Fun adventure movie with lots of action

Rating: 9/10 (18 May 2002)

I was one of many who were a little underwhelmed with Episode One, and I have no complaints about Episode Two. There is great action peppered throughout the film, and paced nicely, interspersed with moments that are slower but more plot intensive. Hayden Christiansen is cast well as an arrogant young snot of a Jedi who still has some redeeming qualities. The Jedi as a whole come off as all being a little bit flawed in some way, but this helps with some plot points vital to the series of films as well as this one. Everyone seems a bit more human and vulnerable in Episode Two, and it reminds me in some ways of the Empire Strikes Back; the characters are under the gun and their weaknesses show. Even when things look temporarily better, there are people who point out that it's far from over. The special effects are far beyond amazing, and the all-digital filming is completely unnoticeable; it all looks real, and like it was shot on film. George Lucas seems to be getting back into the swing of things as a director; there was some cool tricky "camera" work, and the actors seem more comfortable when talking to characters who could not possibly have been there when they were shooting it, a quality not always present in the previous film. Coruscant is beautiful here, with a nice amalgam of visual styles in the architecture and what seemed to be one brief nod to Blade Runner. The other worlds fare well. Fans of the films will be happy to see that the Skywalker/Lars homestead where Luke will someday grow up on Tatooine is done perfectly. Tons of fun!