Feel cheated? You should be.

Rating: 2/10 (8 June 2005)

The only positive things to say about this "film" are that it is better than either of its two dire predecessors, and that Jar-Jar Binks is barely in it. At least Lucas has listened a little bit.
But what a mess. And all three films are a pointless exercise. Star Wars was the second film I ever saw in the cinema (Jungle Book was the first) and it has stayed with me. Star Wars is fun, Empire Strikes Back is a great film and Return of the Jedi is disappointing but OK.
However, the three "prequels" are shockingly bad. One of the fun things about Star War, as a kid, was the whole mythology that was built up around the film. It starts at full throttle and doesn't really pause. Hints and subtle comments are dropped in throughout the three films, and iterations appear in the right places at the right times.
However, the prequels are definitely a great example of where less is definitely more. What a cheat to have one's images of the "back story" represented as it has been since "Phantom Menace" dribbled out onto the cinema screens. The whole obviousness of the exercise, the nature of the CGI special effects (they are nothing compared to the original film, or the effects in a film such as 2001) and the padding of a concise prelude to Star Wars (it is NEVER Episode IV!) has devalued the originals. Darth Vader is basically a violent version of Harry Enfield's "Kevin The Teenager" character (sorry to non-UK readers of this!). Lucas has taken his seminal creations and covered them in mediocre acting, poor characterisation and hideous dialogue.
In each case we have been told that each film is getting better. They couldn't get worse. Phantom Menace gets my vote as one of the worst ten films ever made, Attack of the Clones is not much better, and Revenge of the Sith is only marginally better than either of them. All those decent actors (McGregor, Jackson, Portman, but NOT the awful Christiansen) must be glad it is over, and they can go and make some decent films again.
At best, all three films could be been fifteen minutes of inserts into the revised 20th Anniversary releases of the original trilogy. Less is more. Look at how real cinematic masters such as Bresson, Bergman and Truffaut et al make such wonderful cinema. They don't spell out every simple twist and turn, and nor did the original trilogy. The "new" trilogy is a dumbed down marketing exercise, with enough scenes in each film to make good templates for PS2 or XBox games. And that's about it. Stick with the wonderful originals and erase the recent travesties - "Sith" included - from your minds.
Mr. Lucas, you have let us all down.