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Attack of the Clones really helps me to appreciate how good The Phantom Menace was. Bad adult acting is worse than bad kid acting any day. Yes, Jar Jar turned Star Wars into a Disney movie. But with Liam Neeson's presence, I felt The Phantom Menace really felt like a Star Wars movie. The opening scene where Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are breaking through the door may have seemed simple, but it was Jedi working together for the first time. The chase scene in AOTC was great, but Obi-Wan and Anakin are TOO super human. People complained Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were too invincible against the battle droids. Anakin and Obi-Wan like free falling through Coruscant. I thought Christopher Lee and Ewan McGregor barely saved the movie. My favorite part is when Obi-Wan tours the Clone factory, it was surreal and he had a wonderful comedy line. The dialogue sucked. Natalie Portman looks great, but she stopped acting after the first film. The story was complex and pretty good. But there was no suspense. Action constantly, with no suspense. Yes, it is sadistically ironic to finally go back and see your mom as soon as you are given your first solo mission, just in time to watch her die. Yes, the tie-ins were wonderful, set-up Episode 3 and went a long way into explaining things. Yes, Anakin's admiration of Palpatine is a brilliant stroke. I only wish Lucas would have made them do 100 takes to get it right. Oh Yeah, I also wish the CGI creatures in the arena looked half as real as the Rancor in Return of the Jedi. It was a cool scene, reminiscent of 50s serials, but stop motion creatures could have looked better. I'm sure many will disagree, but in HINDSIGHT here are my 1-100 ratings. Empire Strikes Back -100, The Phantom Menace - 96, A New Hope (Star Wars) - 95 (still the best "on it's own"), Return of the Jedi - 93, Attack of the Clones -89. 89 is a really really good movie, it's just not Fellowship of the Ring and I'm a bigger Lucas fan than Tolkien fan.

 

The force is string with this one.

I attended a 7:30 showing of AOTC here in Dallas on one of the biggest screens anywhere. And I must tell you, I was blown away at the majesty of the film.

Definately and improvement from the dissapointment Lucas left most fans with 3 years ago hoever. This film would not have worked without it.

We all know the story and the plot, so no reason to waste your time with specifics, I'll just get to the jist of it!

I found myself as the little kid I was when I first saw The Empire Strikes Back, to which I will base a comparison on. AOTC is definately darker in tone, showing Anakin's transition from the sweet boy in the phantom menace( and a menace it was) to the all powerful sith lord we love to hate.

One scene in particular I found to be a very powerful impact was after (spoiler) Anakin slaughters the tuskens and proclaims to anakin that they are animals and he hates them.(end spoiler) The use of the sith theme and the imperial march made a heavy impact on me.

The acting and dialouge, although a much needed improvement from the previous installment, was stilted and wooden at times, especuially in the scenece between Anakin and Padme.

This may not be entirely the actors fault, the dialouge between the 2 stank of tired old cliches taht can be found in almost every Shakesperean tragedy.

but leave it to Lucas to cast some superb actors to help spice up the drama, such as Mr. McGregor, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Morrison.
Even Yoda's performance is an improvement from EP I.

Now let me get on the subject of Yoda, for the past 3 films, he was the creation of Frank OZ, a puppet who is operated and voiced by Jim Henson's other half, and of course we know that the puppet was shed for 0's and 1's. A total CGI Yoda, which works quite nicely, and had the technolgy existed in 1980 for a nicely rendered CGI Yoda, it probably would not bother me, but there is definaetly a big difference, especially in the texture and color of the skin. Although ILM came very close, it did'nt quite get him right. However, I didn't give a damn once I saw him in action. Havin the energby of a cheetah, we se why Yoda is the master. This little green guy is literally bouncing off the walls and deflective everything Dooku throws at him, and when the battle is over, he goes back to his usual cane walking self.

