CONTEST: Post your SW2 Review here!

Three years ago an ardent Star Wars fan left his local cinema loathing what the saga had become, thinking horrible thoughts about what lay ahead for the final two installments. Despising Jar Jar Binks, a young Anakin Skywalker, and the death of Darth Maul, the fan quietly drove home to his apartment and promptly boxed his collectibles. Far too many of his year's had been spent worshipping a series which, for all intents and purposes, was dead in the water. The movie was, of course, "The Phantom Menace", and the fan was me.

However, after a Thursday viewing of "Attack of the Clones", a movie I was initially apprehensive about seeing, I can honestly say that my attitude has drastically changed. Much like I felt in the heady days of the 1980s, I cannot wait for the third installment of the current trilogy.

I watched the newest episode in a quaint, beachside theater with a subdued crowd of some forty-odd people. For two hours and twenty minutes I was propelled backwards through time to "a galaxy far, far away", and in the process journied back to my youth and the days of high adventure upon the big screen. I was no longer a man nearing age 35, but a nine year-old boy, with wonder and fascination filling his eyes and mind.

"Attack of the Clones" is not the best Star Wars film, but it does recapture the feel and tone of the earlier trilogy which was, in my opinion, lacking from the last episode. In the first trilogy we came to love the characters and the constant struggles they faced, all the while being subjected to a tour-de-force of unfathomable places that could only exist in the vision of a grand storyteller, and the same can be said for the newest episode. The story unfolded before my very eyes, and I found myself caring what happened to the characters; this was the missing element from the last episode, and the reason for my dislike.

I understand that we, the audience, had to see the young, unspoiled Anakin Skywalker as a child and in his humble upbringing, but the presentation felt flat and unmotivated. Not so with the young man and Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker, his intensity and confusion etched upon his face and within his soul. Perhaps it was the choice of actors, or maybe the story, nevertheless I cared about what was transpiring during this tale and the decisions Anakin had to make through-out the course of the movie.

Jedi or not, if my own mother had been captured and brutalized, wouldn't I seek revenge? If the woman I had dreamt of for ten years were suddenly back in my life, looking more radiant and fetching than I had remembered, wouldn't I too attempt to woo her? Jedi training and oaths be damned, when I was a young man had I been faced with such choices, I too would have let rational thought escape as quickly as oxygen from an airlock and would have made the very similar choices. Such paths taken by our anti-hero lend a certain bittersweet edge to this film, which I haven't felt since "The Empire Strikes Back" when Luke Skywalker abandons his own Jedi training, all because of a vision he cannot comprehend, to which Yoda only adds more confusion by his strict adherence to a rigid training doctrine.

Like "The Empire Strikes Back" this film is about the growth and development of a small group of characters confronting issues of galactic importance and size. When faced with challenges they rise to the moment and confront them head-on, for better or for worse to be determined in a later installment. Unlike the aforementioned film, we know the choices Anakin makes in this episode will lead to his eventual downfall; in "The Empire Strikes Back" we really had no inkling at what would await the characters because of their choices. While we do not know for certain what will cause Anakin's final push to the dark side, we have seen his arrogance, his anger, his tossing aside of the Jedi oaths he swore, and we know that what his future holds is not kind, or compassionate, not until his redemption in Episode Six.

So, while I could have posted a "standard" review, commenting upon the a

 

Attack Of The Clones is more than just picking up the shattered images of your child-hood.. it's more than a flash back, a re-hash, re-processed, fast food version of something you can't quite leave behind. It's steps up to that, tip toes along side that, then steps through that.

It's more than, and yet still just a movie. It rockets along and gives more of itself long after the final credits have rolled. Like Yoda creeping around the corner in the final scenes it casts a shadow on the wall of something you hold dear.

You want to say you saw this one on the big screen, you were there at midnight, you cheered wildly when the lucas name came up and that scroll crept into the frame. Like Yoda with a blade it flashed past all to quick.

Some of the acting made you groan, all the fight scenes you wish went longer - then again you wished Maul hadn't have gone out so easily... so what would you know.

Maybe you would have cut it differently, shot it through another lens, re-wrote the dialogue, but these films are perfect when they play out imperfectly.. It's not another Empire although it breathes the same air, it's no Menace but it touches some of the same colours.

And when you get a glimpse into the dark side, when Anakin rages, for the stunningly visual film one of the highlights is left off screen..

You wanted to hit rewind and watch it again as soon as it ended, you wanted episode 3 now...You have the feeling you'll like that one even more...

You wonder why you laughed at Yoda facing up like a 3 foot Bruce Lee... you feel guilty until you realise your laughing because you love these movies so much..

four and a half out of five stars...
9 out of ten...

not perfect, but that's perfect as well..

tim

 

I want to make a point that despite all the good things
I have to say about this movie, I do concede it has it's problems. There's some hokey dialogue/scenes which could've
been better, or even worse moments that should've been rewritten, reshot, or dropped altogether. There's also
F/X shots that simply don't work. But this is not unique to AotC, but a common problem in every Star Wars movie to date.
Despite all the great stuff we love about this series, each movie has it's own individual problems we all wish could've been different.

This is kinda lengthy, but here we go:

Actors/Characters
Yoda moves the best in this movie and looks great. It was also pleasure to have be such a big part of this chapter. However his fight is getting to look a little ridiculous. The first half of force powers and lightsaber is great, (pushing back force lightning??? How friggin sweet!) the 2nd half of him jumping and flipping about like a leap frog or jedi grasshopper looks excessive and outlandishly ridiculous.

Ewan McGregor embodies Obi-Wan perfectly. Dispenses scolding, and advice to his padawan with a familiar ring. Ewan seems to have enjoyed making this movie (and being a bigger part of it) a whole lot more. He also had some of the more dry wit humor briefly given in TPM. His acting with digital creations impoved immensley. His scenes with Dexter and the Kamino cloners are well done and feel more authentic.

Jackson turns his TPM performance around 180 to become Mace Windu and has very natual looking scenes when he's talking to Yoda alone. Seeing him take out Jango was uber-cool. It felt right with his charater that Jango couldn't do much in a close encounter battle with Mace. Wild to watch Jango's head get cut clear (and flying) from his body.

Lee as Dooku was terrific. All the scenes of his except one (the now Yoda lets test each other with lightsabers line was pretty bad) were terrific. His taunting of Obi-Wan during the battle was very nice and he projected a real presense when speaking to anyone else.

Natalie and Hayden, I felt, came into their roles. Natalie not only LOOKED better, but gave a more emotional performance. (Her love confession still bugs the hell out of me though, that and her kissing Hayden as she jumps on the Reek.) Hayden is perfect. Yes he whines alot, but he also portrays a good mix of obsession, enjoyment, Jedi-skill, love, nervousness, hatred, loss, and (whiny) frustration. His character is in a conflicted state throughout the movie. I sure as hell enjoyed him more than Jake Lloyd.

Ian McDirmid creates another great chapter of the Emperor-to be. He has great lines, and delivers them with so much fake sympathy. REALLY look forward to him in III.

Poggle the Lesser looks and sounds perfect. They did a wonderful job bringing this character to the screen. Love the foreign dialect and he just looks fantastic!

Temurra Morrison gives a menacing performance as a bounty hunter with an agenda. Cool to see a Fett unmasked and talking. He portrays both a hardened warrior and a protecting father. (this is expanded alot more in the book.)

The Jango\Boba relationship played out well. They seemed to hold a good rapport and bond. Liked the last shot of Boba picking up the empty helmet. Will we see more in III?

Love Story
The love story was fine most of the time. I agree it is uneven in tone, and believeablity, but it could've been a lot worse. Some scenes did tend to feel overly melo-dramatic. Their banter on Coruscant, uneasiness on the refugee freighter, first kiss, and picnic all came off perfectly legitimate. The dinner scene I thought was just dumb, if you cut out all the Padme family stuff, why leave a shot of him grabbing a pear? I think it would've been a lot better to see Anakin with rest of her family, especially talking with her Dad. I was fine with beginnging of the fireplace Anakin emotionally-heavy confession, because they had good exchange, and you could sense Padme's uneasiness with the talk by her body movement, and what an outfit she had on to look at! But

 

Hi everyone, here is the review I wrote for The Argus, the local paper in Sussex. It was published on Friday 17/05/02.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones


This year sees the Silver Jubilee of the first Star Wars film, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, as it now has to be called, celebrates 25 years since its initial opening at Mann?s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles. Coincidentally the latest release and fifth film in the Star Wars Saga is aired. ?Attack of the Clones? is the prequel sequel to ?The Phantom Menace?; the long awaited first instalment of what will become the prequel trilogy?Confused?

