Box Office Stats:
Opened May 16, 2002
$648.3 million worldwide (16th biggest ever)
$310,676,740 domestic (13th biggest ever)

Review:
First of all, I thought Episode II was great. Perhaps not as great as some of the Original Trilogy, but better than Episode I for sure. It kept the outstanding visual effects as seen in Episode I but added... err... excitement? Fun? Well, it sort of seemed more like the Star Wars universe we came to know in the Original Trilogy. The morphing of grand Republic into industrial Empire is going very well. If you really pay attention, you'll notice plenty of little things that are starting to tie the Prequel Trilogy into the Original Trilogy. For example, take a look at the markings on Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter. If you don't recognize them, go check out the originals again and pay attention to the Imperial pilot & gunners' helmets.

It did, of course, have its low points. However, there aren't many. The romantic scenes between Anakin and Padme are very dumb, and some of the dialogue is horrible. I suppose, though, that it is necessary to "tell the story." Fortunately, you don't notice that kind of thing as much in the well-done action scenes, like the amazing battle at the end.

High points? Yoda. In this movie he is completely CG - there's no puppet, no actor, no anything. He was all done by computer. However, Frank Oz still does the voice. You might have heard the he fights, and you probably thought that he couldn't be all that good. However, ask anybody who has seen it - it was amazing.

Also, as I said before, the final battle is "worthy of recognition in the Archives of the Jedi," in the words of the evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). This, combined with action-packed chase sequences through the lower levels of Coruscant and asteroid fields, makes it the must-see movie that it is.

10 years after the events of Episode I, he Republic is engulfed in crisis. Thousands of systems are leaving the republic to join the Separatist movement led by former Jedi Count Dooku. Dooku is one of only 20 Jedi to ever leave the order willingly - called the Lost Twenty.

As she returns to Coruscant to try to stop the Military Creation Act, an assassination attempt is made on Senator Padme Amidala (you know her as queen from Ep. I). Amidala is put under the protection of Obi-Wan and a much older Anakin, but after another attempt is made, the Jedi Council deems it neccessary for Amidala to go into hiding. Obi-Wan heads off to a planet called Kamino, home to the best cloners in the galaxy, in search of the person behind the attacks on Padme's life. Anakin goes with Padme to Naboo.

Obi-Wan discovers that 10 years ago, Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas had ordered a huge clone army - for the Republic! The thing is, Obi-Wan though that Sifo-Dyas had died before then... odd....

Meanwhile, Anakin and Padme fall in love. This is despite the fact that Anakin, bound by the Jedi Code, is not allowed to marry. There are many scenes introducing the fact that for them to get married would ruin their lives.