Unfeasibly cheesy (but great!)

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2002)

Just got back from seeing Episode II. Great movie, thoroughly enjoyable, but cheesier than a ploughman's lunch.
I've read comments about this being not a 'fans only' film but I couldn't disagree more. To me this seems like George Lucas looked at a list of what the fans wanted from this movie following the differing responses to Episode I (which I liked) and tried to fit as many of them in as possible.
Much of the action, locations and dialogue has been taken from the original trilogy and given a new twist, which means any fan will be smiling, nodding and chuckling knowingly at the events that occur. There are loads of humorous elements (some unintentional) and possibly a few too many times when they have tried to explain future events in the saga which in one case leaves a gaping plot hole.
These may sound like criticisms but they are what make the film enjoyable. It's a little too in-jokey and fan-friendly to fit snugly in the saga - it's almost a 'best of Star Wars' compilation/tribute - but it's still good fun, which is what movies are all about.
A final word about the development of Anakin's character - really good in my view. There are plenty of moments where you see the dark side come across him, and I think Hayden Christiansen did a good job of portraying him...
Roll on Episode III, where things should get really nasty!