Hayden Christensen oozes heroism, danger and sex in an otherwise lifeless mess. *Possible Spoilers*

Rating: Null/10 (20 May 2002)

I expected nothing from this movie, secretly hoping I'd be pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, I was ultimately - and predictably - disappointed, but not in the way anticipated.
The story you probably know, and it's told, but without imagination, nor passion, nor romance. Lucas never allows his characters to breathe, crudely cutting off each human moment to return to CGI driven action. (This movie is actually an animated one at the end of the day, with some human actors in it, like Roger Rabbit; not like a regular sci-fi movie which successfully balances the two.)
McGregor, Portman, Lee and Jackson are absolutely dreadful, but a stunning central performance from Hayden Christensen redeems the movie. He's romantic, heroic, dangerous and a dominant sexual presence throughout the picture. Too bad Lucas keeps cutting him short - he should have been in the movie far more, should have attempted to seduce Padme repeatedly, should have killed more... but then I guess the kiddies would be upset. I kept waiting for the sex (and I mean that in its loosest form) to arrive, but it never did. Sex in all its forms is crucial to this episode of the Star Wars trilogy - trust Lucas to leave it out.
All in all, a terrible disappointment. Perhaps some bright spark with less money will someday remake these prequels to the standard required.