At last! Another jewel from this franchise!

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2002)

As a major fan of these films, I was elated that this film finally delivered on all cylinders what the past two haven't: an equal to the first two movies. Lucas crams all the excitement and flash of "A New Hope" into a film which somehow manages to also provide enough soul-searching and romance to rival "The Empire Strikes Back". After two efforts that seemed to be aimed toward a younger audience, Lucas gets you excited about Episode 3 again by making "Attack of the Clones" a true gem. Ewan McGregor and Natalie Portman turn in grade A performances as Obi Wan and Padme, and Hayden Christensen does as well as can be expected with such a complex role. In one scene, Christensen gives us a fine preview of a dark-force immersed Anakin when he lets anger get the best of him. Lucas seems to have been stung by fan criticism of the Jar Jar Binks character, as Binks is a very minor player in this one. Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa also has a very small role, but will likely have a much bigger role in the next film. The droids provide a few light moments that are enjoyable. Watch for a part where 3PO says "I'm scrap!" I got quite a laugh on that one. Christopher Lee plays Count Dooku (Darth Tyrannus) with ease, endowing the character with the same strength of presence that Sir Alec Guinness gave "Old Ben" Kenobi in the original series. Samuel L. Jackson gets a much bigger role as Mace Windu this time around, and is up to the task. The fight scenes are, once again, finely choreographed and well shot, and if that isn't enough to get you running to the theater: YODA WITH A LIGHT SABER! No spoilers here, but let me say one thing about this scene: if you saw it in person, you might want to laugh....but then you REALLY wouldn't want to tick Yoda off! Minor complaints: A few of the supporting actors seemed cardboard and stiff at times, but that's been true with all the Star Wars films. All-in-all, a very fun movie that leaves you wanting more.