A Weak Entry in the Star Wars Saga

Rating: 6/10 (5 November 2002)

I gave "Episode 1" a pass when it was first released in 1999. All the hype and hoopla surrounding the release was a real turn-off. I couldn't understand the people that were paying full fare theater admission, not to see the feature, but solely to view the "Episode 1" trailer. As the actual release approached people began queuing for tickets weeks in advance, and bidding up the admission cost to hundreds of dollars per seat. I found it all obscene, and I boycotted the movie. I did follow the reviews and was heartened when it was reviewed poorly, but then disheartened when it still made another fortune for Lucas.
Now three years later, I've decided to see "Episode Two" before it leaves the theaters. But I can't do that until I view "Episode 1" to get straight with the plot elements. So, I rented "Episode 1". . .
I couldn't believe my eyes. It's even worse than I hoped. Actually, it's not bad at all, and is rather entertaining. But when compared against the original three Star Wars movies, it doesn't hold a candle. Nothing in "Episode 1" is original, it's all been done before in the earlier trilogy, and done much, much better. It's like a Star Wars movie, only drained of drama, suspense and originality. What's left is a slick, high-tech, science fiction 'kids' movie. That's all.