George Lucas = Bad Director!!!!!

Rating: 4/10 (18 May 2002)

Why in the world would Lucas not entrust this film to another director? Because his ego is too big. These first three movies should have been absolute gimmes. Instead, Lucas has managed to mangle the screenplay and direction so badly in the first 90 minutes!! that AOTC can barely recover. AOTC has its moments, and some decent performances from Ewan Macgregor, Christopher Lee, Ian MacDermid and the unforgettable computer animated YODA. There is a decent battle scene and the confrontation between Dooku and the Jedis is quite good.
Unfortunately we have to endure some pretty bad dialogue and screenplay moments along the way. So very bad are these moments that they force Clones into a cinematic corner it only so barely recovers from. Truly laughable moments include but was not limited to the entire dialogue delivered throughout the movie between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christenson. This was just horrible chemistry and it was obvious that Lucas is uncomfortable with the portrayal of onscreen romance. It seemed like very defensive direction, like he was forced to include the relationship and did not know how to accomplish it without mangling it.
Padmes ability to shake off a fall from a speeding starship onto the surface of a planet was not only unbelievable but laughable in the way it was filmed. Almost like out of a comedy skit Padme is rolling around on the ground in what is assumed agony until a Stormtrooper (clone) comes to her (aide?) and asks her if she is alright....the reaction....is like uhhh yeah no problem and she gets up without any problem and RUNS off breasts a bouncing!!!! So implausible I burst out laughing.
Other unintentionally funny scenes and my personal favorite in regards to the bad things with this movie was Anakins nightmare scene. Poorly placed in the final cut of this movie it was an unnecessary scene which had already been implied several times. Well, it was so poorly done and placed just after Anakin had been rebuffed by Padme that at first glance it looks like Anakin is well.... uhhh....masterbating. I know I wasnt the only one to think this because several people in the audience started laughing at this point. I had to stifle a laugh on the verge of hysterics it was so rediculous. And it kind of went with Anakins character. Whiny and creepy. Which is too bad because it ruins the appeal of Darth Vader as a bad guy in my view. Now we all know the guy is just a whiny punk with a very bad attitude.
All in all I was disappointed in AOTC, but it had its good points which is more than Menace had. NO one is more disappointed in writing a bad Star Wars review than I. I was a huge Star Wars mark growing up.
It could have been much better George. Peter Jackson proved a fantasy epic could be done properly earlier this year. Let go of your feelings George, trust the fans and let a proper screenplay writer and director take charge. You just dont have what it takes.....