PT Calling all AOTC lovers.

Love both battle scenes of Geonosis, the world building. CGI haters be hatin but Coruscant, Kamino, Geonosis, Naboo, and in space are awesome and just give such an immersive feel.

 

I think in some ways it is a great film. The story is strong, and I love the politics. It is let down by some terrible screenplay and lackluster acting.

Christopher Lee was great. Ian McDiarmid was amazing as always. We got our first glimpse of the Death Star. We have what is probably the best large scale ground battle outside of ESB. Jango Fett was great. The speeder chase on Coruscant was great. Seeing more of Coruscant was a wonderful addition. The film really felt like it was exploring the galaxy a little more than any other before or since.

So yes, thanks for helping me think about the positives.

 

AOTC has always been the most "experimental" SW film. It's overall much more slower than TPM and ROTS and it's less linear. I always found it to be quite jarring at times. It has a very jerky feel to it. From Obi-Wan's slow investigation to Anakin/Padme's character development.

Yet the film has a hard pay off. It's the least action oriented out of the PT since TPM has the intro, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon escaping theed, the podrace, Maul and Qui-Gon duel on Tatooine, and the 4 way battle at the end while AOTC has the speeder chase, Jango fight, Droid factory and Geonosis battle.

Though I think AOTC pays off with its slower plot since the Battle of Geonosis is (keep in mind I haven't seen Rogue One yet ) the best on screen SW battle of the saga. It's by far the most dynamic unlike Hoth which is mostly walkers shooting ships and infantry. Seems like hardly a fair battle and infantry combat is non existent until ROTJ. With Geonosis we see Jedi, armies, Sith, monsters and war machines at once. It's truly a spectacle and the arena battle is a HUGE highlight of the saga.

 

To me much of Clones feels like Star Wars by way of a period drama. Despite a lot of series hallmarks and blatant fan moments, I agree it that overall it feels very unique within the saga. That's I why I love it so much.

 

I've realized recently the two fiction genres I read most often are romance and military science fiction (don't ask). AOTC has both So maybe it's not as explicit as I'd've liked but I guess I have to live with that

Probably due to editing. I watched the fan "extended" cut and it worked better (even though it was even slower, with some unfinished or unnecessary scenes).

[qipte]Yet the film has a hard pay off. It's the least action oriented out of the PT since TPM has the intro, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon escaping theed, the podrace, Maul and Qui-Gon duel on Tatooine, and the 4 way battle at the end while AOTC has the speeder chase, Jango fight, Droid factory and Geonosis battle.

Though I think AOTC pays off with its slower plot since the Battle of Geonosis is (keep in mind I haven't seen Rogue One yet ) the best on screen SW battle of the saga. It's by far the most dynamic unlike Hoth which is mostly walkers shooting ships and infantry.[/quote]

That's because it wasn't directed by Lucas (but don't say this outside this board ). Kerschner might be better than Lucas when it comes to working with the actors but I don't think large scale action was his forte. Marquand actually directed a WWII movie if I'm not mistaken.

Reading a lot of military scifi made me realize strategy was non-existing in TESB as well. I mean what on earth the Rebels are doing in this empty system on the empty planet with hardly any orbital/fleet support when they have all these systems dying to break free from the Empire. Of course the Empire (i.e. Vader and Palps) are no better since the only thing they seem to be interested in at this point is finding Luke instead of destroying the Rebels' military forces. After all, Anakin's son or not, what can a barely trained boy do against both of them and the whole Empire without his friends' support?

 

Sooo AotC is no longer my least favorite.
Now it's TFA, and hopefully forever, because JJ is gone, so 8 and 9 will be original stories.

 

Well, actually, the better part of most of the action scenes in TESB and ROTJ were essentially directed by Lucas, as he was in charge of overseeing the special effects scenes in both movies. He was also responsible for the final cut of both movies, and though he did take some cues from the respective director's cuts in both cases, I would imagine the action scenes would have remained his area of mostly pure influence.

So I think the Battle of Hoth is just as much a reflection of Lucas's skill and ethos as the Battle of Geonosis. If it's a little less dynamic than the Battle of Geonosis (which I agree with), that's only because he didn't have all the same resources at his disposal as he finally did on AOTC.

 

AOTC isn't near the top of my list, but it has some great moments. I think the best things about AOTC are:

• Obi Wan and Anakin chasing Zam Wesell on Coruscant
• the scenes on Kamino
• Padme in the droid foundry on Geonosis
• the score, especially Across the Stars
• the arena scene on Geonosis
• Anakin and Padme rolling in the grass
• the heart-rending scenes on Tattooine

Compared with TPM, AOTC benefits from much better villains and less of Jar Jar's silliness.

 

I love AOTC, all of it, the music, the acting, the awesome storyline, the fantastic plot, the planets, the breathtaking star destroyer in the end... not my favorite (I love ROTS more but I cannot watch it without crying), but it is equal to ESB to me .

