Star Wars: In Concert reviewed

The evening had started well. I arrived at the arena with Neil McDonald from ScyFi Love full of excitement for the night ahead.
We spent a good 40 minutes or so wandering around the Arena's atrium looking at the various exhibits on show.
There were the usual fan favourites - Han Solo encased in carbonite, Chewy, Yoda, C-3PO and Darth Vader.
There were also some very odd choices, such as two Imperial Guard uniforms and a Naboo starfighter pilot's uniform. Nevertheless it was great to see them up close and see the workmanship that had gone in to them.
We couldn't help but notice that the merchandise was a little on the pricey side, charging a pant-wetting £20 just for a programme, and T-shirts ranging from £18 to £45!.
And so on to the show itself.
The arena may have been half empty (something to do with the £50 ticket charge maybe), but the anticipation amongst the fans was palpable.
I have to say I did have chills when the orchestra struck up the first chords of the Star Wars theme accompanied by classic clips from the six films projected onto a huge screen behind them.
C-3PO himself, Anthony Daniels was our compère for the evening, taking us through the saga and introducing each piece of music.
But there was something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
While the orchestra threw themselves into playing John Williams' brilliant score, the sound somehow felt tinny and flat inside the cavernous venue.
I couldn't help but wonder if a more intimate setting, such as the Philharmonic Hall would have been more appropriate for the concert.
It was the clips shown to accompany the musical pieces which bemused us most.
Some of the films most iconic moments were rushed past, with Han Solo's 'Yahooo. You're all clear kid' and Admiral Ackbar's 'It's a trap!' being missed out completely.
Some of the more interesting art work, especially sketches of characters from Mos Eisley Cantina whipped by in a blur and some characters - most notably Boba Fett - were missed out all together.
The most bewildering section was the final battle on Endor. Having been introduced as the fight which brought down the Empire, it was cut with scenes from the Battle of Grassy Plains from The Phantom Menace.
The audience was truly appreciative of the orchestra's work, which was rewarded with an encore performance of the Imperial March.
As I say we left having enjoyed the show, but I couldn't help thinking that with a bit more heart it could have been something truly amazing.