George keeps getting better

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2002)

I just saw Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Whew.
There are not too many words I know of to describe how excellent this movie really is. But I will try.
This is by far one of the best movies, including Star Wars movies, I have ever seen. And this is coming from a guy who secretly played with Star Wars toys well into his teens, and who stopped counting how many times he's seen Star Wars after the 150th time.
Before tonight, my official ranking of favorite Star Wars movies went, from best to worst:
The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars, Phantom Menace, and Return of the Jedi.

Now.
The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Star Wars, Phantom Menace, and Return of the Jedi.
And if were not for Harrison Ford's excellent portrayal of Han Solo and Irvin Kershner's superior directing in the `The Empire Strikes Back', `Attack of the Clones' would rank #1 easily.
I will not give away the story for you. But just a couple of comments.

Unlike `The Phantom Menace', which relied mainly on special effects to drive the movie, this film actually has suspense, drama, romance, and a story. There is a lot of 'edge of your seat' suspense, which I like very much. The special effects are stunning, even more so than `The Phantom Menace'. George really let his imagination explore new territory on this one.

At first I was worried that newcomer Canadian actor Hayden Christensen was not a good fit for the most popular villain of all time, being the great Darth Vader, of course. I was wrong. Hayden proves to be a good fit for the role. Despite his good looks, Hayden can be dark and mysterious.

Natalie Portman also does a great job of her portrayal of Padme, except this time, we get to see some skin! Woo hoo!
Ewan McGregor does a great job of portraying Obi-Wan-Kenobi. This is probably because his character was allowed to grow and take center stage, with Qui-Gon Jinn's character out of the way. In fact, it is my feeling that this film could actually give Ewan a boost into more mainstream leading roles.
George Lucas, after bombarding us with the fluffiness of those damned Ewoks in `Return of the Jedi', and the cuteness of Jar Jar Binks in :The Phantom Menace', has finally got the message: 'Silly Lucas - Star Wars is for adults!' Yes, it is true. This installment of Star Wars is serious enough to bring back those wonderful glory days of `Star Wars' and `The Empire Strikes Back'. Kudos to George!
My final thoughts are -- Please. Please! . PLEASE! Go see this movie! Hurry! Just drop what you are doing and go! Quickly!