Dull as Dishwater

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 2002)

Perhaps it's just me. I was in my teens when in 1977 Star Wars was released, and I found myself swept up in it completely. I first saw it in a provincial cinema in Lil' old England and audiences cheered out loud at the opening scenes, and continued to buzz through the whole movie. I have the original three on VHS and again on Laser and watch them regularly, and show them to my kids - who love them.
The contrast for AOTC could not be greater. I saw it today at a major Cinema in London and despite the digital presentation with superb picture and sound I struggled to stay awake for the first hour and a half, and then just about gave up. By the time the movie woke up I was out for the count, and wondering why I'd taken so much time out of my day to travel into town.
All prequels have to tie in to the stories that will follow (have followed?!) but Lucas seems to have laboured in a straightjacket trying to match plotlines in some instances, while driving a coach and horses through others. Forgive the ***spoiler*** here, but quite how C3PO can be owned by the same individuals on two separate occasions without either party having any memory of that is perhaps beyond belief.
The effects? Well I'm sure they'll give the graphics artists at ILM a decent showreel for their next job, but they added nothing to the entertainment.

This movie is a turkey, worse than the Phantom Menace, and Lucas can only improve on what will thankfully be his last attempt to inflate his bank balance at the honest moviegoers expense - at least with the Star Wars franchise.