Excellent Movie whose strengths outweigh its faults

Rating: 4/10 (19 May 1999)

Well, as I catch up on sleep from the midnight screening at Q Cinema 9 here in Omaha, let me say this. The critics are dead wrong. This is a great movie. Definitely not the best ever, but still very good with a good shot at beating Titanic's record.
The first hour was a little slower paced than I would have preferred, but in hindsight so are the first hours of the first 3 movies. Once the movie hits the pod race scene, however, the movie is vintage Star Wars.
The pod race scene and the final battles (or 4 parts of one battle) are awesome, especially Darth Maul vs Obi-Wan and Qui-Gonn. Vader and Luke never had a lightsaber fight that was that intense or stunning.
The special effects are the best ever in a movie. The soundtrack and sound effects are probably up near or at the top as well. The acting is average, but go look at the first movies, not exactly outstanding either.
The biggest downfall is Jar Jar Binks. I realize Lucas made these movies for kids, but Jar Jar is nothing more than annoying to anyone over the age of 10. They could have at least made his speech understandable instead of slurred or subtitle it. One other thing I would have done differently was give Maul more screen time and Jar Jar much less.
Overall this was a must-see movie, if for nothing else than to see the best special effects ever combined with a great soundtrack and sound effects.
My ratings: acting: 5 plot: 7 Visuals: 10 Music: 10 Sound FX: 10
1st hour(up to pod race): 7 (Visuals save this 1/2 of the movie)
2nd hour(rest of movie): 10
Overall: 8.5-9.0 (Jar Jar lowers it a 1/2 star on his own, and the other flaws, though overshadowed, are still present)