THe beauty of the film is unsurpasses, sprawling meadows, articulate asteroid belts, the industrial sector of Couruscant, Starw Wars has not looked this good since ESB. This has definately got me looking forward to the next film, which by my standards should be the darkest of them all.
We have witnessed the beginning of the clone wars, we will soon see the beginning of the empire!
May the force STAY with Lucas!

 

To preface, let me start by saying that yes, Empire is my favorite of the Star Wars films. The mood, the dialogue, the darkness of it all, it's just the best to me. Now, I cannot right now tell if Attack of the Clones is a better movie. It will take much more time and processing before that can be decided. However, I will say this: if it does not best Empire for me, it will be the second best Star Wars movie of all time.

I've heard critics complain about acting, script, and that the movie isn't any good till the final 45 minutes. That's a load of bantha poodoo.

This movie is not just about the action scenes. It's not just about the romance. It's Star Wars, plain and simple. I, for one, think the dialogue is great. It harkens back to the gallant knights and ladies of medieval times. The romance, to me, works because of the two characters need for someone. Anakin, who lost his mother ten years ago, is reaching out for female compassion, so of course he reaches to Padme, the one he has thought of for the past ten years. Padme, on the other hand, deals with politicians, day in and day out. People who lie, cheat, and connive to get their ways. Then she meets Anakin. A brash, somewhat arrogant gent who doesn't think before he acts, who's rather compulsive, and who doesn't lie about his feelings. To Padme, it's rather refreshing. When Anakin's mother finally dies, Padme and Anakin only have each other. Then, as Padme thinks they are about to die, she realizes that this person is the only person she has right now, and that she truly does love him.

Now, let's move on to some other things. Hayden, from the first frame, is amazing. I don't care what anybody says when I say this, but the boy is great. The most powerful, moving scene of any Star Wars movie is the tusken slaughter and confession. He is absolutely brilliant, and the shades of Darth Vader start to appear. Ewan McGregor OWNS Obi-Wan now. His wit and sarcasm are great, and really liven things up. Natalie is the only one who's a little off. I thought she was good for the most part, but she rang a little false in the "We could keep it a secret" scene, especially opposite Hayden. And then there's Yoda... oh man, can they give an Oscar to a CG character? What a performance! And not just his scene with Dooku (which is awesome), but the entire thing. His scene with the children reminds me of when he first meets Luke on Dagobah. His humor has returned. And to know what happens to Yoda, how he will end up all alone, just makes it all the more heart-wrenching.

And then there's the action... holy crap! This is a true 'Star War.' Hoth doesn't seem like quite so gigantic anymore. All those Jedi in action. Man, it's amazing. I can't wait to see it again.

So, with all this processed, I would give it a very unabashed 9.8. Yep, that's my score, and I'm sticking with it. I'll have to see it a few more times before I decide wether or not it's better than Empire. I know I like it better than my current second fave, TPM. And better than ANH. And of course, better than ROTJ. But Empire, man, that's a movie that's hard to beat. It will take time and much more reflecting and processing for that me to come to that conclusion.

 

There's so many spoilers in this review it stinks of rotting eggs.. you've been warned....Also, note that this reviewer does like the Star Wars series. Bad acting and all!


It is this reviewer's opinion that Clones is just a few notches short of being as good as Empire Strikes Back. Yes, I'm saying it's better than New Hope.

The story takes leaps and bounds in progressing forward now that all the main characters have been introduced, you get some serious action thrown in, and you begin to see the quite ingenious way the Darth Sidious character is using both sides (good/bad) to get his way in beginning a war which will eventually lead to the rise of the Empire.

While the action sequence with the Jedi in the arena did become a little too protracted, it's a small nuisance.

While a lot of critics are berating the love story angle I actually found it a nice change of pace. Was it a littly corny and awkward? Yes. Absolutely. But the characters are merely teenagers if not a little older. Who wasn't awkward about love at this time? Those that gripe about it are probably trying to forget their own experiences at love and so just want more action more fighting and more dark side stuff to hide their own inadequacies. If you consider that Skywalker is not only fighting love but the fact that he can't have love but at the same time he can manipulate objects and and read minds with just a thought it's no wonder he's so upset and moody.

