The train is not only back on track, its speeding at 1000mph.

Rating: 7/10 (17 May 2002)

The wait is over. When "Phantom Menace" ended, I was happy. Happy because even though it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for, there was a lot of good in it. And happy because I knew the best was yet to come...but not for 3 long years. For three years we have waited and today that wait is finally over: We have been absolved with Attack of the Clones. (Mr. Lucas, I never doubted you for a second ;) "Clones" is a lightspeed paced dash through the galaxy; it takes us through what should seem like a lifetime in just over two hours. Compared to the geriatric pace of "Phantom Menace", this movie barely stops to breathe. The characters are lovable in entirely new ways and the FX are awe-inspiring. The dialogue can be clunky, and at times, downright silly, but there are still parts to be cherished. I now view Star Wars in an entirely new light...it is all finally starting to make sense. "Clones" and "Menace" are not like the originals...they are not meant to be. These are not new versions of Episodes IV-VI...they are a continuation of them. They are a completion of THE story, and when it becomes possible to understand them as equal parts in saga not and not as a bunch of suped-up sequels, nothing, not even Jar Jar Binks, can prevent you from being impressed.