Surprisingly Entertaining

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2002)

Perhaps it was George Lucas's return to the helm, but this installment of the `Star Wars' saga is surprisingly entertaining, working as an interesting saga and not merely as backstory to the legendary trilogy. It's certainly far superior to the sequels of the original, neither of which Lucas directed. There's more of a focus on the characters here than in the previous films (Lucas brings in a heavyweight in Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor has already established himself as an actor of some repute) but there's plenty of attention to detail and the look of the film itself is a dense, roving kaleidoscope with an emphasis on the burnished browns and dark reds that may be an influence from Kurosawa's color films. (Indeed the concept of `Star Wars' itself seems directly influenced by Kurosawa.) Some of the action sequences, such as the pod race that is the centerpiece of the film, may seem overly familiar but they're deftly handled and exciting nonetheless. Lucas is clearly in love with chivalry and his fight scenes are filled with motivations of honor, dignity and justice. With the exception of the contemptuously annoying Jar Jar Binks (it's hard to get past the implications his character represents), there's a lot to admire here and it's greatly appreciated.