Very much a prequel...

Rating: 6/10 (16 May 2002)

(*SMALL* SPOILERS)
First things first: Yes, the special effects are amazing, and yes, Yoda kicks ass. Fett and Son are a good double act too.
Unfortunately though, the middle prequel in the modern Star Wars trilogy suffers from being just that. Between the lush scenery we are mostly given explanations about what happened to the characters from the Phantom Menace, and introductions of characters and situations that occurred in 1977's A New Hope.
Of course, much speculation has surrounded the circumstances of the fall of the Jedi etcetera, and now no longer are some of these matters speculation. Lucas has taken great care to make credible and thorough explanations of how these events transpired. In fact, so much care has been taken to ensure this that Episode II has, as a standalone film, less substance that one may like.
The relationship between Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi is a very successful one, and Ewan McGregor is very convincing as a younger version of Alec Guinness' character. Less convincing, however, is the love affair between Skywalker and Senator Amidala, played by Natalie Portman, which appears rather flat.
The turning point of the film is when Skywalker's Dark Side destiny shows it's head. Hayden Christensen does gives a good portrayal of a (slightly stroppy) proto-Vader here when he raises his sabre in anger - a chilling part of the film that is maybe underplayed too much.
The battle at the end is as epic as we've come to expect, and the final light-sabre fight is astounding. Yoda will never seem the same again. in the closing moments, we see a glimpse of the Empire-to-be, setting the scene nicely for the final film in the Star Wars franchise.
My feeling is that, as with Episode I, this is probably a film that will improve with repeated viewings. Although lacking in new characters of any depth, it is rather complex in scope and there are certain aspects of the plot that manage to confuse, like exactly how the titular clones actually fit in. One can't help thinking that if Lucas would've taken more risks with his characters and shocked the audience a little more, he could have made both this, and possibly even the awaited Episode III, better films. As it is, just by comparing Episodes II and IV, it's pretty simple to work out what's going to happen next.