This movie disappoints

Rating: Null/10 (20 May 2002)

As a Star Wars fan, I was looking forward to this film. Unlike others, I liked the Phantom Menace and thought that it was good beginning at explaining episodes 3-6. However, I walked out of AOTC very disappointed.
I found the acting (never great in these movies to begin with) to be stilted and the dialog between the main "lovers" to be silly. Hayden Christensen simply cannot act and failed to convince me of the inner struggle that is happening within him. Natalie Portman, while beautiful, failed to capture me as she did in the first film.
As should be expected, the CGI was awesome, but failed to move me in the way the pod racing scene did in the first movie.
The CGI highlight of the film, the Yoda fight scene, looked to me like a muppet fighting a human and failed to convince me it was happening.
Were there highlights? Yes. Ewan McGregor was very good as Obi-Wan and the photography of Naboo was beautiful.
Maybe I expect too much and should look at this movie not based on the others Lucas did. But he set the bar and this movie does not come close to reaching it. At least he has one more chance.