Lucas is going down ...

Rating: Null/10 (28 December 2001)

This was a really, really bad movie. I cannot believe that after 16 years of waiting, this is what George Lucas gave us. From seeing the trailer, The Attack of the Clones does not look much better. I am one of those people who used to worship George Lucas and think that he was some kind of genius. He certainly does have talent, but after this???? I mean seriously, there are DOZENS of scriptwriters in Hollywood who could have come up with a better story than Phantom Menace. I guess none of his friends wanted to tell him how bad it actually was.
I just don't understand how someone who supposedly had sooo much talent could have made something so infantile. I mean come on. This was a movie for kids under the age of 10.
Here's the funny thing. If George Lucas just walked away after the original trilogy, and didn't add any more episodes, he would to this day, still be considered a GOD. Unfortunately, what Phantom Menace has done is irreparable harm to the whole damn franchise.
Now, I see the original series in a different light. No longer do I watch it with a sense of awe. Take for example Return of the Jedi. I used to love this movie. Now, I see how similar it is to the Phantom Menace. And let's remember that Empire Strikes Back, which is the favorite episode of many, wasn't even directed by Lucas.
Even as bad as Phantom Menace is, Lucas will still have his hordes of rabid fans. That was true until something called Lord of the Rings came along. Now, Lucas does not only have competition for the hearts and minds of fantasy fans, but is now up against movies that are far superior to his own. If Episode II is another Phantom Menace, then we could see the final nail in the coffin with the release of LOTR's next installment.