?Attack of the Clones? basically blasts off ten years after we left nine year old Anakin to his Jedi training in ?The Phantom Menace?. In that time he has grown into a fine figure of a man, played by a relatively unknown Canadian soap actor called Hayden Christiansen, with only one other feature film credit under his tunic. Anakin is still the Padawan learner of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and they are reunited with Padme Amidala whom they are assigned to protect. Ewan McGregor returns as Obi-Wan, far less serious and stuffy than in the previous picture, McGregor manages to inject more humour this time around which results in a much more human, believable character. While the ex-Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala now a Senator, is again played by the enchanting Natalie Portman. Portman continues to play her role of stern public figure with cold accuracy, providing the occasional glimpse of a loving girl longing for the life of a ?normal? young woman.

The films story focuses on the potential development of an army of cloned troops to defend the Republic against the separatist movement led by Count Dooku, chillingly acted out by Christopher Lee. Beneath this main story-line there are a number of sub-plots mainly revolving around the young Anakin. From the growing divide between Obi-Wan and Anakin; the ill fated mission to save his mother from slavery; to the unacceptable but undeniable love affair growing between Anakin and Padme. All of which lead to the trilogies inevitable conclusion, Anakin?s tumultuous transformation to the tyrannical Darth Vader.

The film itself has a great deal to achieve, following the ?The Phantom Menace?s? luke warm response by critics and worse of all by the fans, it appears that ?Attack of the Clones? has it all to do. Overall this films makes up for almost everything that ?The Phantom Menace? lacked, and we see a welcomed return to George Lucas? ?Faster, more intense? approach to direction not seen since A New Hope. We are treated to a greater depth in characters, and despite Lucas? notoriously poor dialogue (Harrison Ford once protested ?You can type this crap, but you can?t say it? regarding Han Solo?s lines) the actors generally perform with convincing aplomb. The only exception to this however is the overly camp C3-P0. Anthony Daniels who plays C3-P0 has taken all his characters previously adored attributes and multiplied them to levels that could prove annoying. However due to fan backlash to Jar Jar Binks? introduction in the previous film, his role has been considerably curtailed, and I?m sure C3-P0 will provide younger children with a suitable replacement.

The aforementioned love story between Anakin and Padme is a large concern for those who have been anticipating the film, fearing Lucas will focus primarily on the ?lovey dovey? aspect. With the exception of one scene I can lay those fears to rest. The love story is an unavoidable segment of this film and is largely handled very well, there is no doubt those who only want action will find these scenes tedious, however I also believe this sub-plot will keep a new audience interested.

ILM?s (Industrial Light and Magic) work on this picture was feared to be effects overkill, with every scene containing at least one digital effect. However the company that was spawned to help create the original in 1977 has done a sterling job, with just a couple of exceptions the effects were largely believable, and the progression from ?The Pha

 

After setting up TPM in my mind to a place it failed to reach a few years ago I tried to keep my expectations in check for this next installment. My wife decided to remain spoiler free where as I lurked on the boards and got a good overview of what was going to happen. Although for myself there was still a few surprises(like Dooku being Yoda's Padwan).

I would have to give ATOC a great overall recommendation. I think the movie picked up great after TPM and really laid down the seeds for the next picture as well as begin to setup things for the OT. The special affects were good, the music was good and for the most part the acting was up to par.

Acting -> Ewan did a terrific job as Obi-Wan. His mannerisms, his lines, all were delivered very well. There was one particular scene near the bar chase where he mentioned patience and it came off to me just as his predecessor would have said.

I think Hayden did an excellent job as well. After the death of his mother I think he portrayed the emotion felt by Anakin wonderfully. We get to see the development of Anakin starting to turn to the dark side. Not because he is evil but because he believes if he had more power he could save the ones he loves.

I enjoyed Natalie the least of the three main characters? she wasn't terrible but she did seem a bit wooden to me.

Jackson was good, solid as always.

Lee - What can I say I love the guys voice, his presence is a regal type class of a different age, he brings a nice element to the role of villain and sith in AOTC. Much better then the steroid type no brain bully seen in TPM even if it was entertaining.

Romance-> I'm not sure why the romance gets criticized so harshly. Sure its campy but that is often what love/courtship between two people, a few years ago(I'm feeling old here) when my wife and I started dating I'm sure we had plenty of these cheeseball moments. I'm betting many others on this board will in time find themselves experiencing the same thing. Its only cheesy when its not you acting that way folks

CGI- CGI was good better then TPM which can be expected as technology continues to develop in this area. I liked the character in the diner hope to see him again. Yoda was much better then I had expected, very well done.

Story -> The overall story was good, lots of inside nods for the hardcore fans and the plot was simple enough, Joe Public could follow it easily. I would have like to have seen more of Lee involved in the story.

The bad -> I think I heard an overally large amount of TPM soundtrack in the movie, or maybe it was just my imagination. I would have like to have seen a bit longer duel, and a bit better lit, especially during Anakin's duel it was hard for me at least to see what was going on with all the closeups and the darkness.

 

Leaping ahead three years to the release of the final Star Wars film, I now know that I will ignore every review that pops up from the press & charity screenings that do the rounds ? I will also try my very best to be spoiler free. Don?t get me wrong, TheForce.Net is the best source for all things Star Wars related, but I definitely took something away from my viewing experience of Attack of The Clones by being aware of some major spoiler details; to be honest, I think I?ll even avoid the trailers.

Ok that said, on with my two pennies worth!

Let?s do this in a slightly different way!

I give this film a 9 out of ten, it would of been a ten, but I?ll get to that in a minute...

Certain critics who follow the trend of being fashionably outspoken by jumping on the ?Lets rubbish this film? bandwagon rather than actually giving an unbiased review of a film should be taken out and disposed of humanely. Attack of the Clones is not a great piece of literary prose and will never pick up the ?Best Picture? Oscar, but its a fantastic film nonetheless and George Lucas and ILM should be applauded once more for stretching the boundaries of film making.

George Lucas is a genius! The man is responsible for giving the world ? ?THE WORLD?, a legacy that will be with us and future generations long after he shuffles off this mortal coil. He has created a universe that we would all like to travel to, and through the films and other media, we are able to immerse ourselves in that dream for a few priceless hours at a time.

However, George Lucas is not a director; a creative, inspirational, unfathomable genius; but not a director! Lets face it, ?The Empire Strikes Back? stands head and shoulders above the other films and remains Star Wars finest hour for one reason only ? it wasn?t directed by George!

At times Attack of the Clones comes so frustratingly close to a perfect Star Wars experience that despite being thrilled by two and a quarter plus hours of brilliant entertainment, I felt frustrated and a little cheated by something that I could not pinpoint straight away. After some analysis I put it down to the following ? ?BEWARE OF SPOILERS?

1. Anakin riding a cow\giant tick in a blurry meadow. Ridiculous and managed to pop the bubble that was forming around me. As out of place as a Mary Poppins cameo in a Tarantino flick!

2. C3-PO. A tragedy unfolds in an alien arena as the Jedi Knights and everything they stand for are slowly decimated ? the death knoll of the republic! Without doubt the most tragic and what should of been the most disturbing sequences in any Star Wars film so far ? are ruined by Golden Rod?s puerile humour. Don?t get me wrong, C3-PO is a great character, but the humour in Star Wars has always been subtle! This was like a cold smack in the face and continually jarred and marred the flow of the unfolding story, this alone stopped me from giving AOTC a 10/10.

3. The length of the sabre fights, something that Star Wars is famous for ? seemed tame by even those seen in A New Hope. Mace fighting Jango was over in a heartbeat ? fine, Mace is a Jedi Master and isn?t going to mess around too much, but a few more moves would of been nice. Even the fight on Kamino was over way too quickly!!

