4 out of 5

Rating: Null/10 (23 May 2002)

First, I would like to say for all the fans and non-fans who have seen this film and are posting to this website, everyone has an opinion. Just because somebody has an opinion that differs from yours does not mean that you should insult them. There is no such thing as a perfect film.
Moving on, I saw this film yesterday and I would have to say that I enjoyed it very much. There was much that needed to be done in this installment as it truly does set the stage for everything that happens in the future. I think George Lucas was successful in pulling it off.
I feel that Episode 2's weaknesses are in two areas. First, George Lucas has grown too dependent on CGI. CGI, in my opinion, is used best for creating breathtaking landscapes and characters in the background. Naboo looked beautiful every time they showed external shots of it. Yoda didn't look very good when he was sitting there talking to people, however, CGI made his sabre duel look amazing. The same could be said about the CGI retouches of the original trilogy with characters like Jabba the Hutt. Both Yoda and Jabba looked best in the original release - they looked like creatures that could actually exist somewhere in some far off galaxy. I think puppets should be used for close ups and CGI for battle scenes and moments where extraordinary movement is necessary.
Another weakness could be found in the death scenes. These were the cheesiest death scenes that I had seen in a long time. There are independent films with shoe string budgets and no-name actors that have people die in a more believable way. The scene with Anakin's mother could have been done so much better.
This movie was very good and I recommend that anyone go see it. There were only a couple of things that could have been done better. I look forward to seeing Episode 3 and hopefully George Lucas or members of his staff read these comments as constructive criticism. Keep up the good work, George.