Star Wars franchise sinking fast in a sea of digital effects and uninventiveness

Rating: 1/10 (28 May 2002)

Remember the good old days when Star Wars actually had real models and real actors?
George Lucas has "cleverly" replaced them with a plethora of digital effects that are anything but convincing, and in the process, he has taken out the very aspect of the Star Wars franchise that made it so beloved; its heart. The major battle scenes of episodes 4, 5, and 6 were so exciting largely because they involved real characters with real feelings and emotions. The battle scenes of episode 2 are so heartless that even a kung-fu fighting Yoda can do little more than provide comic relief from the unintentionally funny "chemistry" between Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman.

I really wanted to like episode 2, especially after the bitter taste left by episode 1, but it is obvious to any impartial viewer that the Star Wars franchise is sinking fast in a sea of digital effects and uninventiveness. Sure enough, this latest offering will go on to become one of the top grossing films of all-time. I don't know what is more sad, the demise of the once proud Star Wars franchise or the general public's overwhelming acceptance of it.