A great return for Star Wars. Lucas knows how to have fun!

Rating: 9/10 (19 May 2002)

**(notice: a few spoilers)Star Wars has always held a special place for me. In 1977 my mom took my brother and I out of summer camp early one afternoon to take us to see Star Wars. While I grew out of the obsessiveness with all things Star Wars, the series still maintains a firm hold on my imagination.

Yes, Phantom let me down slighty, as did parts of Jedi in their sapiness. Clones has helped me put the magic of Star Wars back into perspective. I think the movie speaks more of Lucas as a director and person than any of the others. It exemplifies "Saturday matinee serial".
The "film" is overwhelming. I look foward to a second viewing to take it all in. Lucas pays homage to so many genres: Spaghetti westerns, 50's Sci-Fi, and film noir. At times the movie took on elements reminicent of the 40's, with sound effects from propeller planes, as well as the costumes and hairstyles. I loved the diner scene with Obi-wan; definitely an "American Graffiti" moment.
The special effects are seamless, and so fluid. Compared to Spiderman, Lucas has utilised the CGI to much more believable effect. I saw the Digital Light Projection version at the AMC 1000 (the only one in Northern California). I would like to see the film version for comparison. At first was couldn't understand the difference, but soon realised the image is incredibly clear, no glitches, pops, frame drops. The movie was introduced by a manager of the theater explaining that this is how Lucas intended for the movie to be seen. The audio is spectacular too, with explosions that rattle the seats.
I felt that the political aspects of the story were better developed in this episode than in the previous movies. While most of the acting is mediocre, I wasn't looking for or expecting more. Portman is better and more sincere in Clones than in Phantom. Christopher Lee is brilliant; how could he be otherwise. Lucas gives some nice nods to the Hammer films, surrounding Lee with Gothic images and dark effects. I do feel that the original cast of Ford, Fisher, and Hammill had a chemistry that hasn't been repeated in Phantom or Clone. Perhaps it was the newness of what they were doing in the late 70's, having been involved in something that broke so much ground in terms of film. Lucas is not necessarily an actor's director, but a facilitator for an amazing fantasy world.
The movie is filled with foreshadowing, and many references to scenes in the other episodes; especially IV: New Hope. Things can only get darker (and more fun) from here.