Star Wars on.....You know, you know :)

Rating: 3/10 (17 May 2008)

I don't know what to make of this. Was Lucas trying to recapture the glory days of the original trilogy? I'm not sure but for the most part this film really blows. I know sequels can never outshine the original although in some cases, they do and Empire Strikes Back is a great example; directed by Irvin Kershner. Yes the film has dazzling special effects and the light saber duel at the end is great, but when the dialog is so putrid and contrived and the acting so wooden and lifelessly constipated, it leaves one feeling how Lucas can stoop so low. Characters such as Qui-Gon Jin, Ben Kenobi, and Amidala are barely developed; leaving them nothing more than vapid souls against the uninspired screenplay. The other characters such as the Gungan leader and Watto, are basically blatant racial stereotypes. To make matters worse, they casted a child actor as Anakin, played to imperfection by that little pint-sized muppet Jake Loyd. And last but not least, the most hated hated character in the SW universe Jar Jar Binks, who should've died a VERY HORRIBLE DEATH at the righteous hand of the sadly underused Darth Maul!! The original trilogy had its fare share of corny dialog, but not the extent that this movie provides. All in all, TPM fumbled critically with fans and critics and I happen to be one of them because Lucas has lost his touch with what made the original so enamored and charming: Genuine excitement. Had he filmed the prequels first back in the late '70s, then the originals later on, it could've been even greater. But as it stands, TPM is a forgettable giant pile of excrement that should forever be flushed down the cinematic toilet.