I think digression is the word your looking for.

Rating: Null/10 (12 June 2002)

My oh my, what have we got here? (some spoilers among the ramblings) I thought this was gonna be the one'. You know the Episode that knocks my socks off Well I'm still wearin' my Wilson over-the-calf crews I was rather disappointed in this installment of the series. I think I may be in a vast minority here but I actually liked Ep.I better. There seemed to be a lot more going on story-wise. You could see an arch building to reach Ep. IV. I thought it was very interesting. All except for (again casting myself into the minority) the pod-race scene: it held no excitement for me. We know that Anakin is going to grow up to be Darth Vader so where's the threat of him dying in a pod-race? But we're here to talk about Ep. II, aren't we? Well I know my 2cents is coming in a little late, but I had to get this off my chest(**spoilers ahead**)deep breath, here goes. I'm not lacking in the appreciation of a good romance, but enough with the forbidden love stuff already we know they get together. get it over with and get on with the story. Get on with Anakin becoming the Dark Lord of the Sith. We only have one more Episode left, don't waste it! You could be explaining so much, like who the Sith are and why we should be afraid of them. Instead we get sexual tension. Ok, but we know they get together! We could be seeing the clone war and where that leads us or the construction of the Death Star or even more (spoilers) Yoda kickin some serious butt. But no, we get the young lovers rolling around in the grass for Pete's sake! What about Shmi? That whole part was so unfulfilling. Like, Hi, Mom' uchhh dead. Then, oh then, we only HEAR about what he did at the Tuskin Raider camp! I mean jeez, get on with the meat of the story. The battle between good and evil. We KNOW THEY GET TOGETHER! But I digress or have digressed enough for one day. Hey, there were some good moments, right? (And I stress moments). Like, there were a couple tense scenes where you just knew this was when Anakin was gonna loose that hand!. And then there were the jokes like, Anakin is going to be the death of me.' That was good.. and of courseYoda. All hail Master Yoda! Yeah. So, in summary: as I think I've illustrated here, I believe too much time was spent on a plot line that held no suspense or mystery and a digression from one that began this whole ADVENTURE. Was this much time spent on Han and Leia's courtship in Empire, which still remains the best installment in the Star Wars saga for me? I think not. But I'm beginning to digress again. That's my opinion, what's yours?