Movie made for No One

Rating: 3/10 (23 May 1999)

I went to this movie expecting it to not be as good as the first ones. This is very much the case. I expected it to be cutesie and rely too much on special f/x. This again is the case. What I find very strange though, is that this movie appears to be made for no one. I think young kids will get bored watching this movie. It is very slow at points, not at all what I expected. Their is a lot of dialog about the trade war among the characters, but none of it makes any sense. They talk about groups that we are never allowed to see or get to know, or like... I think adults will be confused and bored with this, not to mention small kids that want to see cool stuff and characters.
I went to this movie hoping to see something that was maybe at least in the category of RTJ, or that was at least entertaining in some way. That made you feel good when you left the theater. This movie did not.
I keep reading from people who think this movie was so great that it sets up the later movie stories great or that this movie was just developing the characters. Couldn't this movie have its own story? Is it developing the characters? No. We hardly learn anything about them, except for Anakin. This movie doesn't really add anything to the series that we didn't already know from the first 3 movies. It would have been nice to actually learn a little about the history of the Jedi are something at least.
I really hate to dis this movie, because I really did want it to be good. I also have to say the battle scenes were not even very good. They lacked emotion, creativity, and just happened without much thought being put into them. The "battle" in space brought up thoughts from the original with the Deathstar and of course the Final parade/reward scene. They were very weak imitations though. The Pod scene also was kind of similar to the RTJ hover bike chase scene. This is ok though, because it was really the best part of the whole movie, and better then the scene from RTJ. (Hey, finally a plus!) One scene doesn't make a movie though, and too bad it didn't really have much relevance in the big picture of things.
I don't have a problem with the actors, I just don't think they were given much to work with. I think Portman as the Queen and Lloyd as Anakin did a fine job, though I think it would have been better if Anakin was a little older. I think The Jedi characters could have been more lively though, especially Obi-wan. Just because he is reserved at age 60 after he as become a master Jedi, doesn't mean he has to be when he is 30. Why not have some fun with these characters. A big part of the fun in first movies was the interaction between the characters of Luke, Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan and the droids. None of that is in this movie. No, I didn't expect them to appear, or carbon copies of them, but absolutely no comedy or feeling is realy shared among the characters in this movie. I think that is one of the reasons why this movie fails so miserably.
Darth Maul... 3 lines, Wow am I scared. No. Darth Vader was a much better villain, but I guess he should be if he is built up for 3 movies and stars in six.
Yes the special effects are pretty cool, the cities and landscapes are wonderful. The robot fighters, and Jar Jar won't. They were both obnoxious. Everything has to have a stupid voice to be funny. Are we that stupid? Do you think kids are that stupid? The first movies gave us humor from the interaction between the characters. This movie attempts it with slap-stick silly animation and voices. Let's try to use this cool new technology for good, not the evil dark side of the force (bad movie making.)
I read another comment earlier that said this movie was Star-Warish. No it's not. If you have seen this movie and haven't seen the others then go and watch them. This movie does not compare to the originals, even though so many more special effects are possible now. Even the battle scenes that require effects were much more exciting and well thought out than in this movie. Not to mention the story. George, go back and watch the first couple of movies, then watch this one again (if you can). Wow, what a difference character interaction and a good story make without needing silly humor that you only think kids want to see. Did kids not like the first movies?
You might say I'm just disappointed that it didn't live up to the first films, that none could. No, I think, The Matrix, which came out recently is a much better, more entertaining film than what this is, though still along ways from being as good as the story line and charcter interaction of the original Star Wars movies. Please give episode number 2 a story of its own, character interaction, and a reduction in the stupidity factor that studios seem to think we want. WE DON'T.
I could start nit-picking the details, and how story lines don't really flow together very well, but I won't. I've said enough. Like some have said it gets better the more you watch it? I think a movie should be good the first time you watch it. I can't imagine anyone wanting to sit though this again very many times. I was truly disappointed.