait until May 2005 for that one).
Instead we are given the beginning of the story, which is really setting up the events that lead to the situation we find ourselves at the beginning of the classic trilogy.
In this first installment the galaxy is a very different place, a democratic republic where any conflicts are settled by the Jedi knights, the guardians of peace and justice of the republic for millennial. However, the republic is growing stale, allowing greedy bureaucrats to get involved and act to their own advantage. This paves the way for the trade federation to tax trade routes to outlying star systems and create hostilities on a peaceful world.
To counteract this, the republic dispatch 2 Jedi knights to calm the dispute, but little do they know that this series of events will shape the future for years to come, for it is on this mission that a more sinister threat is revealed...
This film was always going to be compared to he originals, but it isn't as bad as many people would have you believe. Granted there's too much CGI in some areas, some of the acting is a little wooden and Jar-Jar does get irritating (it's not as bad as you think though), but this is still a film that entertains.
This is an action film and it's exactly that which makes it better than most. The first conflicts aboard the trade federation ship get you back in the mood, the pod racing is exhilarating and the final light saber climax is the best ever seen. All this is complemented by a tidy plot, appearances by some much loved characters and a fine score by John Williams (especially the climactic piece, The Duel of the Fates).
But after all, these films are only going to be compared to the other ones in the saga and after a 22 year vacation from the directing chair, George Lucas hasn't quite hit that old magic formula. However, there are still puzzles to be solved and the end will leave you wanting to find out in the next ones.
This is a good film, not a great one, but everyone knows they can do something special where this yarn came from. 8/10.