best genre film in recent memory

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2002)

i loved this movie, but let's not get carried away, people.
some people are saying this is the best movie ever made. that's lunacy. ever see citizen kane or casablanca?
no, this movie is not in that category. it shouldn't even be suggested as being so.
however, it's hands-down the best genre film in recent memory (IMHO), easily blowing away the likes of the weak and jar-jar-laden phantom menace.
let's remember that it's the first movie of 3. that means that it's busy setting up characters, motivations and other plot hooks that will be exploited in the second and third films. accordingly, it's got to try to both be a decent and engrossing film experience in its own right and simultaneously seed the way for the coming plot developments.
i think it's almost impossible for the first movie in any series to be successful at doing these things.
8.5 out of 10 for me.