Good fun but don't set expectations too high

Rating: Null/10 (9 July 2002)

I went in with low expectations, having heard the film dismissed as just like Episode One (which I found pretty poor). I was pleasantly surprised. Episode II is much better PACED than the first - sure, the script still sucks but there's a plot to this one. Whereas Episode One dawdled along, leaving you with little to do but fantasise about how to kill Ja-Ja, spot the flaws in the special effects and ponder how DID that script get past editing, Episode Two keeps the action going. It gets right in there at the beginning, chases and assasinations, then maintains your interest during the slow times. So Anakin may be getting romantic (where the script gets REALLY bad), but Obi Wan is visiting a mysterious and slightly spooky alien planet.
Special effects, of course, are very good, but now it is less gimmicky, used to generate great scenes rather than stealing them. Big names bring authority and maturity to the cast, needed when you're against the likes of Yoda, C3PO and R2D2. This helps develop a sense of continuity; whereas Episode One felt like a cheap cash in (good vs bad, all ends happily, whatever) this film feels like a part of the Star Wars tale.
Episode Two has plenty of faults (script, script, script). But I also think it suffers from cynicism. If you take that approach you'll probably hate the original three -- in which case, why are you bothering with this one? Sure Episode Two is not perfect but neither (contrary to many opinions) where the first three. If you don't go in to the cinema looking for the faults you'll probably find you'll be having too much fun to notice about them.