A good - not great - effort

Rating: 7/10 (16 May 2002)

Episode II was good - not great.
Before seeing Episode II, I watched Episode IV once more. It was interesting to hear the same lines again, but with the perspective of seeing Episode I - a lot of Old Ben Kenobi's remarks were much less cryptic.
More of the same happens here - we see what Boba Fett looks like, and what's underneath a Storm Trooper's helmet (although we'll need to see Episode III to confirm that Storm Troopers == Clone Troopers).
I truly like the way this (Episodes I-III) is shaping up - like Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000), our knowledge of the future shapes how we view the past -- moments of "Aha! Now I understand happened throughout the movie. Other people may be p***ed with this (e.g. my girlfriend feels that Boba Fett, like Inspector Gadget's Dr. Claw, should have never had his face revealed).
I await Anakin Skywalker's further descent into the Dark Side in Episode III...
Other comments
* the handling of C3P0 and R2-D2 was heavy handed - boy, did Anthony Daniels get some cheesy lines - probably to make the kids laugh.
* the robot factory scene - I found the most suspense there, as I anticipated (with the molten metal and the slicing machines) that Anakin was going to "get it".
* Lucas and team made Yoda too bouncy - settle down there Yoda!
* The romance scenes between Portman and Christensen were awkward - which I can excuse for Christensen, since he's playing a 16-year old. But Portman's way too frigid. Where's the fire, Natalie?
Conclusion
Episode I left a bad taste in my mouth. Episode II was a satisfying meal of a movie, well worth seeing. Suffer through Epsiode I and then see this one.