The first time I saw TPM, it was on opening weekend, up here at the Famous Players Coliseum in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. For an afternoon show, it was relatively busy, but not overly crowded (and this is one of the largest theatres in the GTA). I guess all the diehard fans had come the night before. Anyway, watching the film, I found that everyone was very subdued. No one clapped for the title crawl, no shouts of excitement when the lightsabers first turn on. No surprise when Darth Maul showed up. It's like...I think people had read some of the mixed reviews and were wary. Making a character that does stupid things and doesn't serve the plot (no, he doesn't do anything; the reason he's still alive is because people felt sorry for him and did him favors) does NOT make a good film. That said, I thought there were some interesting ideas in the film as well that were never realy explored (Trade Federation, what Naboo society is like, etc.)