I love this film, and agree with others that put it right next to Empire in order of greatness ? and there are so many things that work brilliantly ? Obi-Wan & Anakins relationship (Suberb!), Hayden?s portrayal of Anakin (Chilling at Times). The love story ? ignore the critics, it works fine and is quite moving at times. It had to be shown in the context of a flowing two and a quarter hour multi layered Star Wars film for Christ?s sake ? what do these people expect, Shakespeare? The special effects are awesome, just when you think the industry has reached a plateau, Lucasfilm raise the bar yet again! Oh and for those that whinge about ropy digital effects, remember the Rancor? Special effects are exactly that, whether they are done on computer or with claymation, that is what they will always be

 

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS!!
(You have been warned.)

Three years have I waited since the mediocre "Phantom Menace" (by OT standards). Three years of wondering if George Lucas had lost his storytelling ability.

On opening day, I went to my local theater with hopeful expectations. I had read many things on TFN and watched all of the trailers many times, looking for something to give me hope that AOTC would be a movie worth seeing.

My expectations were far surpassed. From the opening scene where Padme's ship is destroyed to the final battle, the action never stops.

I was concerned about AOTC because I really like heroes. And Anakin Skywalker is not a good example of a hero. How can you like Darth Vader?

But the real hero of this movie is Yoda. I read many things about Yoda's fighting skills. However, nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for his fight scene with Count Dooku. So I won't even try to do it here. Just go see the movie.

There are some unanswered questions I have about Count Dooku. Is he sold out to the Dark Side? Why did he ask Obi-Wan to join him to defeat the Sith? Why didn't he kill Anakin and Obi-Wan? He certainly had the opportunity. Or is he simply a rebel that hates the corrupt Republic government?

AOTC highlights are:
Coruscant speeder chase
Fett/Kenobi fight
Droid factory with Padme/Anakin
Arena with Obi-Wan/Anakin/Padme and creatures
Arena battle with Jedi/Clone Troopers
Obi-Wan/Anakin/Dooku fight
Yoda/Dooku fight (this is so incredible!)

Annoyances:
C3PO's humor
Important deleted scenes

AOTC is my favorite SW movie to date. Prior to that it was ROTJ. The special effects are awesome!!

Go see this movie! You won't regret it!

RATING (0 to 10): 9.5

 

I've seen EP2 twice now. I went on opening day, by myself, for myself, then on Saturday with my two sons and their friends for a movie party.

I think that EP2 is like EP1, it has more than one viewing in it, and if you have big expectations, then you are disappointed at first viewing. It is a very good movie, but it is part of the Star Wars universe. It doesn't stand on its own. So those of us who are fans are in for
a great fix of Star Wars, but for others it is too much to pick up.

It's better than Spider-Man.
I enjoyed Jar Jar better as a goofy character.
C3PO's scenes are hit and miss, but what a great idea to mix him up with the fighting droids. Die Jedi Die was hilarious.

I don't understand the complaints about Padme's and Anakin's dialogue. That seems to be taken so out of context. I think that the two actors could have been more physically expressive, and yes the dialog could have been better. But it's two young people awkwardly in love...

I agree that the lightsaber fights were too short. But they were good.

Christopher Lee is better used in LOTR than in EP2. I do think he shows great lightsaber skills, but he seemed kind of wooden. Still cool, but not so evil.

I like Anakin's dialog, and physical action. Hayden is good, probably the best actor in the movie.

Where does this I don't like flying come from in Obi-Wan? I thought this was a waste of a sub-plot, or maybe the words didn't come across very well.

The battle scenes and Yoda's entrance are the highlights for me. On opening day, the crowd was really in to it, when Yoda entered, but the Saturday crowd was pretty quiet.

I thought that we should have seen more Shmi. We should have seen Anakin's dream, not just that he is shaking in bed. That was kind of awkward and dumb.

The effects, especially the shiny Naboo space ships are great. I will see the movie again, and mainly for the space ships and battles. On the second viewing, you know the dumb dialogue is coming, and it doesn't irritate. Sort of like Jar Jar in EP1...

Overall, it's an A. My favorite is EP4, maybe because it's the first I saw, but Han Solo coming out of the sun to save Luke is the highlight of the series for me.

 

My rating: 8

AOTC is an exciting chapter in the SW saga. The action pieces are dynamic and energizing and all advance the story. More of the puzzle pieces are revealed here, but we still can't see how they all go together. Hopefully the puzzle will be complete with Episode III.

There have been many criticisms of the movie, as there have been with all of the SW films. All of the criticisms (like the arguments of a Sith) contain a grain of truth, thus coloring them with the veil of fact when they are actually a skein of opinion and half-truths. Some of the criticisms...

Hayden cannot act. I disagree. I winced on several occasions when I saw Anakin in the AOTC trailers, but in the context of the movie his lines were on target. I did feel he jumped into his frustrations with Obi-Wan a little too early in his conversations with Padme, but that is the fault of the screenwriter and the director (one and the same in this instance) rather than of the actor.

The dialog is stilted. I disagree (or, to be more accurate: I do not see this as a problem). One cannot be a fan of SW because of the moving dialog. Deeds, not words, are what sell the themes of the series. Still, the stilted dialog of the prequels is exemplary in setting the atmosphere of the current environment: a decaying, formal culture (both the Republic and the Jedi Order) that will choke on its reliance on ritual and ceremony.

The romance is too condensed or unbelievable. I disagree, to a degree. The romance is quite condensed, but events do not happen at any quicker pace than with Han and Leia in SW:ESB, or with the young couple on the Titanic on the day before its sinking. Padme and Anakin are both attracted to the other due to an amalgamation of emotions, to include the physical attraction each has for the other, the longing for a release from their respective formal obligations, the camaraderie experienced when facing danger together, and, in the case of Padme, the sympathetic emotion she has when Anakin is overcome with pain on Tatooine.

Not to say that I don?t have my own complaints with the movie. I think that the pacifist nature of the Jedi should have been more evident before the battles; more should have been done to show Obi-Wan and Yoda trying to persuade Dooku to turn away from his dark path before they assailed him. And, while the romance is not unbelievable, the specific dialog between Anakin and Amidala could have been more poignant so we could see Amidala?s sympathy, concern, and camaraderie turning into attraction for Anakin, rather than deducing that conversion of emotion on our own.

Still, those are minor quibbles. I loved the movie and was greatly surprised by the ending. (But what happened to the Trade Federation leaders? Were they in the ?nearest ship? Yoda commanded the artilleryman to attack?) I can?t wait to see the pieces of the puzzle put into place in Episode III.

 

On Thursday, May 16th, I traveled to a galaxy far, far away. It wasn't my first time to visit there, for I had been there before; but not for a very long time. I saw many fimilar things that brought joy to my heart, for I truly love that galaxy and the beings that inhabit it. My stay, though way too short, was pure pleasure. On my way back to earth, my travel companions and I were already planning our next road trip to our favorite home away from home, in that galaxy so far away.

Of course, I'm talking about "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones." Our space craft was the padded, reclining seats of Paducah, Kentucky's brand new Cinemark Theatres Complex. Complete with wall to wall screens, stadium seating, and digitial THX sound systems, our space caravan was very happy to be watching the movie in such a fine theatre. Perhaps, that helped the overall experience. A friend of mine saw it in a little hole in the wall theatre with small screens and terrible sound, and though he liked it, he said the conditions took away from his overall enjoyment. That's why I waited until I could get in to see this movie at a good theatre. Sure, I didn't see Episode II until nearly 24 hours after most of the Star Wars nation, but I wanted the perfect Star Wars experience. And, thank the Maker... I got it!

Episode II was nearly perfect. Unlike Episodes I and VI, "Clones" was more like Episodes IV and V: dark, mysterious, action packed, and extremly entertaining! From the moment our Jedi heroes are zooming through the nightscape of Coruscant, to the scene where Jedi Master Yoda confronts the evil Count Dooku, this movie is pure "Star Wars." And what better compliment could I give it than that?

