George Lucas' Empire Strikes Back in grand fashion!

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2002)

SPOILERS I just got back from seeing it and I've got to say that this one rocks! This is a huge improvement from the last Star Wars outing "Phantom Menace",and a far better display of character development and the best action/sci-fi sequences since Lucas' three original Star Wars trilogies.
Yes,ladies and gentlemen...STAR WARS IS BACK IN FULL FORCE!!!
"Episode II:Attack of the Clones" has all of the excellent,at least great and astounding things that I liked in the film,and could had some things that could have been better. Overall,it will be the thrill ride of the summer.
George Lucas takes several risks with this lastest installment,and the one that pays off the biggest is the structuring much of the first two-thirds of the film as a classic mystery. We think we know all of the answers because we have seen only the last three episodes of the six-part space saga. Half of the fun of Episode II is figuring out who's who,what their relationship to each other is,what their motives are,and what part will they play in bringing about the downfall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. Lucas has come much closer to hitting the precise target with this one,but in all he had made up for his mistakes in the last outing and on this one its a much more mature and very "intense" film that will pleased purists and newbies alike.
As far as the love story between Senator Padme and Anakin it could have been better since Lucas is voyaging into new territory here. And it shows. Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are astounding actors and their characters are physically attracted to one another,but overall it was a bit corny. Some of the scenes are fine,but if I were Lucas I could have gotten Lawrence Kazdan instead of Jonathan Hales to redo some of the dialogue.
As for the villains here,Christopher Lee AND Ian McDiarmand were FAR BETTER and more sinister too than that lame Darth Maul from Episode I. But the scene that had audiences cheering for here is no one than man Yoda. For anyone who loved Yoda,this is te movie to see! Here Yoda,walks,Yoda talks,and Yoda KICKS BUTT! He has two of the best scenes in this film--the one where he is gentle(a touching scene where we see him as a teacher of young padawans-Jedis in training),and the other(which will always be my favorite part)fierce as he battle the sinister Count Dooku(Christopher Lee) in a attempt to save Obi-Wan and Anakin from great danger.
Long live Master Yoda....his Green Badness of the force!
At the end of the movie,Padme and Anakin are married on the planet Naboo with C3PO and R2D2 looking on,but also you can tell where the movie will picked up in the next installment(Episode III),but they showed where his hand was cut off dueling with Count Dooku,and this is where the foundation of Darth Vader and the evil turn of Anakin will come in. Also it furthers the rise of the Sith into controlling the galaxy and it will give us a taste of what the Clone wars will be all about.
Overall,this was sci-fi and its finest and I can't wait for Episode III. Some of the characters do get a chance to show their stuff here....For one,Natalie Portman gets to KICK BUTT here and a far better character upgrade than her last go-a-round from the first installment. She shows her tender side,her romantic side, and her fighting side. As for Ewan McGregor's character as Obi-Wan,(who looks and sounds like Alec Guinness)he has never been better. One scene has Obi-Wan dispatched to a distant water planet(which is incredible to see,an amazing effect!!!) to get to the bottom of things,has a showdown with bounty hunter Jongo Fett(Temuera Morrison).
Samuel L. Jackson's character Mace Windu has a much larger role here. The film's climax brings it all of these characters together beautifully in a gigantic,eye-popping battle royale on the remote,Mars-like planet of Geonosis.
Overall,you have lightsabers,giant monsters,fantastic cities and even a alien diner thrown in for good measure. As for John Williams' musical score...you ARE THE MAN! Long live,Master John Williams!!! As for the rest of it,I would probably go back and see it again for good measure since this is the best ever!!! And it really,really,shows!
Indeed the FORCE IS BACK! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!