Splendid It Was!

Rating: Null/10 (29 May 2002)

AOTC is a GREAT movie. In fact, the more I watch it the better it gets. The FX are breathtaking, the acting is contextually solid, and the story is a thrill ride that solidly binds together four other episodes and advances the entire saga. I am a Star Wars fan. I loved it since it originally came out in 1977. The critics didn't like it then either. Urg! Now many do...!?
I find the three major criticisms of this film astounding, primarily, that the first half lacked action (I don't think that they were watching the same movie that I was), that there were no memorable lines (Ebert what gives?)... how about "I call this aggressive negotiations." Lastly, people seeing this movie on film are seeing and hearing noticeably inferior picture and sound. Subsequently, they are being disappointed (little visual/auditory snap).
Anyway, I think that this is the second best movie of the Star Wars Epic (The Empire Strikes Back is still number one). However, after seeing this film for the third time (once on film and twice digitally) I can say that the digital version is SO TOTALLY SUPERIOR that a fair review can not be made unless the digital version is reviewed.
I also think that AOTC has filled in so many plot points (and in a fluid-action oriented way) that Star Wars may not be fairly judged as individual episodes. Only when Episode III is released, will we be able to objectively judge this collective thing called "Star Wars." When Lucas is done, we will have a complete 12+ hour SINGLE movie/epic that will be exactly the way the maker originally intended it to be.
I think that the whole of Star Wars is already much MUCH greater than the sum of its parts, and its parts ain't bad!
AOTC is SPELLBINDING!!!