Better...but still not as good as the original trilogy

Rating: 6/10 (1 June 2005)

Plain and simple, there was just not enough here to make it better than the originals. Yes, there are plenty of battles, and special effects in every shot, but as has been well understood by now, the dialog and acting are most horrible and truly draw away from some otherwise good ideas. You can tell that Lucas was trying to actually write something that would live up the expectations, but what it comes down to is Anikan's transition to the dark side was muddled and really too fast for me to believe. He started the movie appreciating his master and trying to be a good guy, and by the end he really plunges. Perhaps this is the effect of the dark side, and we are just not in the know, but it was just unsettling how he turned, and not in a cool way. This was also aided by the actor's failure to really try and bring true passion (as they all did) into the character.
From a technical aspect, Lucas does accomplish some great shots, sometimes a little bit too ahead of himself in trying to tell five stories at once, so the editing gets choppy in some places, but overall not bad. I miss the days of puppets and the reality of a little Yoda that can be touched, but those days are gone, unfortunately.
I think, as a fan, I left the theater with far too many questions unanswered, trying to find out some of the reasonings behind many of the characters actions (Mace Windu and Yoda both had their chances, and blew it). We all know what will happen after episode 3, but there is still a frustration in the wrong paths taken by the Jedi and the lack of true power that they really could have shown they once had.