Better than the other 4

Rating: 5/10 (26 May 2002)

It doesn't take much, however, to be better than the other 4 movies. You need to suspend disbelief of even the most astute disbelief at several points of this movie. Notably (or should I say regrettably): 1. All the times where Anakin openly disrespects Obi-Wan. Good grief - there must have been SOME discipline in his 10 years of training. 2. A senator in a republic 'appointing' a useless toolbag to sit in for her and instigate legislation that will ultimately bring years of war. 3. Public executions being held in a tremendous outside arena (where did the rain go?) and in medieval fashion. Why didn't Dooku just kill Obi-Wan when he was in bondage? 4. Amidala falling out of a moving vehicle, knocking herself unconscious, then suddenly waking up and running to save Anakin. Right. 5. Why does Yoda limp around if he's as agile and dexterous as we see in the fight scene? I personally thought the final fight scene was lame, and should have lasted longer between Anakin/Obi Wan and Dooku. 6. The 'Sound of Music' coming-over-the-hills scene with Anakin and Amidala.
Fortunately, there are other pieces of this film that make it enjoyable. Lucas certainly seems to be filling in the gaps in the story, making it possible to link back to a story that technological achievement in film threatened to make impossible. I kept wondering why Stormtroopers were humans if they had armies of fighting droids. Now we know - sort of.
On a scale of 1-10, I gave this movie a 7. For reference, I gave Episode I a 1, Episode IV a 4, Episode V a 5, and Episode VI a 3.