Overrated

Rating: 4/10 (14 June 2000)

Honestly, I just cannot see why this movie is revered so much, and I'm genuinely baffled when I see it topping the lists of all-time favourites around the globe. Ok, it was ground-breaking once, it changed the movie industry as we know it forever, it captivated the imagination of the millions, it became a cultural phenomenon, blah, blah, blah. I love fairy tales, fantasy and science fiction, but I just cannot bring myself to really love the Star Wars movies.
The acting is abysmal, the main characters are shallow, uninteresting cardboard cut-outs, the script is laughable and the pacing is sluggish for the most of the film. The special effects were probably awesome back in the 70s, but they don't seem like anything special now. There're just two things I like about this movie: John Williams' terrific, rousing score and Darth Vader - a truly memorable villain with a real presence. You could argue that it is essentially a kids' movie, but I've seen a lot of children movies (like Toy Story and its sequel, which made me feel like an awe-struck, wide-eyed kid again) that are ten times funnier, sharper, more imaginative and exciting than the Star Wars.