A Strong if Not Perfect Beginning

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2019)

28 May 2005. What goes around, comes around. Getting to the start of the Star Wars in the last movie (episode III) almost didn't make it. The first half of the movie was too cloying cute, with almost forced jokes, side humor that seemed out of place and not too original. The entire first half was uneventful, a typical shoot'em up movie with as predictability as any television episode. The cityscapes, however, were awesome and lent a sci-fi background that never overwhelmed the scenes. The second half of the movie redeems itself in most regards and becomes the dramatic space opera that it represents as good and evil bitterly fight almost to the death. Yet, the setting, the plot is so unbelievable for the classic that it is, the special effects and the fighting sometimes become more for sheer show and titillation that the opportunity to substantive drama, acting is almost overlooked. Yet this movie is a sober conclusion to the beginning of Star Wars and wraps around to a satisfying conclusion, if not spectacularly. Seven out of Ten Stars.