Portman, Christensen, and McGregor were terrific in their roles. Perhaps their dialogue was clunky or cheesy at times, but this isn't "The English Patient" or "Gosford Park." This is Star Wars, and we've grown to love the over the top action and dialogue that moves the plot along. Yes, everyone of the Episodes had some bad dialogue, so why should this Episode be any different? Do people really go to see Star Wars movies because of the dialogue? We go to see the action, the adventure, the beautiful environments from another world. The dialogue works here; it gets the job done.

I love this movie so much! It wasn't like my original reaction to Episode I, where it took the third or fourth viewing before I started ignoring the negatives and focusing on the positives. I walked to my car in a stupor, with a dazed grin on my face, already looking forward to my next viewing. Less than 24 hours later, I again walked to my car, and again looking forward to the next time I could see this film.

I feel a bit of an attachment to this movie. I want to protect it, watch over it. When I hear these lame criticisms from critics, I want to scream at them, tell them why they're wrong and ask them to watch this movie again. When I hear people say, "It didn't feel like Star Wars to me," I want to ask them to re-watch the original trilogy and make sure they know what they are talking about. Consider, when Obi Wan fought Jango Fett, or when Anakin lost his arm to a red, deadly lightsaber... you don't think that feels like Star Wars? What about when Palpatine and company stand on the balcony and watch the Clone Troopers prepare for battle while John Williams's Empire Theme plays in the background? If anyone says that doesn't feel and look like Star Wars, then I say, they never actually knew Star Wars at all. Some people complain about C3PO's antatics at the end of the film. HELLO?! Did you guys see "Empire Strikes Back?" That was vintage Threepio. Vintage Star Wars.

Episode II works for me on every level. If somehow fans of the original trilogy are not entertained by this film, then they never will be entertained by another Star Wars film again. That is sad to think about really... but not for me. Because I loved "Attack of the Clones," and I can't wait to see it again!

9 out of 10 grade.

 

Greetings,

Before posting my review I thought I'd give you some background information. I've seen AOTC 10 times now, six of those being on opening day. I was fortunate enough to see the digital version, which is the only true way to experience Episode II, and I can confirm the extra shot in the final scene. I am a die hard Star Wars fan but also a college journalist, so here are my thoughts....

http://www.michigandaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/05/20/3ce87bd87fb02

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
Directed by George Lucas
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
(***** out of ***** stars)

By Jeff Dickerson

It grossed over $430 million in the United States alone and earned almost $1 billion worldwide, yet for many people "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" was a disappointment. Casual moviegoers and fanboys alike complained of too much politicking, confusing trade disputes and a flop-eared Gungan named Jar Jar. After scathing reviews from both fans and critics, it looked as though the most popular series in Hollywood history had gone the way of the dark side, but with "Episode II - Attack of the Clones," fans can take a collective sigh of relief as George Lucas has created a more than worthy entry in the "Star Wars" saga.
The trademark scrolling yellow text informs us of what has transpired in Lucas' galaxy far, far away in the 10 years since "The Phantom Menace." Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), former Queen of Naboo, is the subject of several assassination attempts while her future dark knight in shining black armor, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), continues his tutelage among the Jedi. The mysterious Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) leads a separatist movement against the longstanding Republic while Obi Wan Kenobi investigates the creation of a clone army on a lost planet. "Clones" may seem more complicated than the beloved entries of the original trilogy, but it's just as entertaining, if not more so.

A mere 10 minutes into "Episode II," the action begins in a thrilling chase sequence on the "Blade Runner"-inspired plant Coruscant. The wizards at Lucas' own Industrial Light and Magic provide the most breathtaking visual creations ever seen in a motion picture and the always brilliant John Williams accompanies the on-screen action with a sweeping score.

The film hits its stride in the final hour and never lets up, from the coliseum-style melee to the cartoonish trek through the droid factory seen in countless trailers and television ads. While entertaining for their unrelenting action and jaw-dropping visuals, nothing in "Attack of the Clones" matches the "performance" of Yoda, the "Empire Strikes Back" Muppet gone "Matrix." The perennial favorite little green man, now in CGI form, finally lets his lightsaber do the talking in a scene that is sure to make even the most subdued viewer crack a smile.

Of the returning cast members, Ewan McGregor gives the most rewarding performance as the fabled Jedi Knight. His Obi Wan Kenobi sounds remarkably similar to Alec Guinness, and sporting a full beard, his appearance mirrors the famed British actor as well. McGregor has fun with the role, most notably in a scene with a filthy four-armed diner employee turned informant named Dexter Jettster.

Relative newcomer Hayden Christensen ("Life as a House") plays Jedi-in-training Anakin Skywalker in a style reminiscent of Mark Hamill, which may have some fans gagging in their seats. The young Canadian actor was a bold choice by Lucas, who also considered Ryan Phillippe and Colin Hanks for the role. Christensen is able to balance the good and evil of Anakin's character, hinting at the eventual downfall of the tragic hero. The romantic scenes between Anakin and Amidala may lack the charm of Han and Leia, but this is a frustrated teenager and a politician, not a dashing rogue and a rebel leader. Critics have condemned the trite dialogue of two young lovers, but this is a sci-fi serial, not Shakespeare.

The casting of Christopher Lee as villain Count Dooku is a masterstroke. His haunting v

 

This is incredibly long, so please excuse that.

I saw Attack of the Clones on Friday night (then again on Saturday night - more on that later), and even though I had been waiting for three years (hell, waiting for 20 years for a suitable follow-up to The Empire Strikes Back), I still didn't feel prepared. I was pretty unspoiled, considering. My pent-up expectations made The Phantom Menace such a bad experience for me - I simply could not relax and enjoy the film, I wanted it so badly to be good - that I tried to have no expectations this time around. I read no reviews, and I tried to deflect my eyes every time an image or a few words anywhere seemed to relate to the movie. I didn't want to know the plot, or about new characters. But you would have to be living in Antarctica to not know that this film would cover the "forbidden love" between the young, soon-to-be-dark Jedi pupil and the princess (OK, she's a senator: same apples). That there would be Jango Fett and clones and Jimmy Smits and a darkening Anakin.

I have to say that the first scene to truly grab me and make me forget myself came after the hour mark, maybe even the hour-and-a-half mark. Padme and Anakin have infiltrated the droid factory and are trapped in the "chomper." I had to laugh because this reminded me so much of the chomper scene from "Galaxy Quest." This was when I started to relax and enjoy.

And I have to say, I loved almost all the sequences that followed. At this point, I was actually dying to know how the film could end, what the parting image would be.

But before this I was really angry. I was angry that in place of storytelling - ALL we want is a good story, told well; a simple story will do, but tell it well - we get masterful and masturbatory FX. Masterful but masturbatory. Because George Lucas has way too much money to spend. We get such an overload of intricate and saturated CGI that the human eye and mind are unable to grasp them. They are amazing and I laud the people who conceived and created them. But they detract from the story. Instead of telling us right where to look, emphasizing the story the story the STORY, they pull our attention in a thousand different directions: the background, the sides of the screen, anywhere else. And because the FX are so damn good and because they are so damn primary, anything that is not 100% perfect - even for a split second on screen - immediately breaks the spell. In the gladiator scene, for instance, there were a few frames that looked cartoonish, too fast or too jerky or as if the perspective were off: Padme jumping off the pillar, or Obi-Wan flying up to the mount the back of the beast. And especially the shot of Padme riding the beast, holding a blaster - Anakin is inside the cart - this looked like something straight out of a video game. (Similarly, the scene in the fields of Naboo much earlier, with Anakin balancing on the big beast, also looked jerky and cartoonish.)

Just yesterday afternoon, I was reading a panel-style interview in Entertainment Weekly devoted to the ending (I'm tempted to say the demise) of the X-Files. There was a great sequence in there about how budgetary constraints and not wanting the show to look "shabby" actually helped create the show's amazing signature look:

CHRIS CARTER: I showed [the pilot] to Rick Carter - the production designer for both Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis. He said, "Try to do as little as possible, because you're not going to have the time or money for effects. Hide everything in shadow." It was great budgetary advice and good storytelling advice, because the less you see, the scarier it is.
DAVID NUTTER: Imagination doesn't cost anything. Those limitations brought out the best in everybody. The X-Files was one of the first shows where the look and style got people interested before they got involved in the story.

