Uneven, but good

Rating: 7/10 (19 May 2005)

This movie probably had the hardest job of any Star Wars film ever: making the viewers care about the turning point of the series. From the beginning this film carried the deep and heavy burden of the stigmata of all the prequels: bad dialogue, bad acting, and unsympathetic characters and plot. Now it had to suddenly make the dramatic events meaningful for the audience, but would be hindered because it involved characters nobody really cared about. Dealing with this problem would be the biggest obstacle of the production.
The result is a mixed bag. Lucas uses CGI to a far greater effect in this movie - gone are the days of Star Wars cartoons masquerading as movies. If anything, the special effects are often used to maximize the effect of the characters. However, certain sequences drag on for too long - such as the opening scene where Anakin and Obi Wan attempt to board a droid ship, and the scene where Obi Wan confronts Greivous, the general of the droid army. But overall, the movie is not just a string of eye candy and pointless CGI.
However, this movie does suffer from the usual prequel problems. Many of the emotional scenes fall flat from clunky dialogue and half-hearted acting, particularly on the part of Christiansen, who often fails to achieve the level of tortured conscience and intimidation the role requires. There is something naturally blunt and inarticulate in his performance in both Sith and Clones that comes off as unconvincing. And Lucas still has no idea how to write a love scene. I often wonder what his romantic life must have been like, because the scenes are often unbearable forced. I found myself wondering just exactly do Padme and Anakin see in each other.
However, Lucas's dramatic skill shows through in the scenes where there is no dialogue or action - for example, when Anakin and Padme both stare out at the cityscape, wondering about their future, and the scene in which the Jedi are finally betrayed. Neither of these scenes really engage the actors or the action - they're simply the result of good direction. These are some of my favorite scenes from the film.
But what this movie really rides on is the nostalgia one gets from the old Star Wars movies. The references to episodes 4-6 occur one after the other towards the end of the movie, and the viewer gets a pang of bliss when they see the naming of Luke and Leia, or the twin suns of Tatooine, or when they hear Luke's theme rise in the music. Seeing the pieces fit together at the end really makes this movie fun to watch.
Overall, a fun and entertaining movie. Made me want to watch the old Star Wars movies all over again. 7/10