Yes, I especially love the acting, never seen better (AOTC made Christensen my favorite actor ever, perfect young Anakin Skywalker, exactly how I had imagined him).

 

You know (disclosure: I still don't have Blu-ray capabilities), I keep looking at AOTC, the last few years -- or I sometimes catch myself looking at it this way -- as the most "made-for-Blu-ray" installment of the saga. And that shot you mention is particularly mellifluous and gorgeous.

But you know what I mean? Clones was natively shot and finished in HD; and a more primitive HD than modern cameras can do (and the cameras/recording equipment used on ROTS). Yet it's got tremendously-saturated, vibrant colours; with just the right moodiness to them. And Lucas' camera, of course, is careful, objective, and analytic. So it's like you're a bit closer to the raw source of the image on Blu-ray than other HD films (and the other entries of the saga); and you're also having an experience that seems primed for HD (or 2K) viewing. Very, very deliberately. These two aspects are married together in the presentation (the "rawness"/Anakin; the "beauty"/Padme); and so watching AOTC just becomes this slightly "meta" experience that you're vaguely aware of in the fringes of your film-watching consciousness. Perhaps it also accords with the "intimate" mood of the film; you're watching the first SW movie cloned or created to fit this specific viewing matrix.

But what I just wanted to add here, really, is that AOTC offers diners, nightclubs, lake retreats, lush dream-like apartments, balconies, cloning facilities, arenas, huts, hangars, training rooms, fireplaces, bedrooms, lake houses, palatial compounds, amphitheatres, interrogation chambers, offices, homesteads; even a lively, crazy factory environment. It's this ridiculously-stocked world that almost has everything. Kind of a lot different to that letdown Disney movie. It's just humming with locations; as if locations alone were the central character, the main ethos, of the Star Wars experience. Where we live, how we live, how we conduct the various processes of living; these are obviously important to an architecture-obsessed, anthropology-loving mind like George Lucas'. The range and beauty of the locations in AOTC are another of those things that give the movie -- and the PT as a whole -- such scale and personality, IMO.

 

I wonder if AOTC & ROTS can be converted to 4k?

 

[quote="Cryogenic, post: 54135319]But what I just wanted to add here, really, is that AOTC offers diners, nightclubs, lake retreats, lush dream-like apartments, balconies, cloning facilities, arenas, huts, hangars, training rooms, fireplaces, bedrooms, lake houses, palatial compounds, amphitheatres, interrogation chambers, offices, homesteads; even a lively, crazy factory environment. It's this ridiculously-stocked world that almost has everything. Kind of a lot different to that letdown Disney movie. It's just humming with locations; as if locations alone were the central character, the main ethos, of the Star Wars experience. Where we live, how we live, how we conduct the various processes of living; these are obviously important to an architecture-obsessed, anthropology-loving mind like George Lucas'. The range and beauty of the locations in AOTC are another of those things that give the movie -- and the PT as a whole -- such scale and personality, IMO.[/quote]

Ooh, this is perfect!

Yes, AOTC really is an "environment" kind of film, where the setting is not just background but an integral part of the story. The viewer can become immersed in the experience because the background becomes the proscenium.

 

It's outrageous! After 4K trials in the Supreme Court, AOTC and ROTS are still Viceroy of the 2K Federation.

My thanks! I would say you perfectly added to it above.

 

No.
****!

 

It's so nice to see that there are more Episode 2 fans out there! Attack of the Clones is actually my favorite Star Wars movie, and it makes me sad that so many people hate it. Anakin Skywalker is my favorite character in Star Wars, and one of the reasons I like him is that he's not perfect, as we see many times in this movie. Yet he is a relatable character, and I think he actually turned out pretty well considering all of the pressure that was thrown at him for being the Chosen One. He was expected to act like the greatest Jedi ever, yet he was consistently held back. If I were in his position, I would be frustrated too.

 

I simply like AOTC more then TPM simply because of less JJB. And ofcourse Jango & Dooku are an A+.

 

I also love AOTC.

The music is great. Battle of Geonosis is awesome so nice to see all the Jedi fighting together.

Yoda vs Count Dookue. Christopher Lee was great in the role.

The speeder chase is fun to watch.

We see the start of The Clone Wars.

Emperor Palpatine being given the emergency power and everyone is cheering but we know the truth lol.

R2-D2 flying lol that was cool.

I like Hayden as Anakin so he has made his first appearance as does Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa.

Anakin and his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders.

 

Apart from everything that happens on Geonosis and the interior of Tipoca City, I think AOTC is a much more enjoyable film than ROTS.

