Lump it with IV and V, not VI and I

Rating: 8/10 (8 May 2002)

Just saw an advance screening of 'Attack of the Clones' yesterday and was BLOWN AWAY. While 'Phantom' had a lot of cool things about it (light-sabers doing everything you'd ever wished for) it also had several things weighing it down (Jar-jar, lil' orphan Annie...etc.) This time around, however, Lucas seems to get things right, sometimes even (god forbid) letting the actors ACT.
Hayden Christensen is perfectly cast as the arrogant young Anakin. Great movies feature a transformation in the protagonist, and in 'Clones', we get to see some of the heavy events in Anakin's life that will lead him to become Vader. Most notably, the cold slaughter of an entire Tusken Raider camp after the loss of his mother. The movie is dark, not as dark as 'Empire', but dark. Also doing fine jobs with their characters are Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Christopher Lee. Some of the conflicts and wit that made us love Han, Luke and Leia are back in E2.
The effects in 'Clones' are superior than in 'Phantom' most notably in their restraint.... I don't remember being distracted by all the unnecessary aliens & spaceships the way I was in E1. Hats off to George for that. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD. The action sequences are as good as anything in any of the other movies. We get to see all of Jango Fett's gadgets, as well as the most powerful of all Jedi, Yoda, in mortal combat, (exceeding all my expectations by the way)
Let me finish by reminding everyone that we all know how Lucas loves to sell toys. His solution this time around: Giving pretty much every character in the entire movie a lightsaber! I loved it!
P.S. Meesa also very glad to report maybe only three lines or so from Jar-Jar Binks.