The return of the force

Rating: 5/10 (8 July 2011)

After much hype Star Wars returns with the three prequels that will probably continue to divide fans for the rest of time.
Visually the film is stunning (by 1999 standards) with the final fight scene and the pod race in particular being very good.
The acting is also pretty good with Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor bouncing off of each other as master and apprentice Jedi.
However it is in the storytelling that this film falls flat and the overall tone of the film wavers from being a sort of kiddie friendly outing to more of a political space epic and ends up failing to be either successfully.
Overall a good starting place for the series and one that younger fans will relish but may leave those familiar with the older films not feeling the full force.