"Less is more" and "preserve the mystery" (two credos I happen to subscribe to) are pretty much the opposite of what the last two Star Wars have done. I'm not saying that the AOTC should shroud everything in shadow

 

I was very, very pleased with the film. It's pretty close to perfect... in fact, I think it's the third best SW film I've seen, but it may well move up to #2 after I see it a few more times to really pick up on the little details.

The visual effects were simply astounding. However, I noticed that in the beginning, Yoda looked a little cartoonish, but that in no way ruined the film. The lightsabers looked more like the ones in the OT than the TPM ones, and I just loved the outdoor Kamino scenes, especially Obi-Wan vs. Jango Fett in the rain. The monsters in the Geonosis arena (Nexu, Reek, Acklay) looked very realistic, it's a shame I can't go to the zoo to get a closer look at them.

The sound (not including music) was decent. I loved the Reek's initial roar and the Acklay's constant screeches... it's so difficult to describe them in words. Most of the rest was really just gravy.

The music was... a little disappointing. John Williams actually failed to re-outdo himself, but for the most part, Across the Stars redeemed an otherwise lackluster score. While an incredibly awesome song, I don't think Duel of the Fates was really the best choice when Anakin was searching for his mother... I mean, the song kind of loses its meaning. Finally, the only repeat song I really liked listening to was the Imperial March. Sure, there was no Empire yet, but I liked it because it's the first use of it in the Prequel Trilogy, and this film is closer to a Classic Trilogy film than TPM is.

The dialog was decent. I said that Hayden was a little bland, but that's because a ridiculous portion of his lines were "Yes, Master" or a variation. He did a good job delivering his lines, but I just got tired of hearing him addressing Obi-Wan. Padme's lines were great. I loved how Ms. Portman portrayed Padme. She's always loved Anakin, but she just couldn't get it out of her system until she and Anakin both believed they were goners on Geonosis. The way she finally said it though, was incredibly powerful, and truly meaningful. Finally, Obi-Wan had some great lines, but as I said before, Obi-Wan had James-Bond style lines, but there was really nothing wrong with that, it just felt a little out of place. Ewan handled the Obi-Wan part perfectly.

Finally, the acting was just fabulous. Christopher Lee was both effective, and yet ineffective at the same time with Dooku. Lee's given previous parts' qualities to Dooku (Sarumon's treachery, Scaramanga's "gentleman air", etc.) which actually dulled Dooku slightly. Don't get me wrong, he was great, but I wish that Dooku got something extra special from Lee. I'd give him an A-.

Hayden did very well as Anakin. Some of his line deliveries were a tad awkward, but he did a very good job of showing Anakin's... uncontrollable emotions: Fear, anger, sadness, compassion. It's obvious that it's only a matter of time before Anakin goes over the edge. A-.

Ms. Portman did much better as Padme this time. I love how she hid her true feelings towards Anakin for so long. She wasn't perfect, but she made Padme to be a much more lifelike, believable character. A.

Ewan was absolutely outstanding - he was practically perfect as Obi-Wan this time. A more than worthy successor to Sir Alec. He had some funky lines, as stated before, but Ewan did the best he could to make them really click in with the rest of the film. He made Obi-Wan a stern, yet very loving and respectful friend/mentor, and doesn't take crap from anyone (the last statement applies doubly for Mace!). A+.

It was a brilliant film. Simply brilliant. I will never forget the Dooku vs. Yoda duel - just so mind-blowing. The previous duel (Dooku vs. Anakin/Obi-Wan) was a bit short, but it did serve its purpose and Yoda showed up right on time to save the day. I just loved Yoda's entrance, again, I cannot describe it in words. It really blew me away.

I'd give the film a 9 out of 10 possible points.

 

I'm going to start off by describing this movie in the same way that Anakin describes Padme in one particular scene as "intoxicating". My eyes and mind were locked onto the screen the moment I saw "A long time ago..." (As to keep this review as light as possible I'm going to jump around and address miscellaneous issues in consolidated paragraphs. And being a diehard Star Wars fan myself it is easy to babble on and on and I want to try and avoid nit picking.)

AOTC, as well as Episode I, attempts to blur the line when it comes to who's good and who's evil. This makes perfect sense since we are made to believe that the "dark side clouds everything" and is "difficult to see". I believe that Lucas is a true visionary when it comes to setting a theme in his trilogies, hidden or otherwise, and sticking to it. I.e. the industrialized look of Episodes IV- VI, or the romanticized almost Art Deco stylizations from the 1920's of this new trilogy, there has always been an endless pool of creativity to draw upon.

Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen) ended up being the strongest character for me. (Well, next to Mace Windu and Yoda! ;-) Simply put, just seeing this 19-year-old version of Anakin Skywalker amidst the contrasting deep orange sunset backdrops of the Tatooine desert while decked in dark/black Jedi attire helped tie in the original trilogy and paint an even broader picture of the Star Wars universe.

Jango Fett, perhaps the coolest bad@$$ to hit the screen since...umm...well, that would be Boba Fett!

Mace Windu, purple light saber, intensity, nuff said!

Yoda, I thought seeing him with the Jedi "younglings" did more to flesh out his character than even the awe-inspiring light saber duel with Count Dooku. Dare I say that that was a "cute" scene with the kids...blekh! Sorry.

Padme, white, tight, sultry...umm, you get the picture.

Obi-wan, in my opinion ended up not playing as integral a part in this movie as I had imagined. I think Lucas portrays Kenobi as a Jedi who is kind of along for the ride and doesn't take bold steps. But I guess he has always been like that ever since SW: A NEW HOPE. A man of discipline who has chosen to take the slower, less seductive path of the Jedi that studies from the light side of the force. Kenobi, along with Yoda, are the only truly consistent STAR WARS characters in each of the 5 films! Now that is some serious discipline!

The rich colors of the environments are a sight to behold and had me "awing" and "wowing" throughout the flick. From the waterfalls of Naboo to the craggy, rocky mountainous regions of the planet Geonosis, this film is an artistic delight for the visually stimulated.

I'm so glad that we as fans are offered the luxury of not being able to bash Jar Jar in this installment...YAY! (Anyone else catch Ahmed Best in the Coruscant bar? that was cool)

Count Dooku, along with his unorthodox, slightly bent light saber, kicked prime Grade A Jedi booty!

Two ships that I marveled at were the Naboo chrome bomber and the "sail" ship that Dooku had...WOW!!!

Oh and by the way, the clones were so darn cool!

Final Synopsis, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones gives you everything that you could possibly want as a Star Wars fan and so much more. As for the general public this movie may be too much for them to comprehend. Even I was mentally and physically exhausted after coming from the theatre. If you are a diehard fan than I'm sure you're going to see this bad boy again and again. The casual Star Wars fan may just want to see this one once and wait years and years and yes even more years for the DVD to come out! LOL!

Rating: 9/ 10

-.5 pts for some acting scenes
-.5 pts for unusual pacing

 

After hearing that Episode II Attack Of The Clones was supposedly much better than the Phantom Menace my expectations were high of George Lucas' latest offering.

But I have to say I was disappointed. At times Lucas showed shades of brilliance (the lightsabre battle at the end with Yoda, the Jango Fett encounter and the asteroid field chase) but the film was let down by a largely poor script and bad acting.

The death of Anakin's mother in particular was so badly done it was laughable and the funeral scene just made me cringe.

Both scenes should have been both powerful and emotional but they just ended up being cheesy and apathetic.

Only Anakin's emotional confession to Padme managed to salavage the situation.

To be fair Hayden Christensen did play his role well at times but the script really didn't do him any favours.

His so called agony in love declaration to Padme in particular was like something out of a Shakespeare play not a Star Wars movie.

The good thing about the first three films was they were so plot driven, the dialogue was sharp and the characters were believable.

But the plot in Attack Of The Clones jumps from planet to planet so much that it is never really given time to settle.

Most of the actors in the film also generally lacked any heart or passion throughout.

And the music, which is such key factor in the Star Wars series, was a disappointment.

