Welcome to the Darkside

Rating: 5/10 (21 May 2002)

Episode 2 is the fifth Star Wars movie. I remember seeing the original at the cinema (first release) and being blown away. However, I had seen Close Encounters' three to four weeks earlier and thought it was the better film. This feeling has only grown over the years. The Star Wars trilogy was not the best ever but were good family entertainment. This could never be said of The Phantom Menace', but early reviews had said that Clones' was much better, so with an open mind and three pints in my stomach off I trooped to watch the next instalment.
Anakin Skywalker, now twenty years old, is strong with force'. This power is beginning to corrupt him, as absolute power always will. The Sith (the bad guys) are growing in influence as Palpatine now heads up the Republic and Jedi membership, much like the priesthood, seems to be waning. Someone tries to assassinate Senator Amidala and much in love Anakin must play protector while Obi-Wan Kenobi tracks down those behind it.
I am going to try and restrain myself in this review, don't want to get carried away.
This is not a good film. It is visually STUNNING! Breathtakingly gorgeous. And the sounds of the ships etc. were fab. Deep thrums all over the place, and I like a deep thrum. Subwoofers going ten to the dozen, brill.
However, this is a film lacking any substantial story or plot. It appears to me that the premise of Episodes 1 & 2 is purely to show us how Anakin became Darth Vader. Not a strong enough plot for three movies. In episode 2 we have two weak and uninvolving stories occurring at the same time, which leads to a very thin, patchy and bity feel.
George Lucas as a Director is to be commended. The look of the film is wonderful. The CGI lets him down on a couple of occasions, but that is very picky. Yodas fight scene is just something to wonder at.

The actors do there level best, like the Director, to do whatever they can with the script. Hayden Christensen is good as the petulant adolescent. Ewan McGregor, Samuel Jackson and Christopher Lee are wasted. At no point are they ever given anything that is worthy of their talents.
The problem with this movie is at its core, the script. It is awful. Not only do we have these two stories interfering with the flow of the other, but the actual writing, the dialogue is simply terrible. The romantic scenes between Anakin and Amidala set a new level for cringe induction. George Lucas should never be allowed to write another script..ever.
People will say that I am expecting too much from what is essentially a kids movie. I say that I can still watch The Empire Strikes Back' and enjoy it. Lucas is living off of past glories and gullible filmgoers. That is the most annoying thing. When we have low budget, good films like Dog Soldiers' doing the rounds, it will still be hyped rubbish like this takes in the money.