The darkest episode since Empire Strikes back - a powerful film, as good as the original trilogy.

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2002)

No spoiler review....
Star Wars:Episode II- Attack of the Clones continues the epic story of Anakin Skywalker, the tale of a young man tempted by power and forbidden desire, a man whose personal conflicts and choices will affect the course ofan entire universe.
In this, the darkest episode of the series since 'The Empire Strikes Back', we see a young man who has abandoned his family, his home, and the chance for love, to follow the spiritual code of the Jedi Knights, the ancient guardians of the old republic.
Attack of the Clones is a powerful, spellbinding thrill-ride, set against a sinister web of intrigue, in a universe increasingly threatened by an unsettling spiritual darkness.
We see far more of Coruscant, the planet that is entirely a sprawling megalopolis, from the great giant skyscrapers to the murky depths of the underworld, we are introduced to two new worlds and many more incredible species from this entirely original universe.
The special effects are, for my money, the greatest seen so far in the history of cinema, but they only serve the plot, which is driven by a serious story and decent acting - Hayden Christiansen as Anakin is believable as a conflicted young man with a serious dark side, Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan delivers some great sardonic wit and exudes Jedi coolness, and Christopher Lee is a compelling Count Dooku.
The action and the humour are more sophisticated and satisfying than the Phantom Menace, the first episode, and beneath the romance between Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin, is an interesting underlying darkness.
We have come to expect a lot from Star Wars films - they have become the mythology of a generation - and where you judge films such as Spiderman against popcorn crunchers like Godzilla, Planet of the Apes etc, here today gone tomorrow merchandise franchises, the expectations around the Star Wars series are higher than for any movie.
But this does the truly remarkable in that it does not disappoint. There may be a few more slower scenes in the middle than I initially anticipated, but, as with the other Star Wars movies, they will only serve in time to mature and further the understanding of the full, six movie story. There is so much to take in, so much 'meat' in this film, and any negatives are not even worth mentioning due to the wide open mouth awe of the film and the excellent way the plot unfolds.
This is 'up there' with the original three Star Wars films - indeed there are moments that surpass the great Star Wars moments - and this intriguingly sets up Episode Three to be a powerful ending to the saga. But for now Episode Two is here at last and I am going to need another four viewings at least to get everything there is to get out of this movie. How many other films can you say that about?
Attack of the Clones is a worthy addition to a timeless movie series. And what more could you possibly ask for?