Mmmmm......not bad, considering I haven't really seen any other films in the trilogy

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 1999)

I had been drawn in by the hype surrounding this movie despite the fact that I can't remember any of the other Star Wars movies and I had no idea what the story was on about. So basically, I judged this movie by itself, not comparing it with the others in the trilogy or other films. However, I must say, considering how crazy everyone was about this movie, I can imagine how many would be disappointed. I thought it was an above average sci-fi flick, but nothing I would be rushing to see again. I didn't think the plot was explained very clearly, and the dialogue was pretty lame....these days special effects alone cannot be the backbone of the movie. The humour was pretty childish as well, I think aimed more at a younger audience (but at least some mature jokes could be put in). I found Jar Jar Binks annoying and not at all funny, and Darth Maul was a joke....all that hype about the double-ended lightsabre, but apart from that, the character was pretty useless (I don't even think he spoke...)..and the fight scenes felt more like dance sequences....too slow and way too choreographed..so obviously there's plenty of room for improvements in the next two films. But on the positive side, it was quite exciting. Some people I talked to found it confusing and rather boring, but I felt that despite the length of the movie, my interest was kept throughout. And even when the film had finished, I felt like I wanted to see more...which I guess is good, but bad because it'll be a few years before I actually do. So overall, I thought it was worth the money, and it certainly did kill the curiosity I had towards all the hype. It's definitely worth watching, even if it is only for the sake of seeing it.