A disappointment...

Rating: 5/10 (28 May 2002)

George Lucas seems to have got so wrapped up in special effects, he's forgotten the basics of film-making. This file has some of the worst dialogue I have seen outside in years, and a number of major plot holes big enough to drive the Death Star through.
The special effects are indeed special - though at times things get so busy it's hard to keep track. Effects alone don't make a movie, though.
(Mild spoilers below.)
Am I really supposed to believe that Anakin, the future Darth Vader, after 10 years of Jedi training, would still whine like a five-year-old that "it's not fair"? Am I supposed to believe that Anakin is so concerned about his mother, when he left her as a slave then made no effort in ten years to even find out how she's doing?
I'm supposed to believe that anyone would leave Jar Jar in a position of great power and influence?
There were some good points - to quote a teenager I know, Yoda rocks. And Christopher Lee was superb, though this role is a direct repetition of his role as Saruman in Lord of the Rings (one is tempted to think that Lucas borrowed the LOTR footage and edited out the beard...) The other actors, unfortunately, did not get a chance to shine, given the poor material they had to work with.