What more do you want??

Rating: Null/10 (8 June 2002)

When you look back at the original trilogy, you notice that Star Wars has never tried to be more than it was meant to be: old-fashioned, cornball, Saturday afternoon matinÃ©e stuff except with state of the art visuals, sound, costumes, music, as well as a decisively epic feel. That's what made it special. That's why in '77, while SW was on its way to becoming the biggest money-maker in Hollywood history, the best picture Oscar went to Annie Hall. Star Wars was never meant to be serious. In Lucas' words, its true purpose is to appeal "to the kid" - not the film critic - "in all of us".
It seems that in the 16 years between the two trilogies, expectations had developed that the upcoming first three episodes would all be legitimate contenders for Best Picture honors. Such was the expectation for The Phantom Menace, which helps explain the tremendous disappointment that was caused by its uninteresting plot and uncharismatic cast of characters. The problem was with the expectations, not the movie. I feel that, after all six episodes are released, TPM will be seen as the legitimate introductory chapter in a six-volume set, the second half of which has already been unveiled.
As for the Attack of the Clones, I agree that the acting is at best average, but this is the case with ALL Star Wars films! Why should AOTC be any different? If it were, it wouldn't fit in! Yes, the dialog sounds forced and unnatural. But go back to the first trilogy and notice the dichotomy in dialog style between the younger characters (Luke, Leia, Han, young rebels) and the older ones (Ben, Vader, Tarkin, Yoda, the emperor). The old ones talked EXACTLY the way they do in the episodes I and II!! This is no accident. The talking style is a GENERATIONAL factor, reflective of a highly refined and cultured era that goes down the tube with the fall of the Republic, resulting in a less refined younger generation that talks more the way we do!
What I did see in AOTC was a smooth and well-handled transition from the mundane and childish earlier world of TPM to the upcoming more sombre world of the first trilogy. This movie had everything that can be legitimately expected from a Star Wars film: a simple but powerful story, told against a backdrop of a grand and wonderous alien universe, and seen from the point of view of characters that, regardless of their chronological ages, are basically kids at heart. Don't evaluate any of these film on its own merits. If you find any, it just means you got lucky. Lucas is making a set, and we have so far seen five of the six pieces. The true judgement will lie with a future generation that will see all six episodes at once, for the first time, in numerical order.
For the die-hard fans out there: I hate to break it to you, but Lucas is making these movies for your kids!