Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

directed by: George Lucas
written by: George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
photographed by: David Tattersall
music by: John Williams
edited by: Ben Burtt
stars: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen
imdb

Episode II or Attack of the Clones came after the disappointment of The Phantom Menace, so the expectations were different than three years before. After the reception of The Phantom Menace, George Lucas realized he needed some support in writing the next episode, so he was aided by Jonathan Hales, who had written several Young Indiana Jones episodes. And, although the screenplay is not memorable, it doesn't show the weaknesses of the previous episode.

Attack of the Clones features the first (and unique) love story of the saga (we can not count Leia and Han's flirting as a love story). Because of the importance for the rest of the saga, this story could not be avoided, but it seems Lucas is more comfortable writing about the geopolitics of the Senate than about love stories. 

CGI has improved in the three years since The Phantom Menace, and this also helps to make this episode more believable, especially the battles. Still, the recently discovered "infinite possibilities" of CGI resulted in excessively artificial sequences. On the other hand, some things are simply spectacular, and Yoda fighting certainly is.

Anakin's path to the dark side is also present in Episode II bringing, like in the previous movie, a second layer to the story that is presented. We know what Anakin is going to become, but unfortunately the only hints we get at Anakin's future are those of a spoiled teenager. It is a pity because this material (Anakin's fate) had potential to become one of the best stories in the history of sci-fi cinema, also considering the freedom that Lucas had. It is unfortunate that Lucas didn't hire somebody like Lawrence Kasdan (coauthor of the screenplays of The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi) to help him.