Lucas regains his stride

Rating: Null/10 (24 May 2002)

Forget about the mediocre acting, forget about the occasionally clunky dialouge. This is Star Wars and it's judged on different merits than other movies. It's a part of a sweeping epic. It's to be judged in large part for it's contribution to the mythology. And besides the franchise owes so much to cheesy Saturday matinees of long ago that your really missing the point if your looking for high caliber performances.
This movie draws you in to its stunning visuals and epic story. The ever present CGI is supposed to turn you off if you're a serious person who truly appreciates film. In reality it's an amazing tool. Lucas has created worlds out of thin air, worlds that make you want to hop the next ship to Coursicant. Every last action scene is first rate. You know your watching something better than the Phantom Menace once the chase through the skies of Coursicant is underway. If this had happened in the Phantom Menace we'd have had some tow headed scamp shout "Wa-Hoo" 30 seconds into it. And Yoda gives us the best and most creatively depicted Light Saber fight yet.
It's not lacking for story either. The Phantom Menace attempted to draw dramatic weight from political intriuge and failed. The tactic works here, in large part because the entire film more mature. The love story is sub-Pearl-Harbour material. But it makes more sense as the film ends. And it gets us where we're going, so why complain? Anakin here is portrayed as having gone over to the Whiney Side, but there quite a few good scenes that make his eventual fall to evil believable. And Palpatine oozes menace, but not so much that you wonder how Amadala could trust him.
This movie may be the second best of the five. Lucas either always had it in him and simply mis-stepped with the Phantom Menace, or he understood the critisism of it and took it seriously. Or it could be both. The Phantom Menace made me angry, The Attack of the Clones makes me want to go back and watch the originals.