I don't sense anything......

Rating: 5/10 (12 February 2012)

As imminent conflict brews between the powerful Trade Federation and the peaceful planet of Naboo, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi travel to Naboo to warn the Queen of the galactic fallout which is to follow.
Eventually, Naboo is invaded forcing the Jedi to evacuate the planet with the Queen and her court.
They travel to the desert planet of Tatooine where they meet a slave boy named Anakin Skywalker who is evidently one with the Force.
They enlist his help in fighting the war, while the Jedi confront one of the Dark Jedi behind the invasion, Darth Maul.
Mauls master Darth Sidious continues to lead the invasion as a "phantom" behind the scenes.....
OK, so there is nothing really more to say about one of the biggest pillagings of a beloved franchise, so I won't hit on it too much.
This review is after I have seen the 3D version, and while the 3D isn't as bad as say 'COTT', it's still a very poor job, and another excuse for Lucas to line that lumberjack shirt.
The bit's you would expect to be impressive, The Pod Race, and the final Saber battle are OK, but I wasn't expecting too much because it's a film from 1999 and conversions are never good (hello Captain America).
I just wanted to see it again after all these years, Just to see if it really is an insult to 'real' fans. I have the Blu Ray but never once put it in my machine.
I just wanted to know, is it really that bad? No, it isn't, it's visually stunning, and Maul is one of the most iconic villains this side of Hans Gruber, but when it comes to direction and acting, the film just loses it's way.
People dog on Lloyd for 'bad' performance, the kid was ten for crying out loud, and wasn't really that bad.
You want to see the bad acting in this? see Macgregor, who just spends the duration of the film doing a really bad impression of Alec Guiness, and Portman, why is it whenever she is wearing make-up, she has to do a really silly voice.
Neeson, knows what he is making and walks around with a swagger, acting cool and basically telling Obi-Wan to chill out.
So all in all, it's not a good story, the narrative is awful, as is a lot of the acting, but it's visually stunning.