Now, about Jar Jar. Lucas is probably laughing his butt off at all these fanboy folks right now. The diehards who compalined about him being so awkward, clumsy, and so eager to please with his high pitched voice. He did it on purpose! For the story to progress in the 2nd act he needed a patsy who was eager to please and to do something that while on the surface it appears good, it's known that it will eventually lead to the downfall of the Republic. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20. Fanboys diskliked Jar Jar and despised him, so Lucas, instead of simply killing him off, makes Jar Jar the very instrument which sets the wheels in motion for Palpatine to begin his vicious rise to Emperor. Pure balls. And it's great. Plus, given that the Senate's power will begin to wane as Palpatie exerts more control, there will most likely be even less Jar Jar if none at all. Personally, this reviewer had no problems with Jar Jarr in either movie. Just as Solo served a part of being a wayward journeyman thrust into a situation he didn't ask for, Jar Jar is similar in that respect though his part will continue to probably diminish as the third act begins to move.

Finally, I want to mention movie parallels. www.imdb.com trivia section for the past Star Wars movies talks about how Lucas uses some shots from previous movies as a tribute to them. In this one, I believe the biggest tribute is given to Coppola, a personal friend of Lucas. Coppola directed Apocolypse Now whose greatest scene is the helicopter attack onto the Vietnamese village with Robert Duvall playing The Flight of the Valkyries. Now, we get Yoda swooping in on a hover vehicle that sets down smoothly with Troopers streaming from the vehicles barking orders to the troopers. Even the gunners sitting in the pods on the side are a send-up of the door gunners who hung from the helicopters shooting at the running villagers. The only thing missing was Yoda spouting the famous lines as Duvall did:
"Lightsaber smell I love in the morning. Victory it smells like." You know you wanted it too!

Does anything need to be said about the special effects or sound? No. Lucas owns us all with the worlds his people create.

Clones sets up Episode 3 which will probably leave most fans in a pool of their own urine. Fanboys who want more fighting and destruction and "blow up stuff good" will probably get what they wanted while those of us who actually are looking for a good "middle act" to the entire opera will see it come to pass.

 

48 hours ago I went to the Midnight Premiere session of Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. Many people were in line and a few dressed up as their favourite Star Wars characters including Queen Amidala and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

From the start of the movie, it moves along quite fast. There are not very many slow points in movie. I thought the acting was very good. Ewan McGregor does another fantastic job of playing Obi-Wan Kenobi and trying to act more like Sir Alec Guiness from the original trilogy. Natalie Portman was also very good as Padme Amidala. Her role was more action packed this time round and I think she did a great job with the love scenes which would have been difficult. Hayden Christensen did a brilliant job of Anakin Skywalker. He showed his emotions very well during the dark scenes including the death of his mother and the slaughter of the Tusken Raiders. The special effects were very good through out the movie but a few CG shots including Yoda in the Jedi Council and Anakin riding the Shaak to impress Padme were not done very well and some of the compositing was grainy but the overall CG effects was great and the battle sequences blew me away. I thought the best CG character in Episode 2 was Dexster Jetster. Very realistic. The action sequences ranging from the Coruscant Chase to the Rain Battle on Kamino between Jango Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi were very well done and stuck in my mind but the best action sequence would have to be Yoda fighting Count Dooku. I think many fans will agree with me on that one. The Battle of Geonosis was also action packed with Republic Gunships flying around bombing droids and drop ships dropping off AT-TE's on the battlefield. I thought the comical relief in Episode 2 was far better than in Episode 1 with Jar Jar Binks. Jar Jar Binks was in the film for about 5 minutes and then the true comics came out, C-3PO and R2-D2. They were back to the way they were in the original trilogy but I still thought a few of C-3PO's lines were a little corny and not needed in the middle of action sequences.

