Poor casting

Rating: Null/10 (20 May 2002)

Yes its a great franchise and remains cutting edge on the technical side..... But what is the essential ingredient in a good movie based on a story? Personally I favor the interaction and development of the central characters. I think a more simple explanation is at the root of the emptiness of the last two episodes.... Poor casting. What was a regal bearing in Alec Guiness manifests itself as sensitive, fussy and even camp in Ewan McGregor. He doesn't cut it. Temuera Morrison gets past the special effects to deliver a good performance as does Christopher Lee and for that matter Samuel L. But Christensen has no charisma and he is the central character in this instalment. He lacks complexity in what could have been an excellent role for an edgey young upstart. Picture someone of the caliber of a starting out Sean Penn playing the role. Cool, likeable but with a distinct dark side, being mentored by ..... problem to find an English star who is not foppish and or a whimp... and who is not rough like bleedin Vinnie Jones. If Rene the Texan can do a convincing English accent then..... get an Australian to do it. Back when Menace was being cast they could have afforded Russell, Guy and Hugh..
Actually this is not the first bad cast... Its not surprising that Mark Hamill made no further splash after the first three episodes. Can you imagine the first series working without Harrison Ford or for that matter Carrie Fisher? They carried it and without similar quality we are left with a beautiful but ultimately fickle piece. Natalie Portman has been accused of being used as a clothes horse and the movies itself could easily be characterized in the same way.