Stunning

Rating: 10/10 (7 May 2002)

The excitement for a movie like this just builds for years and doesn't quite settle until the opening chord and credits. It's not until "Star Wars" appears on the screen that you truly understand that you are a part of history. Not the highest grossing film of all time, but are partaking in a series that will become the foundation for sequels and for building fan-base.
Once I managed to calm myself down, and settle my yells, (I was at a press screening afterall) I began to take in everything Lucas wanted me to see. The computer graphics weren't overdone in this Episode as they were in Episode I. You actually enjoy seeing all the high detail that went into everything. Some individuals out of the Mojave desert may get a little upset that yet another Naboo ship was modeled after something they see fly overhead all the time, but they'll quickly adapt and enjoy what happens.
There's action, a lot of it. This is what we've been waiting for for years: to see the Jedi fight those glorious battles in the Clone Wars. True, this isn't the Clone Wars, only the beginning, but that's inconsequential in the minds of the viewers until the end. But I won't spoil that. I'll keep going on about other, more important things.
The acting is a vast improvement over the first episode. Lucas dropped the Smucker's Jam posterboy and picked up Haydn. His dialogue may not have been his best attribute in this film. It was how he delivered everything that made him stand out. He makes the audience feel compassionate for him, as well as loathe and fear him. It's not award material, but I don't think anybody else could have played Anakin better.
John Williams decided to rip himself off a bit, borrowing his love theme from the theme from Hook, but he wrote it, and he made it minor. It works well with the movie so I can't complain at all.
My one single complaint is something I hope will be fixed by the time the general public gets to view the film. Apparantly it was a very cold day on Tattooine when they were filming one of the scenes because Natalie Portman, dressed in a white outfit (that's very nice) unknowingly is showing us everything she has to offer. For those who have drooled over her since she portrayed that 13 year-old in Episode I (at the age of 17 so you're not sickos for thinking that. If you're like my friends then she's our age, so she was our age then) this may be a great moment in life. Look at it this way: she's gorgeous, we know this. Do we want to taint the image of Star Wars as a family film just so a couple of guys can get some good thrills out of the movie while gawking at her form? No. So please, George, before you start distributing the reels on Tuesday make some changes and remove some more revealing moments.
That's my one complaint. Not only for the actress, but for the sake of Star Wars as a film for all ages. Beyond that. It's great. Hopefully by the time it gets to the rest of the public it'll not be an issue.
Great Movie and unnoticable 144 minutes. 9 / 10 for the average Joe ... 5/5 for the Star Wars Count (5 being the best movie, and 1 being Episode I).