Finally! A Real Link to the Original Trilogy!

Rating: Null/10 (1 August 2003)

I loved the first three Star Wars, and though I thought Episode 1 was a bit impersonal, I still enjoyed it. After coming out of theaters having seen Episode II, I realized that because of AotC, the Star Wars Saga is finally coming together.
The movie has a few flaws, but nothing major enough to detract fom it.
Hayden Christenson makes a truly unique Anakin Skywalker. As you watch this truly mercurial character shift from whiny to heroic to enraged, you can tell Hayden is on his way to becoming a truly believable Darth Vader. Natalie Portman as Padme is a little stiff in the acting department in the movie's beginning, but by the end her body language and mysteriously improved acting really lets her shine. Ian McDiarmid once again manages to top himself as he delivers another flawless performance as Palpatine. You can definitely see the future Emperor in the distance. Christopher Lee makes the PERFECT Sith, and also is included in one of the most exciting lightsaber duels in the saga.
Yes, the romance scenes are rather cheesy, but to me it seems no less hokey than you would expect to see from 2 people who have never been in love before. The confessional sequence in the Lars Homestead is one of the most gripping and emotional scenes in any SW movie. But the scene that really takes the cake is the 40-minute battle at the end of the movie, which introduces the clonetroopers, who will evolve into the stormtroopers.
So while still flawed, Attack of the Clones makes a very important contribution to the Star Wars saga, and manages to hold its own against the other four.