A waste of time

Rating: 5/10 (18 May 2002)

This contains some slight spoilers, but if you do see this film, I doubt you'll fault me for "spoiling" this kitsch.
This film shouldn't be called Star Wars. After watching it I felt like I was completely robbed of two hours of my life. The acting is terrible (especially "Ani"). Jar Jar is the Anti-Christ, and if it wasn't for Episode II, I would have lost all faith in George Lucas. The dialogue is pathetically unintelligent (like the droid who says, "...Does not compute. Oh wait, uh, your under arrest.") The film feels like it's made for a crowd of below average kids. And only about 30 minutes of the film is important to the storyline of the Star Wars epic.
In all reality, George Lucas should trash the film (although I suspect Jar Jar Binks really directed it), find a new kid to play Anakin, burn all evidence of Jar Jar Binks, and remake the core film as a short. Keep only the parts that are needed for the story. No stupid pod race simply to appease the uncultured masses that are hungry for any action no matter how absurd. A simple reference to Anakin's ability to fly pod's (something that "no other human can do," symbolizing his Jedi-like reflexes). Darth Maul really shouldn't die yet (considering he can take on two Jedi at once), and if he does have to die don't make it so pathetic. Just because he's the bad guy doesn't mean he has to be so incompetent that he can let Obi-Wan pull himself out of a pit, jump over his head, grab his light-saber, turn it on, and slash him from side to side, before he can simply stab him. Darth Vader knew what it was like to be a villain; he was competent. Now they have to make the villain extremely competent, at first (so there is a good sword fight), then drop his intelligence to that of a storm trooper at the end (because the masses need closure; they wouldn't like to see the bad guy get away).
Basically, this is a bad formula film. The problem is, it was created by the creator of some of the best films of all time. It had such potential, it had such high standards to live up to, yet it couldn't even surpass the standard formula film. I felt Starship Troopers was more enjoyable than this; and that's saying something.