Dire

Rating: 1/10 (1 May 2007)

The voting system doesn't really go low enough to do this film justice. It is simply dire. The characters are one dimensional, the action is 'cartoonlike', the love interest is totally unconvincing and the comedy relief is completely out of place and childish.
There isn't really much plot, apart from setting up the basis for episodes 2 and 3. Most of the film is padding and meaningless set-pieces. Even the much famed 'race' has been totally over-hyped.
And, worse of all, the baddies are not developed enough for us to to really hate them. In fact, I felt more dislike for the 'heroes'.
I realise it just wasn't possible to create a film with the sort of impact that the original 'Star Wars' had but surely, with the money available to them, they could have found a writer who could have delivered a good story and some believable dialogue.
Totally lacking in any charm or magic.