Loved it - as a very biased long time fan

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2002)

Just walked from home from first official screening in Helsinki, Finland, and spent some minutes reading other new comments. I share many of the views, especially the ones on wooden dialogue, breathtaking action and amazing sceneries, and I honestly don't think the plot has much to offer to others than die hard fans but as such the film delivers lots of fun and enjoyment and lived up to the expectations. Don't take it so seriously - feel the Force and let your imagination do the rest! :)
More analytically as a fan I am ready to accept the fact that Lucas is more imagining than thinking kind of guy, and therefore I wont complain about the bizarre plot "development", the lack of believable characters or the action that even the Force cannot explain.
Anyway contrary to other reviews I saw Anakin as very much as Darth Vader (maybe it was his tall and dark figure, dunno), Obi-wan Kenobi was, well, just like Obi-wan, and Senator Palpatine as a rather creepy old guy. Both episode I and II somewhat lacked real villains, but Palpatine is ominous enough to keep the suspense. There were some plausibility problems with Amidala *really* falling for the "kid" but oh well.. more weird things have happened so why not this totally unbelievable romance (Hayden tho played his part perfectly as the teenager in agony over long term infatuation).
There was lots of warm, even self-ironical humour that I dearly missed in the Episode I. The dialogue was as bad as it can be, but not as bad as it could have been ;) Just shut your ears and concentrate on the otherwise beautifully choreographed and designed scenes. Anyway I couldn't care less if there was dialogue at all. I would just as well make it up all in my head as I normally do :)
As a summary: (SPOILERS AHEAD) Definite pluses (and pleasant surprises) were Boba Fett as child, Jar Jar Binks as a representative of Naboo in the senate, more action for Yoda, the weird creatures of the waterworld (not so Star Wars but cool anyway), the music actually building up the scenes and not just disturbing the story, first appearance of the Stormtroopers.
As major minuses I would include (if it didn't come clear enough) the ever so silly dialogue, still way too many throwaway characters and sites (e.g. the assassin girl), too much unnecessary show-off action, and incomprehensible (or am I just stupid?) plot development (SPOILERS DONE)
I would recommend this film to just about anyone with wild imagination and a heart open for new experiences. The child in me got a huge kick out of the film, and that is the reason I love Star Wars! It is not *a* movie, it is not even *the* movie. It is sci-fi fantasy come true :)