the problem with this....was made when Lucas decided to scratch the realism.

Rating: 5/10 (31 October 2007)

This isn't a terrible film. However, the decision of scrapping models and make-up for CGI.. distanced this film from the original trilogy both chronologically and in it's impact. Of course there are those that will say that 'technology has come along' ...or that, "if you have it, why don't you use it?".... problem is ...the old films still don't seem dated.....and the minimalized action scenes of the first trilogy still hold up EXTREMELY well.... so changing the formula didn't improve things... Considering this film had such a monumental task(cont. the series/intro to new characters), I found these changes in production completely separated the new trilogy from it's predecessors even further... This film is supposed to have been BEFORE Star Wars.....years before....I find that MANY elements of the film seem 'LIGHT YEARS AHEAD'...it quite honestly...makes no sense whatsoever to do this. It's like Lucas gave his geek squad free reign and decided that the original formula was outdated and would take too long to make......It's not like he didn't have the money....BUT IT IS LIKE he didn't have the time. Jar Jar Binks made the film feel more like a Sesame St. episode than a prequel to one of the greatest trilogies in modern film. Standing on it's own....this is an average action film...standing next to Star Wars and Empire....this is one of the biggest disappointments in my movie-going life. ....and the fact that Lucas has now fuddled with the original series proves that he has lost his touch. The escalated action scenes with their over-use of CGI and the distant characters have somehow made this less personal...less of an adult action movie.....and in the end ...less of a film. 48/100