A magnificent installment, it is

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2002)

This is a lengthy review, so for those who are not interested in reading it all: GO SEE THIS FILM. A great thing happened to me when I watched it: I found myself getting completely sucked into it and my comparisons to the old trilogy faded away.
For 25 years, fans have clung to the classic characters of Luke, Leia, Han, etc. Now Lucas asks that you immerse yourself in the WHOLE STORY, the roots of young Skywalker and the Jedi, and the rise of the Empire. You simply cannot and will not enjoy this film (or the trilogy as a whole) if you're hell-bent on it being like the originals. IT'S NOT THE ORIGINALS and quite frankly, it's wonderful. The only true comparison of the original trilogy is that the story is TOLD like the originals, and that's what should satisfy fans.
Enough of the commentary, here's the breakdown (SPOILERS AHEAD):
This film is fun. So many elements that I was hoping to see more of in the first film, totally come to life in this installment.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: Unlike Menace, there is some emotional intensity in Clones. Despite most people's gripes about the romantic aspect (namely the clunky dialogue and pace of these scenes), Padme and Anakin's romance is important to the story. After all, they are Luke and Leia's parents, and Padme signifies Anakin's first step towards pulling away from the life of the Jedi. The slaughtering of the Tusken Raiders is a great demonstration of Anakin losing control and giving into hatred, the seed of the Dark Side of the Force.
To address the barrage of complaints regarding the dialogue; yes, there are a few bad lines, but nothing detrimental. Additionally, if you're going to condemn Clones for dialogue breakdown, you may as well condemn the whole franchise, because it's never been a strong suit of the series.
Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan is much more relaxed and settled than in Menace. The struggle between him and Anakin in terms of discipline is well executed and comes off much like a father/son relationship. It also illustrates Kenobi's shortcomings as a mentor and justifies his eagerness to train Luke in Episode IV. In watching Episode IV now, it's apparent that Kenobi feels an obligation of 'righting a wrong' and feels a great deal of guilt for his training and failure of Anakin/Vader.
We get to see a lot more of both Yoda and Mace Windu, though Sam Jackson never seems overly comfortable, or maybe he's trying too hard. Still, he gets in a few classic Samuel Jackson trademark 'bad ass' lines when he confronts Dooku. Portman as Padme is much deeper than Episode I and is very 'Leia-like' when all hell starts to break loose. Like Kenobi, her character definitely emerges stronger by the end of the film.
It's also great to Boba Fett as a youth, and we now understand what drives him to wear the Mandilorian armor and follow his father's bounty hunter footsteps.
SETTING: This film features the most breathtaking of settings of all the movies, hands down. Thanks heavens Lucas gives us more of Coruscant, a place all fans have craved since the end of the digitally re-mastered version of Return of the Jedi. We get more in Episode I, but a full dose in Clones. Lucas also takes us to 2 new planets; the rain and ocean swept Kamino and the barren Geonosis. There's also a plethora of new species; the Kaminoans, the lanky aliens of Kamino are both strange and fascinating. Bottom line, this movie is GORGEOUS.
PLOT: Having known the back-story of the original films, I found the plot both compelling and easy to follow. Casual fans may think otherwise. But you can't argue with a plot that unfolds the beginnings of the Empire and rise of Palpatine.
EFFECTS: There have been an alarming number of complaints regarding the amount of CG used in the movie. I thought the use of it was flawless, in both setting and the alien races. For those of you who want to bring back the Yoda puppet, consider the duel with Dooku; not possible with a puppet and I don't think there's a soul out there who would trade in that scene for anything. The effects are spectacular, especially in the (almost) finale scene where the clones and droids are fighting in the dust clouds left in the wake of the fallen starship. Beautiful.
ACTION: Need I bother? Again, action is abundant and some of the best cinema I have ever seen. People complain it's 'too slow' in the middle, but it's important that we get somewhat of a feel for Anakin's/Padme's relationship. I found the pacing just fine and completely acceptable.
CLIFFHANGER: The ending is almost a mirror of Empire, much like Menace was to A New Hope. I won't give away specifics, but my appetite is plenty whet for Episode III.
To summarize, like Empire, Clones is a compelling installment to the trilogy and very exciting. It will most definitely please fans WHO LOVE STAR WARS. For those who are still whining about Phantom Menace and plan to scrutinize every move that Lucas makes, don't bother. You're only setting yourself up for disappointment; not because Clones is a bad movie, but because you're still clinging to the originals as a point of reference. Comparison of both trilogy's is inevitable and reasonable, TO A POINT. But one needs to let go and just enjoy them as they are, much like we did back then. Episode II gives the new trilogy shape and depth. To me, it is now it's own franchise, as it should be.