Scenes are visionary, Acting is flat.

Rating: 6/10 (5 July 1999)

There are almost no memorable characters in this movie, except for Darth Maul. But he is limited to being a martial expert rather than a true evil presence in the movie. Everybody else seems to be so self-conscious of what roles they are playing than being the characters they are supposed to portray.
The story is an adequate setup for entire series. The visuals are astounding. The podrace scene is the true marvel of this movie. It captures the essence of how thrilling Star Wars really is. It outdoes all other action sequences in the episodes IV, V and VI. Lightsaber scenes are spectacular, although its ending is too easy to believe.
I commend George Lucas for his vision. But the actors selected for this film are badly miscast. Compare this cast with Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Luke Skywalker, and you'll go Quin Gon who?
Seeing R2D2 again was great!