Overall I give Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones a 9/10. It's clear that George Lucas has listened to fans who were so dissapointed with Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and made the changes. The Star Wars Saga is back on track. I highly recommend seeing the movie and is now my second favourite Star Wars movie behind Star Wars Episode 5: The Empire Strikes Back.

 

Here's the review I wrote in the wee hours Thursday and emailed to some friends. I give the movie two different scores, depending on one's perspective...

For the SW fan: 8/10

For the non-fan: 6/10

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Attack of the Clones: First Impressions

Having had the pleasure of attending the first viewing (12:01am, it's now about 2:30) of the new Star Wars movie, I've just left the theater with mixed feelings. On the one hand, Episode II contributes a good deal of weight to the unfolding storyline of the saga. For the true Star Wars fan in me, this was a remarkably entertaining evening. On the other hand, aspects of the production seemed unfinished -- as if we had been given a peek at the work-in-progress. In a sense, this is probably a case of the Star Wars phenomenon falling prey to its own dazzling success: I've come to expect so much of these elite special effects folks that they have a hard time measuring up.

First, a few comments about the better aspects of the film. Sound effects played a more significant role in this episode than I would have expected. I'm not just referring to the stunning quality (or quantity) of the sound -- thanks again, George, for pushing the THX standard on us the way you have! -- but to subtle application of specific, meaningful sounds. One example is evident (barely, pay attention!) in a couple of key scenes that reveal some of young Anakin's character "flaws" that will eventually lead him to the dark side. Listen carefully and I think you can make out the faint sounds of Darth Vader's respirator. A more emphatic instance comes at the end of the film. As the clone army boards its transport ships under the watchful eye of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, we're treated to familiar strains from Episode IV. This foreshadowing of the imperial future is in no way subtle.

This film also delivers all the breathtaking scenery you could hope for. From the neverending skyline and traffic of bustling, post-industrial Coruscant to the pastoral serenity of Naboo, you'll find a real treat for your eyes as well as your mind. The differences between two essentially similar planets, Geonosis and Tattooine, are as clear as can be. Both barren wastelands, one of rock and one of sand, they are given unique identities by the Lucas gang. Even Kamino, the watery world of the cloners is given masterful development in its limited exposure.

Where the film falls short -- or at least causes me to pause and really consider what I think of it -- is, ironically, in the digital realm. Characters like Master Yoda, once played by a muppet but now entirely digital, are extraordinarily lifelike and believable. The way they integrate with the surrounding sets, though, makes me feel as though some finishing touches are missing. An extreme case of digital goofiness is found in the scene on Naboo in which Anakin "Force-grabs" Amidala's fruit, slices it and then floats it back to her. It's all cool in a romantic showing-off way until she bites at it and we see the chunk of fruit missing before she reaches it with her mouth. Oops.

Let's see, what else? Oh, it's sort of hard to believe in the realness of a digitally generated character when it appears as though nobody is able to look directly at him. Jar-jar, for instance. There were one or two scenes in particular in which Obi-wan is so clearly focusing on a spot above and to the left of Jar-jar's head that you'd think someone was holding cue cards over Jar-jar's shoulder.

Light sabre fighting: here's one aspect for which I had particularly high hopes. Let's face it, this is not rocket science. They did a credible job in the first trilogy and I expected, after reading the book, to see some fantastic swordfight/fencing scenes with the added benefit of even better special effects. Instead, we're treated to what appears to be the discovery of a new toy by Lucas' boys. Namely, the blur effect. The light sabre fights in AOTC are the polar opposite of the slow-mo effects used so well in The Matrix. I had hoped to be somewhere in between, able to make

 

I don't have time to write a long review so I'm just telling you few of my opinions about this movie:

