So I went to see Star Wars last night. *Sigh* I am sad to say I have to buck the trend of rave reviews this film has been getting. While it answered all the questions it was suppose to, I found myself feeling the same way about it as I did episodes one and two: Indifferent. Yeah, great special effects, but so what? Can you genuinely care what happens when there is virtually zero emotional involvement of the actors? I mean, if THEY obviously don�t seem to care about what is going on in the movie, why should we? Finally, during the last scene with Obi-Wan and Anakin, is there a glimpse of what this movie SHOULD have been all about: Obi-Wan virtually breaking down into tears after vanquishing his prot�g�- trying to figure out why it all went wrong- pleading with Anakin for answers. How appropriate, since that is what I was trying to figure out, too. Everyone I�m sure is aware of the story line- Anakin�s fall from grace. The problem is there really ISN�T a good reason. There are several �reasons� given, but none of them are very convincing. Or perhaps it is that Hayden Christensen just isn�t convincing trying to convey the conflict he�s supposed to be enduring. I was hoping for a Shakespearean moment in the film- a point at which Anakin steps over the abyss- ala Macbeth. Instead we just get a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Wouldn�t it have been better if the Council discovered his relationship with Padm� and banished him for it- causing his anger to take control? I just haven�t seen acting that wooden since... well, since Episode II. Lucas, while a great story teller, has become a really lousy writer, and an even worse director. I couldn�t help but thinking while watching the movie that I was witnessing the first ever movie completely contrived on a computer. The special effects, sets, writing and acting- all done with CGI- how else can you explain the complete lack of human feeling this film has? I couldn�t decide who was more robotic, General Grievous or Samuel L. Jackson? It all seemed completely devoid of humanity. I think it says a lot when real actors are upstaged in their performances by characters digitized into the scene. So we�re suppose to think that Anakin�s journey to the dark side is because of his love for his wife and the fear of her death? What love? Is there ANY emotional connection between these two actors? If we�re suppose to buy into the notion that THIS is the main reason for his fall from grace, it would be nice if the relationship between the two was believable. I haven�t heard more stilted, romantically cheesy dialogue since... well, since Episode II. The love between the two is nonexistent, so how can that be his motivation? Lucas has gotten so wrapped up in what he can do on screen that he�s completely forgotten everything that is truly important in a film- writing and acting. All of that being said, I do think they did a really good job of bringing in thematic elements of episode four to add some continuity- such as Senator Organa�s ship- didn�t that look familiar? As much as I can sit here and pick this movie apart, its pretty much what I expected. I still think back on the first three with a lot of nostalgia, and I wonder what went wrong with the new movies. Perhaps I�m just more jaded than I was back then, or perhaps Lucas has just lost his ability to connect with the actors in his films- more concerned with merchandising than story telling- having more fun with computer animation than acting and direction.

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