Significantly better than Episode 1.

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2002)

Going into this movie, I expected a repeat of Episode 1. Terrible lines in places, annoying characters, a bit of a lack of plot, and a very disconnected sense of continuity with the rest of the Star Wars universe.
However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The major difference between this film and Episode 1 is the dialogue. Though some lines could have been left out, I didn't feel like I had been suckered into seeing a bad movie. The plot line of Episode 2 is MUCH more interesting than Episode 1. Mainly, you feel a real sense of continuity. Though I won't go into detail, one such cool buildup is for Boba Fett, who makes several appearances throughout the movie. You will witness his real origin. There are many other connections to the other films, but I won't mention them here. The special effects were simply amazing, including the animation and design of Yoda... which is important. :-)
Anakin Skywalker was a much more interesting character in this movie. He wasn't just there to win through dumb luck, or shout "Wow, cool!" constantly. He was a genuine human being, and being a teenager, I was easily able to relate to the ways he reacted to different events. Though the actor playing him (honestly, I didn't check for his name, though I should know) didn't deliver two or three of the lines the way he should have, he did a very good job with the rest of the role. The love story between him and Senator Amidalah (sp) felt very real, but did not intrude on the rest of the story.
This movie was significantly better than Episode 1. I walked in expecting a mediocre movie, and got what I would honestly call good. Not great, but good. Worth the evening price for a movie.