Though imperfect, Episode II has renewed the faith.

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2002)

First, I would like to say that anyone who hasn't seen Episode II yet should go see it and come to their own opinions about the film, there are a few spoilers in this review. That said, everyone must admit that this new installment in everyones favorite intergalactic saga proves that The Force is indeed back. With no mention of mitichlorians, relievingly few "meesa think..." comments, and an action packed storyline that keeps the audience at the edge of the seat the whole 2 hour length of his latest opus, George Lucas has renewed the faith feared lost after the glaring shortcomings of Episode I. This is not to say everything in Episode II is perfect, but rather to say that the film is comparable in overall quality to the first three.
Allow me to point out the flaws I found in the film first: -Hayden Christensen, though far more believable as the tormented Anakin than Jake Lloyd was as the child, does not deliver the kind of performance I think the part necessitates, though this may also be due to the dialogue he had to work with, which was, for the most part, uninspired language that does not fill the potential of one of Lucas' most compelling characters. -the dialogue and acting throughout the rest of the film was generally mediocre, most evident in the love story between Anakin and Padme which fell far short of what it could and should have been, but thankfully does not take up very much of the running time of the film
-one shot--with Anakin's shadow falling on the sand igloo of his stepfather's home while talking with Padme, making a silhouette that looks just like Darth Vader--lasts far too long and feels like an insult to the audience's intelligence. Right before this shot, there is a quick shot of Anakin's shadow, looking like Vader, which is enough, the rest is overkill
Now the good: None of the above matters all that much. -the sets, worlds, aliens, action sequences, cinematography, score, video and sound FX, and character development are all top notch.
-the plot and execution of the plot onscreen really drew the audience into the movie, which episode I did not accomplish
-The overall feel of the film is much more mature than episode I was, with a lot more self-awareness.
-the film managed to convey numerous ideas and images to the audience without being pretentious--especially the eerie people of Camino and the perennial storms therein, an ominous foreshadowing of the battles to come as a result of the cloning factories on this world.
-many of the cooler powers granted by the force but left out of episode I make a return--the blue electricity fired by the Sith, the modified telekinesis all Jedis use, the pre-cognition granted by the force (i.e. the little laser-firing orbs and a whole bunch of kids learning how to trust their intuition and block the shots with their lightsabres), and many other skills
-Yoda rules.
-Jango Fett, played by Temuera Morrison, and his "son" Boba add so much to the film. Boba Fett, everyones favorite sinister bounty hunter, gets all the attention (no to mention background story) he needs. When Jango gets into the thick of the action with Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson rules.) and gets his head chopped clean off--a fittingly ironic end to such a sinister bounty hunter-- Boba, played (very well) by Daniel Logan, watches on in anguish and hatred. After his shot holding his fathers helmet (head?), one of the finest in the film, I simply cannot wait to see what he does in Episode III.
-The setup of Boba losing his father works so well in conjunction with Shmi Skywalker's death at the hands of Tuscan Raiders. It brings to mind the scene in Empire when Vader sends Fett on bounty missions against the rebels, one can only hope their relationship is strengthened in episode III.
-The shot with Yoda surveying the battles against Dooku's forces with the symbol of the empire emblazoned on the storm trooper's helmet just behind the badass little muppet is just perfect.
-Yoda RULES.
-Ewan McGregor is a fine actor who brings the kind of life to Obi- Wan few others can, especially in one hilariously deadpan scene with a barfly in Coruscant
-there is much more to say, but i dont want to ruin the WHOLE movie for all those who still havent seen the film
In short, Episode II has brought back the fantasy and wonder of the original series, and I strongly encourage anyone and everyone to drop what they are doing and go see this fabulous film. I promise it won't disappoint.