Remember, we were kids when we got into this stuff

Rating: Null/10 (26 April 2002)

Most of us were kids when we became fans of this stuff. Most of us carried such huge expectations for this film, just like when you go back to an amusement park you visited as a kid, so when we saw this one, it just didn't live up to our expectations. But get into the mindset like the kid you were the first time you saw the originals. They had the same faults this one has: non-developed characters, cheesy dialogue, "you-can-tell-it's-not-real" special effects, and a befuddling plot. Who cares! It's fun! Lucas gives us just enough heart and soul balanced with comic-book cheese to keep it from becoming either pretentious sci-fi drama or saturday morning fluff. Believe me, episode 2 will correct some of the mistakes of part one. If you've seen the graphic novel, you know that Jar-Jar, while not having much screen time, will end up playing a critical role in the development of the Empire...one that will almost generate sympathy from even his most hardened critics. So, watch this movie for what it is. Don't try to somehow reclaim your youth with it. And don't give up on the series as a whole. Lucas has two more movies with which to explain himself.