There was no drama in John Williams' score and no big anthem like Dual Of The Fates.

On the plus side, the chase scene at the beginning was pretty tense and exciting
and the final battle sequence was fantastic as was Christopher Lee who played his role as the dark Count Dooku perfectly.

It was just a shame the lightsabre dual was so short.

Like any Star Wars fan I was expecting something really special from Episode II.

Unfortunately although Lucas had great ideas they were poorly executed overall.

He channeled most of his energy into producing awesome special effects and new creatures instead of developing the characters and producing a strong plot.

Personally I thought the Phantom Menace was a better film because Lucas managed to make it feel like a Star Wars film.

But Attack Of The Clones lacked that feeling and ultimately ranks as the worst of the five. 6 out of 10.

 

REVIEW: STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES
F The Critics: Part II (Spoilers Within)
By: Scott Siegel
Dateline: Monday May 20, 2002


This review is about the episode as it pertains to the whole story. I haven?t seen a review by either critic or fan that delves into the storyline. This review will touch on Episode III and will describe the micros and macros of the plot.

Episode II is where the Star Wars universe really should?ve begun. As far as story lines and plots go, The Phantom Menace was really not necessary. There is very little in the episode that adds to the rest of the plot. The only important tidbits given is that Anakin is really strong with the force, many people believe he will bring ?balance to the force?, and that he was allowed to join the ranks of the Jedi even though he started when he was 10 and had already formed emotional attachments in the outside world.

Here we are and here?s what?s going on:

After centuries of the status quo the political and spiritual centers of the universe (the Republic and the Jedi) are forced to face change:

We learn that enough star systems and planetary powers have become disgusted with the Republic. After years of bureaucratic ineptitude these systems have had enough and want to secede. This new confederation is headed by Count Dooku, a powerful Jedi master who it seems has left the Jedi Order. Dooku has found allies with the disenchanted Bank and Trade Federations and others who simply want out of the Republic. They are establishing their own army of droids to make this a reality. It is unclear if they are interested in just separating from the Republic or eventually taking over. But they are a real threat.

The Jedi Order is in a bit of a pickle too. The Jedi, which never had significant numbers among the overall population, have noticed that their connection with the Force is diminishing. It seems that the Jedi leaders feel this generation of Jedi are a poor crop at best. Why isn?t the force with them and how to bring the force back into balance? The answer to these questions comes in the form of Mr. Anakin Skywalker, who may be the chosen one.

Here?s Anni?s story. Anakin?s father figure and mentor is Obi-Won Kenobi. Master Kenobi is a wise and well-established Jedi adult. He is continually scratching his head about Anakin. His padawan and figurative son doesn?t listen to him. What?s wrong with this boy? Is this the boy I raised? He?s never mindful of his circumstances and he is so emotional and illogical. Someday someone is going to knock sense into this boy or knock him out.
Anakin is a very typical 19-year boy. He wants to show his old man and the world that he?s a man. He wants to do things his way. He knows what?s best and besides if he makes a mistake, it?s his mistake. As a 19-year boy, Anakin thinks about three things: girls, cars, and adventure (and hopefully the adventure will lead to more girls and cars). Anakin has become infatuated with a beautiful young malady, Padme, whom he has known since he was a boy.
She hasn?t seen him in ten years and, boy oh boy, has he grown up into a hunk. He?s cute, brooding, and he?s got a hot rod AND a motorcycle. If that wasn?t enough he has everything else a young woman is attracted to. Look at this checklist straight out of Seventeen Magazine:
· He?s got a mysterious talent she could never understand.
· He?s a little bit of a bad boy who does things his way. But just the right woman could change him.
· He?s a sensitive. He cares for his mom. And now that the mom?s dead there won?t be any annoying mother-in-laws around telling her that she isn?t good enough for her son and that she?s a lousy cook.
· Give Anakin a T-birds jacket, and a Marlon Brando swagger and he?s combination of James Dean, Fonzie, and Elliott Ness. In fact Padme?s future daughter, Leia thinks the same thing of her boy Han Solo. Like mother, like daughter.
· Oh and one other thing. Padme and Anakin are forbidden to be together. Forbidden by society and his dad. Now any

 

As a star wars film: 9.5 out of 10.

As a self-contained work of film: 6 of 10.

My issues: 1) love story could have been better with some fine tuning of dialogue; 2) direction of battle scene was schizo...too many random perspectives pieced together without any sense of the battle as a whole & I didn't really feel for the characters during the (large-scale) battle scene. As I type this, I can see why it was directed this way, but the battle scene seemed somewhat lifeless and sterile, in spite of all the brilliant action.

The best aspect of the film = the changes in Anakin on Tatooine & the grace of the score in revealing the turmoil of the character.

I didn't find anything fundamentally wrong with the love scenes. I think the first half of the love story doesn't stand on its own, but if you divide the movie in half at Tatooine, you can see the development in Anakin by comparing the love scenes before tatooine and after. really brilliant actually (though again, dialogue could be improved.)

The film isn't as epic as TPM, as complete as ANH and no scene is as powerful as the luke/vader confrontations in ESB and RoTJ. However, as a second chapter, it really is quite good. While I rated the film as a stand alone, I think it is unwise to consider the film as though it were meant to be self-contained. This film was obviously crafted as a bridge between the epic opening act (TPM) and the cliffhanger (epi III). But even as a stand alone, it would merit some admiration, as G.L. really pushes the visual envelope with respect to both the raw beauty of the images and his ability to tell stories with them.

I really want to see this again, but more importanly, I want to see Episode III more after AOTC than I wanted to see Episode VI after ESB. That says a lot!!! And I can't say enough about Hayden C.

 

Ok, first of all my brother and I are probably the only two people in the world to have gone to AOTC after avoiding *every* trailer, publicity spot and review. So I knew nothing going in, other than what I figured would happen after seeing Phantom Menace, and what I was unable to avoid several frames when clips came on the tv without warning (I can only close my eyes so fast).

So, I went into AOTC fresh, unspoiled. And my experience? It was GREAT!!!!! I have to be honest, I had a grin on my face through the entire movie. I loved just about everything about it. It was like a beautiful symphony that kept building more and more, and just when I thought it couldn't top where it was at, it would blow me away again. I've read some reviews since that picked apart certain aspects like the acting or storylines, well I disagree with those statements. I thought Hayden Christensen was superb as Anakin, a role I thought couldn't be done justice. And the rest of the characters were acted even better than in the Phantom Menace, which is saying a lot for me because I loved that movie also. (The only weak part for me was the acting of the child Anakin.)

My complaints are few, and are focused on the visual effects (my own vocation, as it is). First of all, the speeder cars at the start of the movie moved in an unnatural way, which I attribute to them being CG instead of hand-flown models like the x-wings in the original movies. The weight just didn't move correctly for my eye. It didn't detract too much, but it was noticeable.

Secondly, the facial expressions of the CG yoda just didn't work for me. I missed what Frank Oz did with it. I had sat through the previous 4 Star Wars movies just the day before going to AOTC, so it was quite fresh in my mind how Yoda acted, spoke, and thought. And while I can understand why they switched to a CG yoda for this movie, the magic of Frank Oz's performance was not duplicated. If I were supervising, I would probably have intercut a muppet performance of Yoda with CG, as done in TPM.

So, those are my critiques, but the fact is, I was so into this movie, I was sweating as the final credits rolled. I haven't had an experience like this in the theater since the original trilogy was released. And I was also fortunate enough to see the film with Digital projection, which was incredibly beautiful and clear, and let me be immersed even deeper in the movie without seeing scratches or scars on the print. So because my experience was so terrific, I have to give this film a 10 out of 10 stars or points or whatever scale you want me to use!

10/10, thumbs up, super-terrific film. I'll be returning to see it again many times.

 

Why not?

There are many things that I liked about AOTC, but it is also a very flawed motion picture. I give it a 5 out of 10.

Believe it or not, I think that TPM is the better of the two prequels thus far. At least TPM has a coherent storyline, and the ghostly presence of Palpatine informs the movie with a certain dread throughout.

