Too many special effects

Rating: 5/10 (1 February 2003)

In episodes 4, 5 and 6, the special effects never overshadowed the fantastic story George Lucas was trying to tell. He had to invent the special effects needed to move his story along. Result: three of the best films ever.
In episodes 1, 2 (and, I suspect, 3), the special effects very definitely overshadow the story. Rather than concentrate on the story, we have the inclusion of lots of special effects just for the sake of it. The story suffers as a result.
It's also worth pointing out that a big mistake was made using techniques which were not available for episodes 4-6. Using contemporary special effects makes 1 and 2 look far more modern, and therefore much more like a sequel than a prequel, than 4-6.