-The movie was great. In my opinion it was the best SW movie (even with it's flaws)
-I hate these endings. Now I have to wait 3 years to see the next episode, even though this one was cut really short (imo).
-I liked the way Jango died, and the scene where anakin killed those tuskan raiders. Only wish that the scene would've lasted longer (at least a few seconds).
-I think it sucked that Dooku was so powerfull (taking Anakin and Obi-Wan in just seconds and not even losing to Yoda. I mean why is this guy following the orders of Sidious, if he probably could even be the master himself)
-The press in my country complained that the love scenes were clumsy, but who ever said that the Jedi are also master lovers
-The action scenes were way cooler than before

I will do a better review later, now I have to go

 

I didn't get too in to the Star Wars groups, lists, etc. until THIS movie, "The Attack of the Clones". I looked up EVERYTHING about it and did NOT go into it spoiler free. So my review, (I saw it at midnight at the AMC Grand at Grapevine Mills mall in Texas.)(spoilers!) In MOST ways it exceeded my expectations. The last about forty minutes were the most climactic of all the Star Wars films. Overall, I thought the acting by everyone and the action was superb. My favorite parts were the ships coming out of hyperspace, and that COOl sound that Jango Fetts bombs in the asteroid field make. SO COOL! Yoda, of course, Padme's AWESOME outfits and hairstyles. Dooku was cool, and the emperor's appearance at the end for a brief moment, that was cool, too. I truly applaud Hayden Christensen's delivery of his lines. Reading most of the reviews on him beforehand scared me, and I thought his character would be really cheesy, although he's a very cute guy, but he did a great job acting. I'd read reviews about C-threepio, and I don't know where these critics are coming from. It's like, "Did you even SEE any of the Star Wars movies?" Threepio was just fine in my book. What's their problem??
I was VERY impressed with the CGI at the end where all the arena beasts come out, and Anakin riding the Reek. Everything looked authentic, realistic. And I agree with others, the lines Padme' delivers with declaring her love to Anakin was GREAT!
The parts I didn't like; the love story needed more time to build, I think. I wasn't fond of the transition between Padme' putting Anakin down in front of the queen at the Palace of Theed and then the next scene, they're smooching. It didn't flow well. Maybe George will have some build up in the DVD deleted scenes or something. Anakin riding the shaak in the field looked REALLY fake. The action scenes could have been stretched to three more hours! I loved them! They weren't LONG ENOUGH! It also looked like scenes were cut out, like it was obvious there was supposed to be more dialogue in places to help the story flow better. I'd have liked Padme's family in here as well. All in all, I give the movie a 9+ out of 10.

 

Opiate: You have no agenda. Bull. you come on SW boards with your current identity only weeks before the film is released, into forums where the film is reviewed, bash it, and feel compelled to defend all dispairaging marks against you?

Bull, you have an agenda.

The only reason I make comment of my work about to be published is your quasi-elitist remark on 'the masses' and its rediculous myth. The film made far more comment on the concept of the masses that you have, if you were watching. the film is far more intelligent then you give it credit for-- but then you probably gave a lease limit on that credit before you saw it.

 

well, i've seen it twice now (possibly a third this afternoon) and i'm still grinning from ear to ear. to borrow a line from 'Friends', it looks like i slept with a hanger in my mouth.

i needed this film.

as a lifelong Star Wars fan, i was so excited for The Phantom Menace, but i went in unspoiled. i didn't know very much at all. and i loved it, i really did.

for Attack, i decided i would change my beliefs, and stock up on spoilers.

neither approach is better or worse, but being spoiled for this movie didn't hurt my love for it in the least.

its that good of a movie. how many other movies, if you knew everything that happened, could stand up to that? not many.

for starters, all those critics who have panned the movie, either they've watched an entirely different movie that they thought was star wars, or they're on crack. i found that none of their gripes were even remotely close to being true.

the movie moves fast, sometimes too fast (more on that in a moment), but lucas has a lot of story to tell and he does in spades. how on earth people could complain that this film has no plot is beyond me, considering the fact that i knew the whole plot and was still confused and trying to work out some things in my head. i love the fact that we know what's going to happen but he takes in so many interesting ways to get there.

