Even after hearing critics bash the movie (all except for the one movie critic whose opinion means anything to me, the great Roger Ebert), my expectations were VERY high. I just swore that no matter what I heard, I would love this movie. Now that I've seen it, I can tell you that yes, I DID love the movie, but no, it didn't live up to my expectations... but how could it?
I have a feeling that this movie isn't what most people would expect it to be. It's not wall-to-wall action. Actually, it's mostly political, dealing with embargoes, blockades, treaties, and such. There ARE action-packed scenes though, and they're great, the most incredible being the lightsaber duel at the end.
The special effects are amazing. Even the harshest of critics can't trash that aspect of the movie. Though to be honest, there was one or two times when the effects were pretty lame. For example, there's a part where Ewan McGregor and Liam Neeson are at a high platform and they're about to jump down. It then cuts to a wide shot, and since it's too high for even the most skilled stuntman, computer animation was used instead, and it's obvious.
Early on, I'd heard a lot about how bad Jake Lloyd was as "Anakin Skywalker," and how annoying the computer-generated character "Jar Jar Binks" was. Personally, I think Jake Lloyd did fine. I was scared a while back when I saw a few minutes of the Arnold Schwarzeneggar disaster, "Jingle All the Way," and I saw Jake Lloyd as his son. He was bad in that movie, but he's much better in this movie. He plays the average wide-eyed, curious kid with the "oh wow, that's so cool" personality. He did fine. As for "Jar Jar," yeah, he was annoying. He's an incredible technical achievement, but the character bothered me, especially the way he talked. Half the time, I had no clue what he was saying. The kids are gonna love 'im, though.
The rest of the cast was great. Liam Neeson brings a certain majestic quality to the film, and he was entirely believable in his role. Whether he's playing a Jedi Knight, Oskar Schindler, or Darkman, Neeson is awesome. Natalie Portman is great (as expected), but I was a bit confused as to who she was in the movie. Those who saw the movie know what I mean. Natalie is without question THE best actress in her age group, and she easily plays the role of one of the most powerful people in the galaxy. Ewan McGregor is the one who stands out, though. He's just perfect as the young "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Samuel L. Jackson has a brief role (a bit more than a cameo), and I hope we get to see more of him in the next two movies.
To me, the coolest character in the movie is "Darth Maul" (as played by martial arts guy, Ray Park). With his horrifying make-up, and villainous sneer, he is the closest thing to a personification of evil I've ever seen. Sadly, he isn't in the movie as much as I'da liked him to be.
So George Lucas continues his incredible mythology, and it's great. Unfortunately, there are some flaws. Lucas isn't the best writer or director, but when it comes to the action scenes, he really knows what he's doing. Obviously, the same can be said for the special effects shots.
Go see this movie. There's no way it can live up to the hype or your expectations, but ignore the critics and enjoy. Remember what it was like to be a kid again, and while you're at it, bring your own. They'll love it, and so will you.
Scale of 1-10: 9