The Best Since Empire... Seriously.

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2002)

Man, i just don't get how these critics can bash this movie...
I went into the movie theatre at 12:01 AM on Thursday, May 16, expecting the absolute worst. I nearly lost all respect I had for George Lucas after the disaster that was Episode I.
Man, was I blown away.
This plot is THE darkest movie of the Star Wars series (Although I'm sure Episode III will be much darker), and it really shows. The ad campaign at first is very misleading (At least to me), with it appearing to be this happy-go-lucky movie that we're all used to in most summer movies, in which some baddie ends up getting killed in the end, a personal sacrifice to one of the heroes, etc, etc. Not to mention the extreme possibility for a sequel.
But man, does it work here.
The movie's basically an evolution of the character Anakin Skywalker, in which he is slowly beginning to hone his Jedi skills. One of the clever devices used in the movie is the amount of foreshadowing and allusions that are in the movie, ESPECIALLY in the soundtrack. I could actually feel the Dark Side of the Force slowly getting the better of Anakin in the more powerful scenes, which will remain untold due to spoilers, but I'm sure you'll be able to pick them out. Also, it was actually executed pretty well. For instance, a scene with Obi-Wan Kenobi making this statement to something of this effect:
"You're going to be the death of me, Anakin."
Is this Jedi instincts, or what?
Also, there's the love story. I personally didn't think that it worked in the first half or so of the movie, with some of the lines being pure and utter camp. It was hard NOT to laugh at some of the lines of dialogue in the movie. But in the second half of the movie when they enter the climatic battle, man, did it work. The passion the two characters shared actually seemed real.
Plus, who can forget Jango Fett: The Biggest Badass on the Face of the Earth. It was awesome to actually see how he developed this clone army, and you'll certainly be surprised when you find out how his offspring came into place...
If you have any doubts to this movie, then put them away and go see the movie. Ignore the critics, because this is the best movie of 2002 (So far, anyway).
Oh yeah, and Yoda fights with a lightsaber. One of the coolest scenes EVER. PERIOD. =)