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Episode III, written and directed by George Lucas, had the task of bridging the 28 year gap between Episodes I-II and Episodes IV-VI, so let me put that one to rest quickly for all you fans out there – it was done superbly as only the creator himself could have done. Episode III continues the torments of Anakin Skywalker, believed to be the Chosen One by some in the Jedi Order, but having lost his mother in Episode II, Anakin is now consumed by the thought that he will lose his wife, Padme, and that thought drives his conflicts about whether to support the Jedi, who offer wisdom, or Chancellor Palpatine who offers Anakin the secrets of life and death through the dark side. You know the choice Anakin makes, so the question is whether Lucas convinces us as to why Anakin goes over to the dark side. And that also is handled quit well. I actually found myself siding with Anakin a few times, asking myself how could they do that to him? As far as the world goes, it's rich and spectacular, if only we could have spent a little bit more time exploring it, but "the worlds" are only a background to Anakin's story – as it should be. So what can I add? The special effects are incredible, the battles stupendous, the light saber duels better than all before, and as a friend said, all to come. The scene of Darth Vader's rising before our eyes, an instant classic for film fandom, can only be compared to the creation of Frankenstein's monster. This isn't the greatest film ever made, but it is a great Star Wars film – a must-see for fans. Unfortunately, if you are not familiar with what's come before or after before you see III, there is no way you will be able to appreciate all the nuances. Tomorrow, I plan on watching my copy of Episode IV, because it will have more dimension than ever now. You may have also heard that this is the first Star Wars film to earn a PG-13, and while there are some terrible images planted into our heads, this plot is actually the most adult oriented, dealing with inner conflict and politics, so expect the little ones to stir in their seats between the battles.

While checking director Raja Gosnell's (`Scooby-Doo 1 and 2') resume I learned he had been editor of the little known comedy-horror classic, Troma's 1987 `Monster in the Closet.' So before I go on, forget what you think you know about Troma films to find and rent `Monster in the Closet.'. Meanwhile, in this second `Scooby Gang' installment we find our five heroes (Freddie Prinze Jr. as Fred, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Linda Cardellini as Velma, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy, and Scooby Do) getting back to their cartoon roots when a mysterious masked madman brings a collection of monster costumes (worn by previous Scooby-Doo cartoon bad-guys) to life to terrorize the town of Coolville, home of the Mystery Machine. Someone on the last film's production team must have read the reviews of `Scooby-Doo 1' and listened because `Scooby-Doo 2' follows the cartoon formula that gave the television series it's signature style. Back are the locations we've come to expect: an abandoned, condemned mining camp; a desolate, decaying, haunted mansion, and a spooky, foggy swamp. And, as in the cartoons, our gang needs to unmask-unmask (if you're a fan of the cartoon you understand otherwise wait to see the film) the madman behind this who-can-it-be mystery, while Shaggy and Scooby try to prove to themselves that they too are heroes. Don't expect a work of art, but do expect lots of cartoon comedy, fart jokes, whacky chase scenes, and a few lines and scenes thrown in for the adults. One of my favorites was at the opening of the museum exhibit when the Scoobys walk the red carpet. Various groupies attached to each of the heroes greets them and, of course, the group that greets Shaggy is definitely stoned. The monsters unleashed are more funny than scary, which makes this a good intro to horror for little ones. (We need to start raising the next generation of horror fans.) They even added some depth to this cast with Seth Green (Austin Powers and Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as the museum curator; Alicia Silverstone (Batman and Robin, The Baby Sitter) as the Reporter; and the great character actor, Peter Boyle as Old Man Wickles. Fans of the Scooby-Doo cartoon series will certainly enjoy this film while others will get some cheap belly laughs.

It's reloaded and upgraded as the underground city if Zion prepares to defend itself against an attack by 25,000 octopus-like probes. Now it's up to the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar (Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus; Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity; Harold Perrineau as Link; and, of course, Keanu Reeves as Neo, the chosen one) to save these remnants of humanity. But this is but one of the many plots in a multi-tasked story that sometimes gets tongue-tied in it's attempt to convey the twists and turns, much of which I can't tell you about without spoiling the film. I can tell you that the Matrix program is experiencing too many rogue programs as attempts are made to reboot the system. We also learn more about the Orifice (I mean Oracle) that changes some of what we learned in the first film. Most importantly, the filmmakers did manage to outdo themselves with action scenes and fighting affects that kept me mesmerized with their eye-popping choreography. Even the one-line tongue-in-cheek humor worked every time. I really enjoyed the first Matrix and did enjoy the second. The only thing that bugged me was the verbose attempts to explain what was going on, leaving me asking `What did he say?' much too much. If you liked the first film, you must see the second, but if you never saw the first, you must rent and watch it before you attempt the second or you will not know what the hell is going on. Finally, don't leave during the final credits (as most of my audience did) or you will miss a preview of the third film when the credits complete.