Juvenile, and the pacing is glacial.

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2004)

Yeah, right. It is. But I think the subplot of Sidious controlling the Senate so the cowardly Chancellor Valorum will be voted off office was genius. Only hardcore fans can see through this.
But like many people say, the execution wasn't as brilliant as that of ANH, or the favorite of everyone: The Empire Strikes Back. The direction wasn't particularly that sharp; albeit the mixing of principal live action plates and CG was a daunting challenge that required discipline. And the acting? Its awful! Save for Ian McDiarmid, and Ewan McGregor who were good enough in their roles. Liam Neeson was good enough, at least as good as Alec Guiness might have been some 25 years earlier.
The only thing worth it here is the end duel at the hangar done to the operatic "Duel of the Fates" by John Williams. A brilliantly choreogrpahed piece of lightsaber swashbuckling action. Watch how Darth Maul (played by martial arts champion Ray Park) kicks Qui-Gon in the chin at bulletspeed when Qui Gon leaps after he backfists him knocking him to the lower catwalk. Just beautiful. It is one of the best fight scenes in movie history in my book. But this movie itself??? Well, you can pretend that you love it by watching it with fastforwards. Do it that way, and you'll only eat up 45 minutes of your life.
6/10