Disappointing but you should at least see it!

Rating: 6/10 (11 June 1999)

First off, I can say I was very excited for this movie. Me and my friends went on a bus trip after school to see it after months of waiting....and I was the only one who left disappointed. There are many flaws in this movie. First let's start with the acting. Jake Lloyd is tedious. He says some lines semi-correctly, but the others are way off and forced. You can tell he's trying, but it just won't cut it.
I also have some gripes about Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor. Portman, a fine actress, is forced through most of the movie to speak monotonously. You almost fall asleep listening to her. As for McGregor, another fine actor, he was fine acting, but there was almost no point to his character being in the movie until the end.
Darth Maul hardly has a part, contrary to what the commercials will have you think. His character is convincing however, but there is no buildup whatsoever to the final lightsaber battle between him, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon. Such a shame for such a great character.
And now it's time for Jar Jar Binks. Without a doubt, he has to be the absolute most annoying character I have ever seen in a film. It's hard enough to understand what the heck he's saying, but worse is the way he's saying it. Was he really needed? It was obvious they were going to set records, so why go to the trouble of trying to appease kids by inserting this ridiculous, annoying THING. I could feel IQ points dripping away everytime his character was on the screen.
The special effects, I have to admit, were fantastic. I usually look for good dramatics in movie, but they were so good that I have to admit I was sidetracked for awhile just gaping. The best scene in the movie is definitely the podrace, in which cameos are made by Jabba the Hut and the Sand People(Tuskens). It's exciting, exhilarating, and woke me up for 10 minutes.
Another thing besides the acting that bothered me was the whole mood of the movie. It was too obvious that Lucas was trying to impress everyone he possibly could. The whole thing felt like a preview to Episode 1 rather than the actual thing.
All in all, I don't think my money was wasted. I'm just nitpicking because I was so excited to see it and it just didn't live up to my expectations. It's no The Matrix, that's for sure, but it deserves admiration. So, if you haven't seen it yet, you not only belong to a very small club in the world, but you're missing out. So, despite all the flaws, go see it and relive your old experiences.