Disappointing

Rating: 5/10 (26 May 2005)

I went to this film with the low expectations, due to episodes I and II. I had allowed myself some hope, because the trailers looked good and the early reviews were positive. After watching this film, I have to wonder if I actually saw the same film as the reviewers.
The movie did not get off to a good start when McGregor and Christensen fly through an dogfight to get to Dooku's ship. The dogfight effects were visually impressive, but the "banter" between Annikin and Obi-Wan was wooden and bland and the idiotic droids that attacked the ships had to be the worst military concept since the cat-guided bombs of urban legend.
We then have a bit of action adventure slapstick fun in the elevator shaft, with R2D2 doing his best impersonation of Herbie the Love Bug. Eventually we get to see Gen. Greivious, an asthmatic, arthritic droid with a face out of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" animations and a walk borrowed from Groucho Marx.
It is hard to decide who has less chemistry, McGregor and Christensen or Christensen and Portman. I would have to say the latter, as the former redeem themselves somewhat with their dialog in the big fight on the volcanic planet. Watching Annikin and Padme is like watching a 10th grade drama class version of "The Mousetrap".
Even Annikin's conversion to the dark side is given short shrift. It is little more than, "I shouldn't...I shouldn't...OK!" The extermination of the Jedi is amazingly succinct and unemotional. We see Annikin with the troops...we see Annikin with the younglings...we see shocked look of recognition on face of youngling...done. No emotional impact for a segment that should have been horrifying.
In the end, the visuals surpass Lucas's previous creations, but that was to be expected. Nothing jumped out at me and made me go "Wow!". The chase between Greivous's wheel car and Obi-Wan's lizard was cool. The sweeping long shots of the buildings and cities were beautiful and detailed.
The acting and dialog was wooden and clunky. I don't expect Shakespeare or Tennesee Williams, but I expect something that tells me it wasn't written as a collaboration between fans on a website. Samuel L. Jackson mailed in his performance until the fight scene with Palpatine. Once the fanboys stop dropping 10's on this movie, I expect it to drop into the 6.5 range, which is still more than it is worth.