A half-hearted attempt at the big finale.

Rating: Null/10 (19 May 2005)

I will admit I had set my hopes extremely high after reading all those reviews by professional critics, and maybe I set them too high. The finished product disappointed me. I was even disappointed by the opening notes, thinking they were short and non-descriptive. Granted it was better than the first two prequels, it came nowhere close to measuring up to the originals.
Throughout the movie the acting disgusted me. I'm usually a fan of most of the performers. Samuel L. Jackson's character came off as boring and grumpy, while the usually glowing Natalie Portman seemed unrealistic in her role as Padme, the talented Christopher Lee was almost completely missing from the story. The worst of the acting unfortunately came from Hayden Christensen. No matter what emotion he was trying to express, whether it be joy, regret, confusion, hopelessness, or even anger it was all delivered with the same monotone voice and barely changing expression. When Anakin says to Obi-Wan how he hates him, the comment is supposed to come off as cold and heartless, instead it comes out emotionally empty, like many of his lines. You don't end up pitying him for the choices he made; you're just ready to shut him up. The often-charming young man's acting has even depleted since Episode II, though many would claim he was trying to be "darker." Whatever he was trying to be, he came off as lifelike as the cardboard cutout I have in my basement.
The chemistry between Christensen and Portman seemed nonexistent. It makes their characters relationship seemed forced and headed for failure. Even when Portman tries to connect with Christensen, he seems uninterested in the relationship. He's only there to become the bad guy.
The only acting I was pleased by was Ewan McGregor's faithful Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was faithful to the character founded in the originals. Ian McDiarmid's self-centered Chancellor Palpatine was a better character than others, but still overexaggerated and not nearly as good as it was in the originals.
Much of the writing seemed half-hearted, like George Lucas said how could we explain the story and throw in as many battles as we can without trying that hard. He seems bored by the story. Anakin's character seems bent on becoming evil for no good reason. Sure, reasons are given, but not expressed enough to make it believable that Anakin would become evil. The romantic lines are cheesy and unoriginal and the comedic moments are dull and overused. The entertaining duo of C-3PO an R2-D2 was hardly to be seen when their comic relief was just what was missing. The movie tried to be darker but it came off as melodramatic. The light saber fights were even bad, either being hard to follow or seeming to be there just for the heck of it. Some story events seem totally unnecessary, the Wookies, General Grievous, the funeral procession (why was Keisha Castle Hughes there?), Qui Gon Jin reference, the whole opening scene.
Lucas' main priority seemed to be the special effects. The movie looked like scenes were created just so they could use more. Yes George, we know the technology is available; that doesn't mean you have to use it for every scene.
Throughout the movie there were the few glowing spots. Unfortunately they were towards the end of the film. When Padme confronts Anakin, when Obi-Wan discovers what Anakin has done, the scene where Obi-Wan leaves Anakin to die in the lava. McGregor and Portman looked truly hurt by the decisions Anakin had made. The best scene has got to be the birth scene, you finally feel a connection to the characters, but sadly the movie ends almost directly after. Leaving you disappointed by the fact that you don't really care what happens. Still wondering what happened in the twenty years between Episodes III and IV, your left wondering what the T.V. shows will cover.
All in all, Lucas tried to go out with a bang, but it's not the bang he came in with.