The acting continues to kill!

Rating: 4/10 (11 July 2006)

I am a huge fan of the original 3 Star Wars movies (Episodes 4-6). I've seen them countless times. I have tried to like these last 3 movies and have watched them several times to make myself like them, but I cannot do it. Although Mark Hamill was not a great actor, he made you love Luke Skywalker. Plus Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher had a great connection on screen. In these films it is hard to like anyone. Hayden Christensen is just awful in Episodes 2 & 3. His acting is neither believable nor likable. It is bad when you want the lead actor (who you are suppose to feel sorry for) to die. The love story between Anakin and Padmé is also wasted. There is obviously no connection between these two actors. She is supposed to die from heartbreak when Anakin turns to the dark? Whatever! No Romeo and Juliet here! It just doesn't pull you in, ever. Hayden has been good in movies like "Shattered Glass" but not this. G. Lucas did a horrible job selecting a cast for these films. I can only imagine how different these movies might have been with Leonardo DiCaprio (who was originally considered but turned it down).
Anyway, I think this movie rates so high because people remember the original 3 movie and it hold too big a place in their heart. Obviously, the special effects are fantastic, but I am not giving points for that. Most movies today go for effects and not a story or acting. Truth be told, the last 3 Star Wars films are very forgettable and don't deserve to be in any Top 5000, much less Top 250.