OK, here's what I really think of 'Star Wars' films

One of my biggest regrets about the movie-criticism business is that too often we're given little time to form an impression about a particular film. In fact, there are times when we have less than a day to do so.

Also, many films defy immediate description. And it's all too easy to get swept up in the excitement of a screening, such as those that take place at film festivals or junkets, or to have a bad day and have that affect your judgment.

In a perfect world, critics would have several days to digest each film and sort through our feelings. Better yet, we'd get repeat viewings when we're still unsure.

A few readers have e-mailed me recently, asking me to address what appears to be inconsistencies in my reviews of the three "Star Wars" prequels, each of which received three stars at the time of release. As they say, appearances can be deceiving. And now I've had some time to reassess them.

1. "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980). Yes, I know it's a trendy pick. And despite what George Lucas says, this is still the darkest of all the "Star Wars" films. And it's also the most consistently thrilling, best-written and best-acted of the lot. And those who saw it in theaters will remember just what a grueling wait it was until "Return of the Jedi" showed us how our heroes got out of this pickle. ****

2. "A New Hope" (1977). This one is still the favorite of a lot of fans simply because it was the first installment in the series. But it also features Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) at his most whiny and petulant, and the incredible disappearing British accent of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher). And yet, how can you knock any film that features the Mos Eisley cantina scene or the thrilling Death Star trench finale? *** 1/2

3 and 4 (tie) . "Return of the Jedi" (1983) and "Revenge of the Sith" (2005). "Jedi" does have the dreaded Ewok musical number at the end (which still sounds like the theme from television's "Fraggle Rock"). But the sequence in which the good guys escape from the clutches of Jabba the Hut is one of the best in the series. As for "Sith," it features some awful dialogue, particularly in the scenes between Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Amidala (Natalie Portman). But the action makes up for it. ***

5 and 6 (tie). "Attack of the Clones" (2002) and "The Phantom Menace" (1999). Yes, "Clones" does have less Jar-Jar, less kiddie-level humor and no Jake Lloyd at all — unlike "Menace." But it also features more of the poorly done Anakin-Amidala romance, which is just as bad. **