 

I rank Attack of the Clones third, after Empire and R1. Here are some of my reasons. (not necessarily ranked)

1. Creativity and originality of the story.
2. Zam Wesell is one of the best creations in SW history, imo.
3. Kaminoans are some of the coolest and most mysterious aliens ever and Kamino is a wickedly eerie planet.
4. Incredible JWs music score.
5. Count Dooku and his mysterious story arc.
6. Obi-Wan's mission and EM's acting.
7. Anakin's story and his struggle against the dark side. His scene with his mother is heartbreaking. His acting is good and his confession to Padme regarding the Tusken massacre is alarming and very well done.
8. Opening scene, Corde's death. So intense and tragic. Reminds me of the tone of TESB for some reason.
9. Master Yoda rescuing Ani and Obi.
10. Mace Windu. "This party's over."
11. Seeing all of the Jedi on Geonosis.
12. Scene near the end with Dooku and Sidious is one of the best in all of SW.
13. Natalie Portman is a great actor.
14. Awesome sound fx.
15. Epic world building and expansion of the GFFA through new planets, locations, characters, both human and alien, and, at the time, state of the art production values.

My SW rankings change, but AOTC has been in my top 5 for quite awhile because of these reasons and several others.

Overall, I love it due to creativity, originality and compelling characters portrayed by great actors.

 

AOTC is probably the glue that puts the 6 part Saga into perspective. It being the middle ground so to speak between good and evil. It shows how things can be turned upside down by the machinations of Palpatine appearing to look like an innocuous leader who had no choice but to choose the Clones for the Republic, despite the moral implications of the order in itself.

And the line by Obi Wan..."it wouldn't have been a victory", is so pyrrhic, Yoda knows its the beginning of the end.

Yet, there is still politics, mystery (Machiavellian) , romance, and ending with a wedding no less!

Truly a unique chapter in and of itself.

MJ

 

Damn AOTC is my least favorite of the PT, and my 2nd least favorite of the main 6 films. The scene with Anakin and Shmi is a stand out. Dont like any of the droid factory stuff. Loved Padmes ripped jumpsuit outfit. Many women cosplay it. I think AOTC was too long. I wish the clones were played by real people. At least its not as bad as ROTJ.

 

Aside from some issues that I have with the film it was on top of my favourite list. It made me a Clone Fan.

The things that I loved:

- The music;
- The Scenery;
- Kamino and the Kaminoans;
- the Arena Battle and the Battle for Geonosis;
- the LAAT/i Gunship and the AT-TEs;
- Palpatine's speech in the Senate and how he and Mas Amedda manipulated Jar Jar;
- Dooku;
- The duel on Geonosis;
- The implication that the Jedi are getting more and more arrogant and the foreshadow of their fall;
- The scene with the Clones embarking on the Acclamators and the Imperial march is my all time favourite scene in Star Wars;

 

Let's see, what did I like:
-the scenes at Dex's Diner
- Obi-Wan, Yoda and the younglings
- Padme's costumes- good lord!
- Yoda vs. Dooku!
- Imperial March!- full on
- Bail Organa!
- The music, as always

 

Glad you went back and found yourself enjoying the movie all over again. Your post is a nice reminder (a lot of well-spaced stuff) that there is plenty to enjoy in AOTC, subjectively speaking.

Crisp, multi-layered design work, gorgeous visuals in general, fun banter, some very stylish direction, moments of cutting drama, sumptuous action scenes, idyllic romance imagery juxtaposed against a creepy clone plot, and a dazzling last reel -- plus, in terms of music, "Across The Stars" might be John Williams' best work (to my ears) -- certainly make AOTC an enjoyable film to revisit, in my opinion.

Of course, I'm probably departing from you and speaking for myself at this point, but AOTC is a plenty dense movie, in my view, and offers a lot of cool Star Wars-y vibes (just a different set of vibes, paradoxically, and delightfully, in my opinion, from the other movies). I mean, it is Star Wars; and yet so much more. The scale and rich tonality of the film are very impressive, in my opinion. If TESB goes desperate and intimate (next to the original), AOTC is a more expansive picture; a sort of wacky celebration of Star Wars, in which is woven a pretty spectacular storyline, keeping it fresh and interesting, in my view, to this very day.

A thing I've long loved about AOTC, adding onto its epic scope, is its continental, travelogue quality. It almost feels like a European art film in places; yet it is acutely aware of the need to keep things moving and to entertain. But somehow, I feel filming in Spain and Italy lends the film a rather posh, eloquent sensibility not quite found in the other movies; almost like the series blooming, or bursting to bloom, into something new. This, along with the relatively textured portrayal of Anakin and Padme, and the rest of the Art Deco, retro-future world they inhabit, in my opinion, gives the movie a deeper hue than its brethren; more the feeling, perhaps, of a dense graphic novel with hidden literary aspirations.

AOTC, in short, is just different. Bigger, bolder, richer, a bit more crazy and experimental. I feel it was perhaps made, in part, to remind people of the eternal pleasures of Star Wars and the untapped potential of the cinematic medium as a whole. A glowing star map -- not quite a book, a painting, or an instruction manual; something that is very much its own beast jiving to its own rhythm. Jar Jar's Big Adventure, indeed.