i loved the love story. i thought it really worked. sure, some of the lines were borderline awkward, but since when do 19 and 20 year olds don't speak in cliches? these aren't necessarily grownups, you know. they're still "kids", but have been forced to grow up too fast.

hayden, simply put, exceeded my expectations. i knew he was good from his other work, but this is definately his best showing. the tusken raider scene and the resulting aftermath was perfect.

did anyone else notice the shadows on his face when he was confessing to padme? it accentuated these dark lines under his eyes, subtly foreshadowing the vader mask he will ultimately wear. whether that was intentional or not, it was a really cool touch.

natalie portman was awesome. not only did she look breathtaking (hello nightgown!!), but she the character of padme to new levels of depth and honesty.

ewan, sam, ian were all wonderful as usual. i loved the dashes of humor thrown in, very nice touch.

and i'm sorry, i loved threepio's side comments. i thought they were brilliant and i really felt like threepio was back!

yoda. what can be said about yoda. i didn't know whether to laugh, cry, scream, yell, pee in my pants...i couldn't believe my eyes--definately a highlight. and judging by the audience's reaction (that rivalled the U2 concert i went to a year ago in decibel level), they loved it too!

was it a perfect movie? no. are any of them? honestly no. i did feel that it was rushed in a few places, and was really disappointed in not seeing the things they cut out. i felt like some of the edits were a bit abrupt in places, like they could've let the ending of a scene hang a bit longer. and i was a bit disappointed at the recycling of music from Phantom Menace in the arena battle, especially since the rest of the score is so good.

but those are minor gripes. i'm sure the rest of the scenes will end up on the DVD (i hope!) and will make the flow a bit smoother in places (the "i don't like sand.." line is popping in my head now!!)

so, in conclusion, it was an absolute amazing movie. i loved every minute of it. Empire will probably still be my favorite, if only for nostalgia's sake, but this is a strong, very strong, close 2nd.

of course, i could be taking that back once Episode III comes out...

10/10

 

The beginning of the film disappointed me, after reading the novelization beforehand, and as an actres and also having been to Film school myself years ago, the dialogue was stilted and the acting poorly at first. But by the time Padme and Anakin headed to Tatooine it picked up. Christopher Lee was impressive as Count Dooku, but this is a man who had years of acting experience doing characters of evil.
The scenes with C3P0 and R2D2 were wonderful and took me back to the Trilogy and their bickering that made the Trilogy wonderful experiences for me. I also loved the exchange between Obi-Wan and the Death Sticks dealer-LOL!!! And his sarcastic comments or quotes were right on the mark for me-Ewan did a superb acting job.
The best part of the film-towards the end, with the arena battle with the Jedi and of course, the best part and worth the price of admission: Yoda and his saber fight with Dooku. He really is the 'Master'and at two showing I was at, he got the loud cheers and screams and clapping in the theaters! Go Yoda, go Yoda, go Yoda. . .
In all I rate AOTC not a 10, but I give it more of a 8.
JediMistressDragon

Death Sticks Dealer: Would you like Death sticks?
Obi-Wan Kenobi: No, I don't want the Death Sticks.
Dealer: You don't want the Death Stcks.
Obi-Wan: You want to go home and rethink your life.
Dealer: I want to go home and rethink my life.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

 

After reading many of the reviews for Episode II, I was expecting the kind of acting that made the kid so annoying in TPM. However, I was very surprised.

The portrayal of anakin was very subtle, and very powerful. With a simple glance, he conveyed deep emotion. This was especially true in the portion of the movie following his trip to see his mum.

I was actually a little disappointed with the final lightsaber fight between Obi, Anakin, and the Count - it was much too short. I was expecting a longer version of the darth maul fight (which IMHO is one of the coolest fight scenes EVER in a movie). Though the whole yoda-on-crack thing made it better.

I was also a little surprised to see so many of the "transitional" scenes cut out (which is what would have really made this movie even better). Hope to see them on the DVD

Overall - I give this a whopping 2 lightsabers up

 

Wow. What can I say? Wow!

