the star wars saga has reached a new low

Rating: 5/10 (9 June 2002)

Lucas definitely shouldn't have directed this one. The quick cuts, while superficially hip, kept me from truly enjoying the lavish computer generated imagery. Except for Portman, the performances were atrocious. Yoda was the best actor of all, & he's CGI!
The love story, which could have been sexy, cute, or even cheesy, came out completely flat. The _crucial_ plotline of Anakin's quest to save his mother seemed too peripheral, though I suspect the import of how that turned out will be a little more central to Episode 3. I hope so, anyway. In the end I felt more for Boba Fett than for Anakin Skywalker.
Overall, the plot seemed to be pulled forward by the inevitability of what's to come, rather than pushed forward by any pathos or reason. There is far too much emphasis on foreshadowing, with no brilliance to contrast against it.