Far from a redemption, but a serviceable flick.

Rating: 6/10 (8 June 2006)

I never saw The Phantom Menace, but I did see The Attack of the Clones. The plots in the latter and The Return of the Sith were tortuous, to say the least, and some of the action that moves the characters along is absurdly unbelievable. This movie, like the Star Wars movie before it, suffers from problems of too many special effects, too many ancillary characters and settings taking up the screen time, and motivations by the main characters that do not seem credible.
The best actors in this film are not the people who play Darth Vader or Queen Padme, but Ewan McGregor and Ian McDirmand, who play Obi Wan Kenobi and the Evil Emperor, respectively. Their dedication to their roles makes this movie a delight to watch. McGregor's thick beard and snobbish British thespian accent are a fitting homage to the original movies' Obi Wan Kenobi, Alec Guniess. McGregor certainly took his role seriously. McDiarmand is absolutely delicious as the Evil Emperor, relishing his role and filling it with demonic growls and over-the-top malevolent cackles. He makes a fitting screen villain, certainly in a league with fellow villainous British actors Alan Rickman and Christopher Lee. It's a shame horror legend Chris Lee was not used well in this movie as the weak Count Dokoo. Lucas should certainly have expanded Lee's role, for he is an excellent actor to play a creepy villain.
Sorry, the boy who would become Lord Vader is not all interesting, and neither is his beloved. This movie was worth it just to see the ravishing beauty of Natalie Portman. Portman may be one of the most beautiful actresses in modern cinema---and seems to have some talent---but she's not that good here. Still, she is lovely to behold, and the guys should watch if only to admire her screen presence.
In short, the last Star Wars movie is nowhere near as good as the originals, but it's not terrible either. Go ahead and watch this mostly passable flick.