The Greatest Saga of Science Fiction back with a bang!!!

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2002)

All elements of this film build on the foundation of the first film. I felt also when watching this that the new trilogy is gathering pace towards it's climax. The cast is improved from the first film with Christopher Lee giving a glorious performance as the machiavellian Count Dooku. It's great to have a classic English actor playing a central role in a Star Wars film again. I have to say that in the lead up to the film I wasn't convinced but well done to Hayden Christensen for pulling it off. He has given the role of Anakin Skywalker the requisite brilliance, impetuousness and petulance that will ultimately lead him to the Dark Side of the Force. Padme is again played almost as a "mini-Leia" by the gifted Natalie Portman (we await her performance in the last instalment of the trilogy). The relationship between Anakin and Padme is dealt with tenderly and with clarity over their difficulties. For very different reasons they struggle to deal with their feelings for one another. By the end of the film the light sabre battle has to be seen to be believed and if that is all your interested in then you will not feel short changed. All in all a magnificent follow up to the low-key Phantom Menace and I await the time when I can watch all six films back to back at my local cinema!