A worthy installment of a classic series

Rating: 3/10 (17 May 2002)

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" delivers to many of the fans what they have been asking for: More jedi battles, more development of the mythology, and less Jar-Jar. And Lucas does come through in this film in full bravado. (Warning, this review contains a synopsis for the entire film! All those who wish to not know anything about this should read this after seeing the film!)
The film is about how the recent assassination attempts on Padme Amidala; who is no longer a queen, but a senator, have forced her to seek protection from former Jedi friends Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Anakin is still in training as this film unravels, but he seems to have grown more hot-headed and rebellious to the Jedi ways. When an encounter with a bounty hunter sends Obi Wan to seek out the person who is causing these attempts on Amidala's life, Anakin and Padme retreat to Naboo. There, Amidala and Anakin share a conflict of emotions, but we also learn that the reason for Anakin's unease was due to the nightmares he's been having about his mother, who he left in Episode I to become a Jedi.
Meanwhile, Obi Wan has traced an assassin's weapon to the planet Camino (food? crappy cars?) where he learns that a clone army has been built for the Jedi council under the supervision of bounty hunter Jango Fett. As Jango Fett escapes Camino to a planet (which name escapes me), he learns that Sith jedi Count Dooku has been ordering the clone army to be built before he is captured. Upon learning of this, Senator Palpatine decides to take the army as his own legally and use it to protect the galaxy and aid the Jedi in restoring peace to the galaxy.
Troubled by the dreams he's been having, Anakin returns to Tatooine in search of his mother, who he traces back to the (dah-dah-dah-duh) Lars Homestead. Upon his arrival, he learns that his mother was kidnapped by Tuskan Raiders and immediately leaves to search for her. When he finds her, she only sees him for a moment before dying in his arms. With his rage finally reaching a boiling point, Anakin slaughters the entire tribe (in his own words: "Not just men, but women and children, too.") His descent to the dark side has apparently begun.
Anakin and Amidala leave to aid Obi-Wan and what follows after this is sheer excitement with arena battles, jedi duels, and a fantastic war sequence where a pivotal weapon is in the design stage of being constructed.
One things that the Star Wars series is notable for is the wonderful environments that Lucas creates. In Episode II, he expands on his universe, giving the audience a more in depth look at the awe-inspiring planet Coruscant, taking us inside the city's skyways and streets where we only saw the skylines. There is also an interestingly hidden planet called Camino where the planet seems to be mostly experimental facilities overtop a planet full of water. The infamous Lars homestead is even painstakingly recreated to the degree that if this film does not receive a nomination for art direction, the academy clearly does not have their eyes open.
Many will complain about how the film lacks excitement in the beginning before the end, but to me, that only seems true because the end is so grand and exciting that it's easy to overlook the chase through the skyway at Corusant, Obi-Wan's duel with Jango Fett and Slave One on Camino, and the chase through the astroid field that makes for an interesting nod to Empire (I almost expected Obi-Wan to see a crater worm, but thankfully, that hand puppet didn't appear.)
Or many other complaints will be from the dialog in the romance between Amidala and Anikan, which does contain some cheesy lines, but I challenge anyone to find lines in there that aren't as cheesy as those in Moulin Rouge or Titanic. Epic romances are supposed to have a certain amount of cheesiness to them in order to make them succeed. In the end, the chemistry isn't as strong as the aforementioned films, or even Han and Leia's, but it does work.
Though this movie has many flaws, one must remind ourself that the original trilogy is just as flawed, only it's easier to have overlooked them when we were younger than it is now as we've grown up in a more cynical and critical time. In order to enjoy this film, one must "concentrate on the moment," "stretch out with your feelings" and this installment will not disappoint. Remember, Lucas never once tried to be Bergman.