George Lucas has failed to deliver the excitement and enjoyment craved by millions.

Rating: 6/10 (10 January 2006)

I saw this when it was out at the cinema, and despite some poor acting, cheesy dialogue and the over-use of CG, I quite enjoyed it. I'm a fan of the original films and it was interesting to see how Lucas had written himself out of a sticky situation! However, having watched it again on DVD a few nights ago, I have to say that I found the film to be very disappointing.
All my original gripes concerning the poor acting and dialogue and some ropey effects seemed to multiply themselves on second viewing. There's no way this film deserves its place in the IMDb top 250. I think people have been too keen to believe Lucas has redeemed himself; hence the high score. I won't go into detail but one or two of the things that annoyed me were as follows:
The pacing was all wrong. From start to finish there was never any real sense of tension or excitement. It all felt very much like an exercise in getting from point A to point B and including as many references from the original films as possible. There didn't seem to be a natural flow or structure from a directional standpoint. Secondly, as I've already mentioned, the acting and dialogue just didn't inspire any kind of emotional connection to the characters. McGregor's delivery in particular ruins Obi Wan. Having said that, it is still a better performance than given in the other two prequels. The film consequently feels flat and lifeless.
This in turn isn't helped by the effects, which also feel lifeless. At no point did I feel truly immersed in the Star Wars universe, which was one of the factors that made me love the original trilogy so much. CG was used really inappropriately. There are times when entire rooms, which would have looked so much better if they were built for real in a studio, are created in CG. What's the point when it looks so sterile and obviously artificial? The same with a number of characters. Again, when CG stormtroopers look so obviously artificial, what is the point? Lord of the Rings has shown how to integrate real life actors with agents created on Massive to huge visual success. I can't think why Lucas is so reliant on just CG. Has his past experience taught him nothing? Peter Jackson again had the right idea with LOTR; If you can create something for real (via men in suits, props, studio recreations and miniatures) then it will look a hell of a lot better for it.
It saddens me to say that with all of the prequels, George Lucas has failed to create the excitement and enjoyment I craved when these films were first announced.
Episode III is probably the best of the prequels but that does not warrant the prestige a place in the IMDb top 250 would imply. It is filled with disappointment and will be looked back on as a missed opportunity, or worse, an opportunity that should never have been taken.