With AOTC, the bad guys seem as if they are in a galaxy far, far away. Darth Sidious and Palpatine hardly make an appearance. Count Dooku was under-written in my opinion, and could not fill Palpatine's shoes. Chris Lee needed more screen time and better lines. I had no idea what his motivation was, besides being in league with Sidious.

For SW fans who are not into the 'expanded universe', this was a difficult movie to follow. I simply did not understand what the Separatists' grievances were. They must have had legitimate reasons to want to break with the Republic. Were all of the Separatists supposed to be merely evil?

In contrast to the politically nuanced universe of TPM, I felt that AOTC posed an over-simplified political and moral universe -- a big step backward for the series.

On the positive side, I very much liked Ewan McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan and the Jango Fett character. Most of the acting was very good, but the script was clumsy both in terms of plot and dialogue.

The special effects were great, but with such wooden drama to go along with the flash and thunder, who cares?

Sorry guys, I did truly want to like this movies, because I have been a Star Wars fan for almost my entire life. Can't put blinders over my eyes and pretend that this was a good movie, though.

The worst Star Wars ever...

 

After viewing Star Wars Attack of the Clones for a fouth time I can give a final and concise review.

Seeing it over and over again gave me new perspectives on this the second installment of the Prequel trilogy.

For starters, You couldn't ask for a better opening then a Pan Up from the crawl, it's a diversion from the Star Wars norm and a welcome change. The approach to the landing platform through fog covered Coruscant also gave an air of mystery and set forth the dark times ahead. The Assasination attempt also was a way for us to see just how dangerous and important Padme's mission back to Coruscant was.

As for what followed, it was a mixed emotional rollercoaster ride. It had it's ups and downs. Ups started with the arguement between Obi-Wan and Anakin infront of Padme over the investigation... you could see his love and anomosity towards Obi-Wan and starts you thinking about that final duel in "A New Hope". The chase through Coruscant was something I never expected to be played off as well as it did. It was not only on the edge of your seat, but you got to see more of the master/Padawan-Father/Son dynamic that these two have. I would have liked to have seen more of Zam. That was a drawback to her brief career in Star Wars, but as we know, the Expanded Universe is famous for taking care of that.

The down side also had it's upside. The Love story did work for what little time it was told in. The only scene that I did NOT enjoy was Anakin riding on the creature and falling. The CG effects weren't ILM's best, good, but not the best. Them rolling on the ground together should have ended a bit more "uncomfortable... not just them being cut away to another scene. This being the problem with Lucas trying to pack so much story in such a little timeframe. I did enjoy their scenes at dinner, I wish there was a bit more of it. I loved the scene when they were sitting together at the fireplace and he proclaimed his feelings for her. She looked uncomfortable, but uncomfortable for the sake it wasnt the right time for them. Her final proclaiming of her love for him was what I thought to be one of the best scenes of the film. Her telling him as they were about to be carted off to be executed was bittersweet, for we all know where their love leads.

Now... My favorite parts are many, but I will cut to the chase and tell you what 2 scenes impressed me the most about AOTC:

One: Anakin's confession to Padme about what happened at the Tusken Camp. I cannot stress to you how I FELT his anger and emotions towards them and it was a twinge of what was coming in Ep3. I cannot stress this enough, Lucas made an excellent decision in choosing Hayden. No doubt in my mind, and that scene porved it for me.

Second, The end battle and how Lucas shot it. The fast cuts, camera follows and quick zoom ins reminded me of old War footage from Vietnam and the Gulf War. The style was like I have never seen from Lucas and this "Guerilla/Documentary" style of shooting really made me want to stand up and applaud him. It made me think that he for Ep3, he may break many of his Star Wars rules and really get interesting with his style. Bravo to him on that.

I could talk about this film for days on end, I could discuss just how great jango Fett and Dooku were, discuss how gorgeous Natalie was and I could probably go on for hours on just how incredible Ewan was this time around...but there's just not anough space on this thread. If you didn't like the film...see it again, really watch it this time...I plan on seeing it at least 2 more times this week.

TDHArtist

 

My position on 1999's Phantom Menace is a long, boring, and complicated one that I don't wish to put you through (if you want to go through with it, read it at epinions.com).

As most people may tell you, Attack of the Clones is a superior film to The Phantom Menace for some very clear reasons.

First of all, the film is much more forceful in moving forward with its plot. One thing causes another and causes another, each time giving the audience something to look forward to. The Phantom Menace was lax in this, putting characters in one situation after another with no real build-up (as cool a set-piece as the pod-race was, what did it REALLY have to do with the larger picture?) until the climax.

To be honest with you, I think this new film is much too single-minded in moving forward. Knowing much of the various abandoned ideas and subplots (I read the novelization and an early draft of the screenplay beforehand), the film's decision to excise this material was very noticeable. Many of the omissions were wisely chosen (some really bad sounding lines), but just as many should've been kept in. I know it's all in the interest of time, but some of the cut material really could've helped the quality of the film.

Because of the brutal cutting this film received from director George Lucas and editor Ben Burtt, the two main plotlines suffer. The one suffering the most is the love story between Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. For its first two-thirds, it just isn't that compelling. It's bearable because of the natural charisma of the leads, but the script gives them lines few people could deliver believably. Much of the material leading to the development of their romance has been deleted and what we are left with is them meeting for the first time in ten years, them going away together, them sharing a regrettable kiss, flirting and reminiscing, rolling on grassy hills, and arguing. It all happens too fast. Pity. This movie really could've used a romance as deftly handled as the one in Empire Strikes Back.

The other plotline that suffers little is Obi-Wan's investigation of the plot to assassinate Senator Amidala. Plotwise, this is my favorite part of the film. When I first read the script, I loved where the film took Obi-Wan Kenobi. His path was one filled with mystery, fallen Jedi, bounty hunters, replicated bounty hunters, fist fights, and long distance calls. As much as I look forward to the visual effects of the next Star Wars film, I look forward just as much to a good plot. Even with some notable scenes missing, Obi-Wan's mystery is handled remarkably well. There's a bit of hand-to-hand combat as well.

For the uninitiated, the plot may not make a whole lot of sense. But if they would make a bit of extra effort to get up to speed with this trilogy and the original trilogy, I think everyone would love it. All the intrigue, the lies, the deceptions and the puppeteering made me think of L.A. Confidential. Like that movie, everyone is in the dark as to who's pulling who's strings (in LA Confidential, it's the farmer from Babe, by the way). Actually, the more I think about it, the L.A. Confidential connection is pretty fitting when talking about Attack of the Clones. It's useless to try to explain it if you haven't seen that excellent film, but if you have, think about it. What I love even more is that this movie leaves a lot of interesting stuff unexplained (such as Qui-Gon's voice, Shmi's death, the truth of Dooku's words). I can't wait for the sequel.

I knew everything that was supposed to happen in Attack of the Clones due to my inability to wait until May 16th, and yet I had so much fun watching it twice so far (I MUST catch a digital showing of it at the Cinerama!) If I had know NOTHING at all about the movie going in, I would've been blown away with where the story took me. For example, when Alec Guiness mentions the Clone Wars in Episode IV, who didn't at least think that it was going to be the Jedi versus clones? Lucas ignores expectations and gives us clones aiding the overwhelmed Jedi. Jedi

 

Ok, I've seen AOTC again tonight (Monday) and the theater was roaring again.
Was I kind of disappointed after the first viewing, now I can say the the magical feelings of the OT can back at may.
Sparkling bit by bit in the love affair, the death of Shmi and the enemy of Dooku. The darkness is given a new definition.

I looked very closely for cameos and it is very clear that mr. Lucas himself is in one of the senators booths at the right hadside of the frame just before zooming out to Mace Windu and Yoda.

Ok this film rocks for me and the countdown started for no. 3


Rein van Appel

rating 4.5 out of 5

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Attack of the Clones. From the very start of the film I was
enthralled. It?s like I became 6 years old camped out in the back of the station wagon at
the drive in again. It?s sort of hilarious that back then I was terrified of Darth Vader and
cut to 20 years later I want to lick him but anyway........

Rather than rehash the plot bit by bit I just want to talk about what I thought of the main
actors and character development in context with the plot. I should also say, I think I did
myself a credit and disservice by reading the novel beforehand. There was so much left
out of the movie that at times I felt people performances suffered, mostly Hayden and
Natalie?s but more on that later.

