For the fifth time in my life, I went to a movie theatre to see the a movie that carries two words in the title that have become such a staple in American culture – that the saga is still unraveling twenty-five years after the first of the series was released – and will not conclude until the sixth movie is released in 2005 – Star Wars.

When Star Wars: A New Hope was released in 1977, we met characters that took us to a galaxy far, far away and introduced us to a universe of creatures, conflict and storylines that became so familiar to moviegoers – that the first of three prequels to the original trilogy was released twenty-years after the first movie – and the second prequel was released this weekend.

When the day finally arrived that Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones was released in theatres, I left money in my mailbox for my friend Brian to pick up my ticket – and then went directly to his house after work so we could all head to the UA Theatre to see the latest Star Wars incarnation opening night.

I have to say that of all the movies – I was excited about this one the most. This move was a critical part of the ongoing storyline and would answer a lot of questions that have been left unanswered since as far back as the 1977 original movie. In the first movie, Obi-Wan Kenobi mentions a clone war that was so devastating, that it destroyed almost all of the Jedi, turned Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader – and launched the formation of the Empire – which is the ominous threat the rebels fight throughout the first three original movies. And in this movie – the clone war begins – answering many of those long boding questions.

Not only have I seen it – I have seen it twice – and I can tell you that the waiting twenty years for the prequels to start and then having to wait four more years for the second of the three prequels was completely worth it. This movie had everything a moviegoer could possibly want. It had action, a great storyline, incredible special effects – and those trademark Star Wars battle scenes that make you want to grab a lightsaber and run towards the movie screen.

In this particular segment of the Star Wars saga, Now Senator Amidala must assist Chancellor Palpatine in dealing with a separatist movement that threatens to tear apart The Republic – which has maintained a long standing peace in the galaxy. In addition, young Anakin Skywalker, who has begun his Jedi training, is developing an arrogance that is beginning to effect his personality, but when he is reunited with Senator Amidala – he has a hard time holding back his feelings for her. But most important, in this movie – we learn how the clones for the clone war were created – and who created them – and you will be amazed when you find out those answers.

But of all the things in this movie that made it worth the wait – it was Yoda who truly stole the show. When he first appeared on screen, he was an animated puppet who was controlled by radio remote. Now, with the advances of Computer Generated Imagery – or CGI – Yoda is a fully functional character, who not only joins the fight in the Clone War – but engages in the most amazing lightsaber battle in the history of the Star Wars genre.

As the movie faded out and the credits came on, I sat in my seat truly marveled at the movie I just saw. I was in awe as to how George Lucas took a movie he created in 1977 and made it last until 2002 and beyond. I was amazed at how he was able to create an entire universe of characters that have not only been staples in our lives for so many years – but have advanced on screen with the creation of new cinematic technology. I was also blown away at the radical advances in the storylines that had me questioning everything I had seen in the four previous movies – and most importantly – I was counting the days until the release of Star Wars Episode III so I could see the final chapter of this truly amazing series of films.

Bravo Mr. Lucas. Bravo.