There's something about Lucas' direction that makes good actors appear wooden. Maybe it's that fabled "Faster, with* more intensity" direction he is said to tell all his actors. Or maybe he is so enamored with the visuals that he forgets to pay attention to the human element. Anyway, the special effects are very good. The most interesting and chilling part of the movie is how we get to see a republic lose its democracy, how a contrived war and a leadership milking that war to gain power in tiny steps eventually leads to dictatorship and empire. It is a decent cautionary tale applicable to our time.
Urk, skipped riding today. Intense squall cells dumping ten minutes of hail and rain every 45 minutes between intense blue skies and sun.
Edit: without -> with