The truth is the first time I had watched the movie I wasn't impressed. After rewatches over the years I realised this movie gets so much hate that it didn't deserve. Especially if you compare it to the new movies (episodes 7, 8,9) it is far better in script, character development and battles. Anakin is awesome in this movie and makes you feel totally familiar with yourself the way he acts following your heart instead of cold rules.

The second episode of the new trilogy of "Star Wars" was much better than the first. He is much more gloomy, eventful and full of the sense that soon the customary world will collapse ... Moreover, it can be considered the most romantic film of the saga - speech, of course, about the love line of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala performed by Natalie Portman. It is not only very well developed, but it also takes place mainly in very beautiful, blooming locations, which is generally uncommon for Star Wars. Even sad to realize that it is waiting for a tragic ending ...

In all other respects, the "Clone Attack" can be considered a good film. Excellent battles on light swords, skirmishes, long conversations and flights on space ships - all this is done very qualitatively and interestingly. There are a lot of really unexpected plot twists, which will be appreciated not only by the fans of the universe, but by all the rest. For example, when a small dwarf Yoda takes a lightsaber in his hands and almost starts on an equal footing with the formidable Count Dooku, perhaps everyone was surprised ...

However, in spite of this, the second episode can not be put on the same level as the classical trilogy. And it's not even the quality of performance, but the fact that those films evoked much more emotional response, they had the notorious "Star Wars magic", which is practically absent in the first two prequels.

However, watching the "Attack of the Clones" is worth all fans of fiction - these films are shot too rarely.

I'm going back and watching all six Star Wars films so I can go see "The Force Awakens", and last night I watched "Episode II: Attack of the Clones".

I have to say that I find this to be a really enjoyable movie. I tried not to like it when it first came out due to its name. Seriously, George Lucas..."Attack of the Clones"? I mean, I get it, but there were lots of options for a better name than that. "The Clone Army" would have sufficed. But I digress...

Again, I really like this movie. It suffers from a bit of poor dialogue and bad acting between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen--their on screen romance feels very much like a bad daytime soap opera rather than something worthy of the Star Wars franchise.

And yet, that bit of dissatisfaction aside, I find this to be a fantastic film overall. The storyline is great. The opening chase scene is great. Obi-Wan's search for the missing planet is great. The final battle is great. Most all of it is great.

And, one thing that I greatly appreciate about this film is Christopher Lee's performance as Count Dooku. Funny name aside, Lee turns out a convincing portrayal of a lead antagonist that makes you understand what the Dark Side is all about. I found Darth Maul to be rather lacking as a villain in "Phantom Menace", but Lee makes up for this in profound fashion.

But I suppose the most important thing that I enjoy about this movie is that it just brings so many pieces of the puzzle together. Anakin's story advances in a way that is plausible and believable, even if Christensen's portrayal suffers at times. This movie sets up his path to the Dark Side in profound fashion, and makes the six films flow together. I like that sense of continuity, and so I'm giving this movie 8/10 stars. Again, the cheesy soap opera stuff between Anakin and Amidala is a major blow to the film--but all in all it's a great movie.

Side Note: If I wanted to, I could get really critical about one element of the overall plot here. This whole Dark Side thing and the people involved in the plot to take over the Republic goes completely unnoticed by Yoda and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson). That really cheapens the whole Jedi thing, in my view--the most powerful Jedi in the world are right in the midst of the people who are orchestrating the fall of the Republic, and they can't even sense it. Strange. Same goes for the fact that Dooku's back story is so wrapped up in the Jedi. How could they never sense this disturbance in the force in a way that would root it out?

Whatever the case, that does bother me when I think critically about the film. But I try not to do that, but to instead watch it at face value and enjoy it for what it is, and on that merit I give it the 8/10 stars.