A good movie, much better than Episode I

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2002)

This is probably the second best of all the Star Wars movies. Empire is definitely better, but this is better than "A New Hope." Regardless, it's a whole lot better than Episode I (which isn't saying much).
I watched the Episode I because, well it's the law. I watched it again to see if it was as bad as I thought it was, it was. That won't be true with Episode II.
Episode II starts out a little slow (and that's an understatement). With in the first few scenes you see Jar Jar, and think "oh crap, here we go again." The convoluted love scenes with Anakin and Padme are difficult, but not totally unbearable. Mixed in with a split story with Obi Wan, which makes it confusing to follow. The guy next to me was snoring like a lawn mower!
Second half is some of the best action I've ever scene, mixed in with excellent character moments. You literally get to watch Anakin move from an obnoxious, arrogant kid, to a deeply troubled young man (setting us up for a great episode III). I chewed through a straw in Empire, and if I had one here I would have done the same at some scenes in Episode II.
The only drawback with this movie is too much plot. The plot is like a James Bond movie, with 16 different locations. You're exhausted in the end. The excess if action plot doesn't allow for character development that the first (holy) trilogy has.