A decent film, but problems abound

Rating: 1/10 (7 May 2000)

Yes, as you can tell, I am going to be one of those folks who says this movie doesn't live up to its hype or its ancestors. Fist of all, let me say this, as it is my strongest disagreement with the film- THE SPECIAL EFFECTS WERE BETTER IN THE FIRST THREE. Everyone is saying how great the effects were in this movie, but, frankly, I think they all looked cartoony and obviously digital. Lucs should have used models like he did in the first three. He may be an innovator, and, yes, the special effects are no doubtedly a fantastic feat. But just because brand new digital technology was used doesn't mean that it was more realistic than the effects in the other three movies. Take a look at the Royal ship or the Naboo fighters, and then watch the TIE fighters and X-Wings in the other movies. The ships in the new movie look to clean. They are smooth ships without much surface detail, whereas the ships in the first three films look as if they actually were used and built out of real materials instead of being an injected molded fiberglass thing with a heavy coat of wax. And some of those orignal models were less than two inches long!

Some spoilers follow.

Second, the plot. It seems ok at first. But once they get to Coruscant, it all falls apart. What was Sen. Palpatine doing the whole time? Was he trying to kill the queen? What would he achieve by this? If it was all a complex scheme to get her to come to Coruscant and get him elected to lead the Senate, it seems foolish for him to have sent his number two man, Darth Maul, to Tatooine to kill them. And once the whole troupe returns to Naboo, they once again find their lives in danger. Why doens't Palpatine make up his mind. Lucas is changing gears in the Senator's head, and it makes the whole movie shudder and jar like Lucas forgot to use the clutch. I won't go into the other issues, namely Annakin, Jar-Jar, and Medichlorians.
The movie is still enjoyable for someone who just likes any science fiction movie, there are laser balsts and spaceships flying and light saber fights, but don't expect too much.