Almost there...

Rating: Null/10 (26 April 2003)

Episode II. I tried to put episode I behind me and hoped it was a misstep. Episode II is not a terrible movie. On it's own it is pretty good. But the problem is, is it's not a good Star Wars movie. From the opening scene where the senator and her bodyguard are getting off the ship and he says something like 'Looks like we're out of danger' and then the bombs go off is just bad writing. Why telegraph the scene like that? The original Star Wars movies had nuance, feeling, and most of all a sense of foreboding and darkness that is almost completely gone in the first two installments (I and II) It seems Lucas is relying so heavily on comic relief and levity (Jar Jar, The flying thing that owns Anakin and his mom, and a host of other characters) that the feeling is lost. You really dont get a sense that this brat is going to be one of the most feared villians in movie history one day! Christianson, as Ani, is stiff and delivers his lines like he is reading off of cue cards. There really is no spark between he and Amidala, and the love scenes really gum up the works slowing the movie down when it should be gaining speed. The best scenes are those with obi wan (Mcgregor) and Jango Fett. They both have acting chops and have a fun duel. It was nice to see the beginnings of Boba Fett, a fan favorite. Once again, Lucas feels that the CGI characters are the wave of the future. Well, they may be, but until they flesh them out better they still look fake! In ROTJ, Jabba looked great because he was actually there! It was a puppet and looked great! As did the rest of the characters. Sam Jackson is good but his lines are so clunky its almost embarrasing. Some fun action scenes but most are catered to the kids in the audience, which wouldnt be so bad if there werent many adults who love the movies also! Bottom line, Lets get back to what made Star Wars so good...Intrigue, feeling, darkness, and a attention to characters.