Pretty pictures but dissapointing script & many plot holes

Rating: 3/10 (23 May 2002)

I grew up on Star Wars and had all the original toys. Even though I am a fan of the old movies, these new ones deserve fair examination. Episode II : The CGI was beautiful, probably the most advanced to date. There was detail given to the environments. Some of the action scenes later in the movie were enthralling. However that did not save this movie. The most obvious problem is the dialogue which is pretty lame by any standard. Characters did not come across as real people, or at least anyone you cared about. Love scenes were amusing in the way of a cheap romance novel. People in the theater either laughed or groaned.
Ep. II plot holes : (Spoilers)
1. The only reason the Jedi found the million stormtroopers was because the planet was traced back from a dart left in a victim by Fett. Fett uses a blaster in every other scene, because it makes more sense. It's not like the dart was stealthier, he was still caught in the act.
2. It was ultimately convenient for the Jedi/Republic to find a million clones right when they needed them. An unknown Jedi ordered them 10 years ago and no one (including Jedi council) knew anything about it? I suppose he paid the $10000 trillion cost out of his own pocket. All the Jedi would have been killed by Dookuu's anrmy in the battle arena without this convenient plot developement, since the Senate never put together the army of the republic.
3. Annakin looks like he's 15 years older since the last movie but the princess looks right about the same age...
4. The aliens that made the clones had no problem talking to Obi-wan about the clone army (and later handing them over) despite Obi-wan being obviously ignorant about the whole deal. Fett knew that Obi-wan was ignorant after they talked in his room, why didn't Fett kill him then?

5. The battle driods. Do these useless things actually hit anybody in either episode I or II?! I mean if you are going to bother making driods that can walk and talk you figure they would throw in some targeting components, or maybe even a networking card so the little guys could work togther. If a 100 of them shot at one Jedi at a time they could have ended that area battle in short time.
6. Dookoo is not much of a master Jedi if he can't sense the the good guys coming.
7. Yoda limps throughout the whole movie and then goes hyper-ninja on Count Dookoo? It was fun to watch, but notice he goes right back to limping as soon as the action is over.
8. Why is this Princess so important? We havn't seen any important political action from her in either movie. What was so important about Naboo from the last movie? So the trade federation blocked her planet... What did they export that was so important to the whole galaxy?!
9. Because the Princess is such an important figure, they assign her to be guarded by a Jedi. Next thing, Obi-Wan takes off and leaves her with the padwan learner (Anakin) who is obviously terrible at following orders.

10. Why was Fett chosen to be the one that was cloned? We never see anything particularly special about him. The Jedi that made the order would choose such a shady character?
11. Instead of consulting experts, Obi-Wan asks the local chef who knew exactley where Fett's dart came from, and about the clone-making planet that no one else (including the Galactic Encylopedia and Jedi council) had ever heard of.
12. Yoda struggled to keep the giant piller from crushing Obi Wan and Anakin during the fight with Dookoo, but I remembered him saying that the size of the thing doesn't matter in Ep.5?
13. Anakin hasn't seen his mom in 10 years and races across the galaxy to find her. He finally rescues her from the Sandpeople but right then she dies. What was the point of that? ...I'm sure there are others but enough for now. Overall, the good parts were like watching the most advanced video game which is a cheap thrill in itself. The bad parts were those scenes where people were talking.