(no spoilers) Only five minutes worth the ten bucks...

Rating: 3/10 (17 May 2002)

...the rest, sadly, is not.
What's wrong with Lucas? Being a fan of old serials like Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, shouldn't he know better? He did in the early Star Wars films, whose charms have obviously remained fresh for 25 years.
Ep 2 fell to the same problems plaguing Ep 1 - the plot was only slightly stronger, but the severe lack of character development was a hideous disappointment.
The love scenes were embarrassing and totally unbelieveable. For such a talented cast, the performances were pretty resoundingly terrible - nobody seemed sure how to play their characters.
There is a self-important pomp about the latest batch of movies, one that stands in direct contrast to the swashbuckling, winning nature of the first set. Who do they think they're kidding? This is Star Wars, for cryin' out loud. The things that made it fun are completely gone.
EXCEPT ONE. The excellent five minutes. I know you'll get spoilers all over the place about it, but as a fan of surprises, I won't tell you myself. Suffice it to say that a character gets the spotlight that s/he has truly deserved. It was the only time during the movie that people reacted as Lucas planned (instead of snickering, groaning, or making barfing sounds). I was entirely bored by the rest of the movie, but this scene had me screaming and clapping and cheering to beat the band.
I suggest you see it just for this. But I wish it were possible to pay for only the minutes one wants to watch.
For the rest of the movie, expect:

neat-but-expected-and-so-what visual effects

a potentially interesting plot that falters under the weight of the film's mediocrity

ZERO characterization

TERRIBLE acting

thoroughly vomitous "love" scenes

pointless loud noises

equally pointless explosions

clones.

Maybe wait for the discount theater or a bargain matinee.
ta, -a.