A little bit disappointing.

Rating: 5/10 (7 July 2002)

I have seen comments re the acting of leads eg Hayden Christensen described as "exceptionally fine" on this page but I can't agree, I found it to be very wooden, and I think he was out of his depth.
Some of the casting decisions also leave pretty big question marks in my opinion. I am a kiwi and don't want to bag the kiwi and Aussie actors who featured, (eg Jango Fett and his young offsider), but they didn't seem that well suited.
To an extent, Hayden and other actors were hamstrung by a script which wasn't really very credible, hardly leaving anything for the viewer to work out for him or herself. For example, Amidala, having resisted Anakin's advances while she leaps from one skimpy dress into another, finally decides she's in love with him and can't live without him. I do wonder as well, what was the point of Anakin's search for his mother? Was that purely to give him an opportunity to totally succumb to hatred in disposing of the klingons (or whatever they are called) that had kidnapped her? And if so, why not show that destruction for goodness sake? Or is the movie only intended to pander for 10 year olds?
I wonder if Ewan McGregor got sick of saying the line "my young apprentice" when referring to Anakin. The script writer(s) certainly didn't extend themselves.
All in all, this movie will draw in custom due to the reputation of the saga as a whole. I was told that the movie was poor but had to see it anyway; I imagine that a number of viewers will be in the same boat. I do hope that the next (final?) instalment is an improvement.
Rating: 5/10 on a good day.