Insane Standards and Romantic Memories Spoil It for Many

Rating: 7/10 (21 February 2005)

I simply cannot understand folks who say they liked the original series and do not like this film. Maybe it is not a favorite but to out and out disdain it when they so enjoyed the first three is just.....bizarre.
Lucas remained faithful with the themes and ideas developed in Star Wars and it plays exactly like the serials that inspired it. It contains similar types of successes and flaws that are in all of films. With excellent performances - (Liam Nesson as Qui Gon) and superb moments (showdown with Darth Maul) along with dud acting (Lucas's direction of children) and tiring exposition.
The romantic memory that many cherished from youth was impossible to match. Is the material fresh? hardly - but then again it was not fresh in 1977 - it was new effects and a turning away from the bleak morality of the 70's films that preceded it.
Lucas is not doing anything as groundbreaking here - but any scifi fantasy feature film with the level of quality work that this movie had, without the Star Wars label, would have had these same nutty fanboys peeing their collective pants...