Mediocre

Rating: 5/10 (24 May 2002)

Great special effects and dazzling monsters can't make me like the latest piece of the Star Wars epic, but they certainly tried. Of course, some people enjoy Star Wars films precisely for this reason and I can't argue with that. However, if you like your films to contain a well-written script, believable characters, good acting, and chemistry then look elsewhere as this movie fails miserably.
The original trilogy contained all of these things and were a joy to behold. Somehow, George Lucas has lost the ability to develop characters that resonate with me. I can't speak for others but I suspect that many people feel the same way. My wife was quick to point out the non-existent chemistry between Anakin and Padme and I noticed other failed connections between the characters. Including Samuel L. Jackson and Jimmy Smits into the cast was distracting as I kept thinking about 'pulp fiction' and 'NYPD Blue' every time they appeared. Oh well, at least there *were* cool looking monsters and creatures to look at and the "5th Element" looking cities with air traffic weren't bad. This film should have been so much more...5 out of 10.