Not Menacing Enough

Rating: 7/10 (2 February 2004)

Like thousands of twenty-somethings who remember the excitement created over the release of "The Return of the Jedi" (I was 10 years old), I raced to the theater ASAP to see Lucas' newest release. However, I must say that I was a little disappointed. Unlike the original trilogy, there were no witty lines and virtually no character development. A couple of characters (i.e. young Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks) were downright annoying.
The story is set approximately thirty years before the original trilogy began, and serves largely to introduce characters who become significant in the future. We meet Obi Wan Kenobi (only a "padawan" learner at this point), as well as Yoda. We are also introduced to Senator Palpatine, and Anakin Skywalker's mother and future wife are prominently featured.
The nature of the force is briefly explained (although it was explained much more elegantly in Episode IV: "A New Hope"), as well as the circumstances surrounding Darth Vader's birth.
One gets the feeling that although the film is not that long, not enough was accomplished in terms of advancing the plot to justify the length. There are a number of extraneous scenes that seem inserted merely to entertain the children in the audience.
On the positive side- the beautiful musical score was back, as well as stunning visuals, and even better costumes than the original trilogy. In addition, a few big name actors (I love Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson!) signed on to the film, drawing in an even bigger audience.