StarWars is back

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2002)

I believed that this film still shows us that George Lucas still has a passion for this epic. His love and devotion is on course, but it would appear that he sometimes he can't "see the forest for the trees". Like many, I found the beginning rather pedantic in it's ability to draw the observer into something emotional, but rather attempted to dazzle us with effects. In my opinion, Lucas has so developed his scope and concept for the films attitude, that he forgot to allow one very special thing to happen: Allow the actors to act. I got teary-eyed at some of the action scenes rather than the development of sympathies and antipathies involving the character development. There is where the trees go in the way. The movie consisted of so many trees, that one kind of didn't see the forest till after they had digested the viewing for at least 45 minutes.
Movement from one shot to the next was breathless. I also found myself yearning for the days of the little puppet that characterized Yoda rather than the CGI - especially in the fight with Dooku. A bit much. And even though the antics of C3PO in the assembly line of Droids and his 2-sided part in the arena battle was comical, it lacked coherency with the seriousness of the moment. And yes, I do know what comic relief is.
But yet, all in all, it did not really disappoint me like The Phantom Menace. I saw it on a huge screen with a Dolby system that was, in my opinion, the best in the area. It was a true sensation, and for that I will go see it again, and probably again. And even though it didn't rank up there with "Return Of The Empire", or had the heart that "A New Hope" had, it shows that Lucas is still in love with this epic tale of good against evil.