Luckily, not a clone of its predecessor

Rating: 7/10 (21 September 2005)

O.K., it's better than Episode I.George Lucas has realized what people want in a Star Wars movie,so he has reduced Jar Jar's screen time,focusing instead on the beginning of the Clone Wars and the romance between Anakin and Padmè.
Actually,the love story is the least interesting part,due to so-so dialogue and Hayden Christensen's portrayal of Anakin as a whining teenager.Come on,it's the future Darth Vader we're talking about! Nevertheless,Christensen manages to hint the fun will begin in the following episode,and John Williams's love theme "Across the Stars" is worth listening to.
Now,let's get to the good stuff.Ewan Mcgregor has improved since TPM,and so has Samuel L. Jackson,who even gets to do some sword-fighting in a Gladiator-style sequence.
The real treat,however,is the villain:Count Dooku,played by Hollywood's nr 1 bad guy,Christopher Lee.Much more charismatic than Darth Maul,the mysterious Count is what makes this movie really great.Just watch the amazing light-saber duel with Yoda!
Suggestion:if you haven't seen Episode I yet, skip it and go directly to this one,while waiting for the dramatic conclusion...