Maybe the Best Episode ... Yet

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2002)

Episode II rocks! True greatness of a film is something which takes more than a first impression to decide. It also takes more than 2 weeks. That said, after seeing it twice, one thing is certain - Clones delivers everything a Star Wars or movie-going fan could want.
For the Star Wars fan, Clones is rich with subtle surprises, irony and foreshadowing regarding the characters and story lines that run throughout the now 5-installment franchise. It also clarifies why Lucas fell short of most adult fans' expectations in Phantom - he had to set the table before serving the full meal...and remember, Star Wars is destined to be a 9-course feast. From the stable footing provided by Episode I, Episode II launches into hyperdrive quickly, and hardly pauses to catch its breath, so wrought with action and tension it is. Episode II more directly links the first trilogy with the new one, slowly reveals the darkness which plagues the Republic, delivers more insight and history into the Jedi Order than ever before; sows the seeds for the birth of Vader and even tells a delicate love story in the process.
For all moviegoers, Clones is well worth more than the price of a ticket! True, no Star Wars movie has provided real Oscar-quality acting; but what movie has with so many scenes shot in front of blue screens and blank spaces where visual affects or even complete characters will be inserted later? Against these challenges, Clones does provide more action than any two of the previous Episodes combined; sets a new standard for digital special effects and sound; carries a worthwhile score; and returns the series to the unrivalled, pure movie/story-telling experience that made Lucas' earlier installments so entwined with American culture.
What's more, is that for all its qualities, Episode II is potentially just an appetizer for the next movie, for which Lucas and company have now fully built a platform on which to build a stellar third Episode. For all this, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones may be the best Star Wars installment ... yet.