Is Episode II worth the Star Wars name?

Rating: Null/10 (27 September 2011)

"I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."
Both of the first two Star Wars prequels have substantial flaws that zealously try to ruin the un-ruinable, the mighty Star Wars franchise. In Episode I, it was the complete overkill in trying to make the movie appealing to young kids, personified by the much (and deservedly) maligned Jar Jar Binks. There's much less Jar Jar in Episode II, but its biggest flaw is almost as bad: the awful way the blossoming romance between now-Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) and the teenage Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is depicted.
Christensen isn't a brilliant actor in the best of circumstances, and whether he makes a suitable Anakin is up for debate. But pairing him with George Lucas's hokey attempts at writing romantic dialogue is just painful. The movie seriously drags when it focuses on the relationship between Anakin and Padmé.
But, like Episode I, Episode II somehow manages to overcome its flaws to be a decent entry into the Star Wars canon. The visuals received an impressive upgrade over the first movie (and I don't only mean Portman's increasingly sexy costumes), and there are many breathtaking action scenes and special effects sequences. The story takes the characters to new worlds and involves more mystery and intrigue than the first movie. You get to see multiple Jedi in action in large-scale battles, and who hasn't wanted to see that? Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor seem much more comfortable and natural in their roles, despite the absurdly cheesy things the script often forces Portman to say.
Is Episode II an improvement over Episode I? Yes. Is it as good as Episodes III, IV, V, and VI? Nope. Poor writing keeps Attack of the Clones from reaching its full potential.