Attack of the Clowns

Rating: 3/10 (19 November 2002)

With this dreadful installment the Star Wars franchise has succeeded in becoming a parody of itself, sinking under leaden exposition, bad casting, worse acting and overcomplicated soap opera plotlines, drifting lamely from scene to scene, punctuated occasionally by some noteworthy special effects. The whole notion is somewhat absurd; we already know what will happen, so what is the point of these "prequals"? Simply to sell more plastic dolls and pajamas? The spontaneous thrills and excitement of the first Star Wars was never equalled, but the second and third installments were good enough. Attempting to repeat that magic with new casts in new movies set in the past (again, filling out a history we all know, and apparently better off in viewers' imaginations) is indeed a fool's errand, and obviously those associated with these productions live up to this billing admirably. Please, no more- make it stop!