On to my people:

The Stand Alones

Ewan McGregor: It?s no secret I love me some Ewan but he is honestly as fantastic as
the part allowed him to be. He sounds exactly like Alec Guinness not to mention at times
he?s has the exact same mannerisms, which is fascinating and creepy at the same time.
Obi-Wan is master, teacher, father and detective who just happens to carry a big
lightsaber around making for all kinds of fun and exciting battle sequences. Though I?m
not sure the film provided all that much character insight I thought for the most part
Ewan?s scenes with Hayden/Anakin were good and established their relationship well
enough. In short Ewan has really embraced the part and I?m perfectly happy to have him
in the film

Christopher Lee: He was cool and sort of evil as count Dooku but because they used a
body double for him during the lightsaber fights it made for a couple of weird sequences.
He?s just another in a line of semi-bumbling henchmen trying to get us to the real evil
bastards yet to come. There were alot of smaller details about him and "The lost 20" that
didn?t make the film which was sad because you lost all sense of the importance of his
character but also fine because I don?t know that it detracted from the plot.

Samuel Jackson: I guess Mace Windu (did you all know that?s the first Star wars name
King George ever made up?) is a very cool character and Sam Jackson is the man but I
don?t want "Shaft the Jedi" and that?s exactly what we got. I can take or leave him.
He?s a good sidekick for Yoda but other than that doesn?t do much for me or the story
because they cut all the scenes of him doing anything but wielding his lightsaber.

OK on to the love story, clearly the weakest part of the film, I honestly openly laughed a
few times things got so pathetic. The thing is I knew going in the dialogue was bad but
expected it to be salvageable based on the events detailed in the novel. However a series
of bad, bad edits and missing scenes made about 20 minutes of the film unwatchable.
Why they made some of the choices they did other than for time are beyond me. I just
find it frustrating that the material was there it?s just they chose not to use it, examples to
follow.

Natalie Portman: You are the weakest link, goodbye. OK she?s not that bad but I do
think they had her spend more time looking gorgeous than anything else. She?s visiting
moisture farmers in the desert and wearing 50 layers of silk very in conspicuous! I just
kind of want my women hero?s to all be Carrie Fisher and well Natalie isn?t.

In her defense her part is really cut up and alot of her dialogue and thus character
development is just not there. The book contains several scenes that were filmed for the
movie but didn?t make it the final print. Most importantly these scenes were told from
Padme?s point of view and took place in her family home on Naboo. We learn she lives
with her parents, sister and sisters two children. Some of the conversations with Sola,
Padme?s sister would have added light years of depth to her character as would her
relationship to her family. In the 10 or 12 missing pages you can see that Padme loves
her job as senator but also craves a settled family life even though she?s convinced
herself she can?t have it. Any shred of that would have made her

 

In many people's minds, Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones really only had to be better than its predecessor The Phantom Menace to succeed, a feat that many would say doesn't take a lot of doing. At the same time there was the hope that Lucas could still deliver something special, that he hadn't lost the edge. So does Attack of the Clones stand as a worthy addition to the Star Wars saga? The answer is "Yes".

First, the flaws. No, this isn't a perfect film (but then, can any Star Wars film be called perfect?); there are flaws, one of them quite major. The first concern is the editing, which was really very choppy. The film rockets along at a breakneck pace, and just when the viewer is getting comfortable with where they've been dropped off this time, they're taken off somewhere else. I really believe that the movie would have benefited from an additional half-hour to forty-five minutes, despite the current two-and-a-quarter hour run-time. It would have allowed more time to be spent in backstory and character development, which would only have made the movie stronger. As it is, the viewer could easily become lost in the unceasing whirl of new places and images.

The second and most crippling flaw has nothing to do with the visuals or acting or story, but with the music. I am an avid collector of classical and film music, and as such the score is a very big part of a movie for me, especially if it is a Star Wars movie. There are some truly great moments in John Williams' score for this movie--the love theme is incredible, poignant but with an underlying darkness, and at the end of the film is a stirring rendition of the Imperial March that is already my favorite. But some of the score is decidedly lacking the Star Wars flavor, forgoing the eighteenth-century Romantic influences of the previous films and descending into expressionistic and atonal territory. The wailing electric guitars are a particularly wrenching addition. However, that in and of itself would not be a major flaw; in all honesty, the average viewer, and even the casual Star Wars fan, probably couldn't care less. The real crime is that John William's score has been absolutely butchered. This is most painfully apparent during the massive droid vs. clone battle, where whole sections of music have been taken directly out of The Phantom Menace and tracked in unaltered. This is just cheap, a stunt pulled in B-movie sequels, not in multi-million dollar films scored by John Williams. Even a wonderfully done snippet of Anakin's theme melded with the Imperial March that appears at the end of the credits on the CD release has been cut. There are entire sections of music that are nothing but bits and pieces chopped up and thrown together haphazardly, a droid factory chase scene being one of the notable offenders. I find this inexplicable. I am certain that Williams himself did not create a score like this from the outset, so the responsibility for the horrible musical editing rests with Lucas. What is really disappointing is that Williams has the clout to stand up for his own music in situations like this, but he either decided not to, or the atrocious editing was done without his knowledge. In any case, portions of the soundtrack were seriously jarring and nearly ruined the mood in many instances.

Luckily, Clones is strong enough as a movie to overcome these weaknesses. This movie is alive, in a way which The Phantom Menace, no matter how under-appreciated it may have been, never was. It is a human film. We get to see regular citizens of the Republic in this movie: not Jedi or Senators or Queens or Chancellors or any other high mucky-muck of the Republic, but the everyday folks puttering about their everyday lives. We see the seedy underbelly of Coruscant, the slums and industrial districts; we revisit the life of the moisture farmers on Tatooine, replete with its own micro-dramas. The scene that most pointedly illustrates this, and which stands out as one of the best in the m

 

Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones...the Empire Strikes Back of the Prequel Trilogy? Not quite. Actually, not at all. Do not be fooled into thinking that this film is a reincarnation of ESB. Well, then...what the heck is it? Attack of the Clones is, simply, a completely unique experience with little-to-no similarity in with 'Empire.' While AOTC does have some throwbacks to the Old Trilogy, the story is completely different than the other Star Wars flicks.
At first glance, I was beyond comfused with the look and execution of the movie. I was shocked that what I played out in my head to happen ended up being so...well, wrong. So, I was a bit perterbed, as I also was for the 'Clone War' trailer. But, just like the trailer, I became totally engrossed with it after later viewings. Once I got through the initial shock, AOTC became so revolutionary in my mind that I just cannot think of another film I would call the year's best.
Anyway, I will begin with what I did not like about the film. Firstly, what peeved me the most was all the scenes that George Lucas hacked up and chopped out of the picture. I wish he had kept Padme's conversation with Dooku in, the first Senate meeting, Jar Jar's more-developed speech patterns, and Jocasta Nu's conversation with Obi-wan in the Library. Another aspect I did not like was Jar Jar's Senate proposition. This scene was a really good idea, but the execution is all wrong. The speech is underwelming. Finally, some of the dialogue is relatively flat...not the acting!!
What I loved far exceeds anything dissapointing in the film. The best part of AOTC is the plot. The plot of this movie is so thorough and intriguing that only a heartless drone of a banshee would find it boring. If you feel this movie is boring...well, then go watch a Jet Li flick. I'm sure that will coax your more-than-retarded attention span. The one scene in particular that enthrawled me the most was Anakin's duel with Dooku. Perhaps one would not find it as powerful as I, but the atmosphere of that scene is so haunting. Just as Anakin loses his second sabre, he cuts an electrical cord that turns all the power off. All is dark except a few intermitent sparks of electricity. Anakin and Dooku spin and clash their sabres together. Each movement seems in slow-motion due to the flashing of the red and blue sword light. The music is a pounding, clicking, haunting score that sets the rapid, angry nature of the duel. As you look upon Anakin, his face is flashing red and blue, red and blue. I'm not quite sure if that is intended, but it seems to foretell his eventual choice...dark or light? Chilling.