Worth the wait

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2002)

After the Phantom Menace, many felt that Star Wars could only get better, and waited for Episode II expectantly, but with trepidation.
When the name was released many were disappointed - I thought, well The Empire Strikes Back doesn't really smack of originality in the title department, nor does Return of the Jedi. The difference is that these films have been consigned to the 'legend' section of film history, thus sealing their fate regardless of silly titles. Thus, Attack of the Clones will similarly be consigned.
For this film outdoes The Phantom Menace tenfold. Nay, a hundredfold. I thought The Phantom Menace an accomplished, (if somewhat angled to the children), film which set out a base for what is to come. Many were bored by the politics involved, here we see they were setting up for what is a fantastic film.
Romance, tragedy, humour, a Jedi craves not these things. But you can be sure that Episode II has them. Oh, and action. Shedloads of it. George Lucas seems to have pushed back his spectacles (if he wore them) rolled up his sleeves (checked of course) and got back on track with a wonderfully sweeping epic. Amidala is more alluring, Obi Wan is more assured, Mace Windu gets in on the action, (as do others, but I'm not going to spoil it), and Anakin. Well, Hayden Christensen does a remarkable job after poor Jake Lloyd botched the 10 year old incarnation of our anti-hero. Many levels to the character, he is not obviously drawn to the dark side, yet we see cracks forming. A wonderful portrayal.
Sure, the dialogue is cheesy at times, but then, that's nothing new to the Star Wars saga ("Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?"), the love story could have been better written, but the musical score (John Williams of course, back on form after Harry Potter) the action scenes, and the larger plot of the film more than make up for it.
C3-PO and R2-D2 reunited, the introduction of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, and the reduction of Jar Jar Binks's part will have die hard fans pleased, and the rest of the film will have the rest of us delirious.
It's better than Episode I. It's better than Episode VI. It's arguably better than Episode IV, the one that started it all.
Now it's just a long wait for Episode III: The One Where Everything Makes Sense At Last, but before then, we have umpteen viewings of Episode II to attend.
As for me, I'm off to the cinema again - this film demands to be seen more than once. And it sits well next to the others.
See it, not that you need my encouragement, for this is a brilliant film.