What the first two should have been

Rating: 8/10 (27 August 2006)

Finally, Lucas gets his act back together and puts out a film that truly does justice to the Star Wars franchise. Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones were far cries from what they should have been--this is what they should have been all along.
For starters, the acting is exponentially better. Something is still wrong with Portman and Christensen--their performances still lack vigor, at least at times. Still, they're far better than they were. McGregor is fabulous as Kenobi. Actually, he never really had a problem in this series, thankfully. Acting-wise, McGregor and McDiarmand steal the show--McDiarmand rocks as Palpatine.
And finally--real Jedi/Sith combat! This is how masters of the Force are supposed to fight! No huge, slow, spinning cuts, no slow moves at all--fast, hard-hitting light sabers blurring in a frenzy of laser-blade sweetness! Combined with use of the Force to hurl everything from rocks to platforms to each other, we finally get to see what Jedi dueling is all about! YAY!! And lastly, the story is outstanding. Anakin's relationships with Padme, Palpatine, Kenobi, and the other Jedi masters; Palpatine's behind-the-scene work to undermine the Republic and the Jedi; the progression of the Clone War as a backdrop to the film; love, hate betrayal, loss, power-plays--every great plot device that you can think of is in this movie in good order and progression throughout the story.
The only reason I don't give this movie a 10 is because of the still lackluster performances by Christensen and Portman. Since their characters are two of the central figures in the story, theirs should have been the best in the whole thing. Other than that, everything about this movie is spectacular. A must-see for pretty much anyone with any taste in film.