George, all is forgiven (warning: spoilers!)

Rating: 10/10 (17 May 2002)

All is forgiven, George. You have redeemed yourself utterly.
From the opening sequence (which is both beautiful and shocking) Attack of the Clones is pure, perfect, vibrant Star Wars. The film provides the nervous fans with an all-too-tantalising glimpse of how richly detailed the Star Wars universe is, while developing the story and characters a hundred-fold over the pallid Phantom Menace.
Obi-wan and Anakin are perfect as the bickering but affectionate master & apprentice, and even through Obi-wan's curt orders and Anakin's frustrated outbursts the bond between them is clear. Padme Amidala is also excellent, and a whole new depth is added to her character. One sees the clear link between herself and her headstrong and beautiful daughter Leia.

The other characters are also excellent. Yoda & Windu add enormous depth to the Jedi order; Chancellor Palpatine is at his brilliantly evil best; and the wonderful and charismatic Christopher Lee gets into his role as Count Dooku with the same obvious relish as that of Saruman in Lord of the Rings.
For the casual movie-going fan, I cannot stress enough the depth that this movie brings to the Star Wars universe. It's like you have a half completed jigsaw puzzle that the final pieces don't exist for, and suddenly most of the gap is filled in. and the almost completed picture that takes shape is infinitely more richly detailed and beautiful than you had ever imagined.
There are several eerie echoes of the future in this film. One of my favourite scenes from the original trilogy was early in ANH, when Luke stood outside the settlement and looked to the horizon, a young man contemplating his future and the changes that were to come. The music swells and you just know this is one of the deepest moments of the film. When Anakin did the very same thing in AOTC I couldn't help but gape in joyous wonderment. Moments like this make AOTC far, far more than the sum of its parts.
But wonderful scenes abound. The speeder chase and bar sequence is a fantastic Bladerunner-esque glimpse of real life in Coruscant, and in the middle of a deadly pursuit Obi-wan still finds time to use the Jedi mind-trick for good in one of the film's many genuinely funny moments. And of course the final battle of the droids and the Jedi / clone armies is simply eye-popping. with Yoda as the reluctant general called to battle to win a bitter victory that is the lesser of two evils.
But to top it all, who can possibly forget the final sequence, with the insidious Palpatine, doubtful Organa at his side, surveying his vast army as they move to war. to the rising strains of the Imperial March. Bone-chilling stuff.
George, well done. You've done us proud. As for the reviewers, I haven't read a single one that knows the first thing about the Star Wars universe, so stuff 'em. You'll make a squillion, your fans love you again, and you've created an instant classic.
Now for the final piece of the puzzle.