Better than I expected, not quite on par with the original trilogy

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2002)

I'm regretting my cynicism a little - it was better than I expected. The effects were of course very nice, but this time, they were used for considerably better effect - Lucas' formidable skill with visuals has obviously returned. My favorite scene, cinematography-wise, was definitely the chase scene at the beginning. The digital effects were stunning, and absolutely necessary for a scene like this - the number of speeders, buildings, and people in the scene couldn't have been achieved without CGI. This time, it seems that Lucas' cinematic vision hasn't been outpaced by the power of his computers. I also very much liked the visuals in the scenes on the water planet (can't think of the name). They impressed me a great deal.
The dialog was quite poor, though - filled with clichÃ©s (Samuel L. Jackson: "I don't think so!" being only one of many examples.) The scenes with Anakin and Padme were almost sickening in their sweetness. I'm glad the teenage romance wasn't as important in the movie as the preview I saw made it look because George Lucas at his best is not a skilled director of romance, and here he is positively ham-handed. Leia and Han Solo were funny, had good chemistry, and Lucas used a very light touch. Anakin and Padme, on the other hand, said lines like "I've been dying day by day since you came back" (paraphrased) and didn't manage to convince me at all.
Thankfully, those scenes were fairly brief, and Jar Jar was also present briefly, although in his perhaps 5 minutes of screen time, he did manage to put into action the destruction of the Republic.
The scene with Yoda was, of course, extremely crowd-pleasing, even obsequious - perhaps an apology for Episode I. It was also, however, very well done - although I don't know that it would have the same meaning to those who haven't seen the first three. I wonder about the young folk who haven't necessarily seen the original trilogy. The end of that seen, when Yoda picks up his cane, was a classic moment for the series.
All in all, it was a good movie, but it didn't quite live up to the original trilogy. His visual skills are on par with IV-VI, the effects were much better, but the cast was not the equal of the originals, including, surprisingly, Ewan McGregor. The dialogue was mediocre, and the acting was mixed. Definitely a worthwhile addition to the series, but nowhere near its peak. It is sure to please the diehard fan, especially after Episode I, but to someone like myself, who enjoys Star Wars but isn't fanatical, the flaws are visible. I give it 8 out of 10.