Let me start with my pre-EpII rankings of the movies: 1) ESB, 2) ANH, 3) ROTJ, 4) TPM.

My post-EpII rankings are: 1) AOTC, 2) ESB, 3) ANH, 4) ROTJ, 5) TPM.

I was engrossed for the entire movie. I thought this was the dream Star Wars movie we've all been waiting for.

The Good: Special Effects, Yoda (obviously), the acting (esp. Hayden), John Williams' score.

The Bad: My only negative comment is it was so overwhelming at times my mind went numb. After seeing it 20 more times, I'm sure this will go away.

In summary, this was a great bridge movie in the saga. The arcing from Ep I to the original trilogy is shaping up very nicely. I think the whole saga will present us with a very ironic twist: The Jedi actually fought against the separatists, which will become the rebellion, on the side of Palpatine who will become the Emperor. Who's bad in this movie? I guess that depends on a certain point of view

10 out of 10!!!!!

 

I saw Episode II last night, and I can honestly say that I haven't felt this good about any movie since I saw Jedi in 83. That's pretty bold praise, but this is why I give it.

The acting: perfect. People are complaining, but I can't see why. Christensen is dead on, he's unstable, he's emotional, he's unlike what a Jedi should be, he's a wild card. McGregor is, of course, essentially morphing into Alec Guiness, he's excellent. Portman is strong and cold and both traits are appropriate. McDiarmid's subtle performance is wonderfully evil. Christopher Lee is creepy, understated. Everyone else did a good job, the acting is comparable to anything in the Original Trilogy.

The love story: non-traditional. We don't have two people running around declaring their undying love for each other for two hours. Hayden is essentially lustful, it's almost like a schoolboy crush of epic proportions with him. Portman resists, she never really gives in to him until the end. It's a one-sided emotional affair, and how ironic is it that the Jedi is the one who is more emotionally vested in the relationship? There's some character inversion here. Portman gives in at the end of the movie, in the face of what is likely to be a grisly death. So Christensen has almost a superficial crush thing going on. Portman owns up to the stress of the moment. What we have here is the groundwork for this marriage, and it is an unstable groundwork. This is a relationship that is doomed to fail, and we can all see that. We know that it is a relationship that is going to fail, too, so it's all highly appropriate.

The politics: intriguing, but incomplete. They're incomplete because we don't know exactly how things are going to turn out with the Dooku-Sidious manipulations. Palpatine now has an army, that's what this movie was about. What is his next step? We're left waiting until the next movie. Clones is complete in the sense of the love story, it begins, it ends in a marriage. It's incomplete in terms of the political machinations, the deeper darker story. Lucas is setting up the bigger picture while allowing us enough closure to round out this episode. He strikes a satisfying balance between the two. What I saw was a complete movie. But I cannot wait for Episode III.

The humour: I laughed. The McGregor-Christensen relationship was bantering, snide, tongue-in-cheek, utterly within the Star Wars tradition. Had a problem with a couple of C-3PO's lines, but liked all of the ones in the Battle of Geonosis. I'm partial to puns, however. Star Wars in spirit lives partially in the humour, and during this movie, I laughed.

The action: top notch. I wish I could have seen the movie in a digital theatre. The individual action scenes were perfect, breathtaking, I felt myself being nervous for the characters even though I knew pretty much everything that was going to happen in the movie. Loved Jango Fett. Loved Dooku. Loved the chase through Coruscant. Loved Geonosis, both the droid factory and the final battle. Yoda... Yoda.

The pacing: seamless. I did not find any of the parts of the movie slow. The cuts were perfect, the movie melted into and out of the love story and Obi Wan's investigations. Similar in structure to Empire, which also used a storyline at the beginning, split into two divergent but interspliced stories, and then brought the characters back together for the conclusion. Seamless is the best word I can use for it.

The darkness: intense. There is no darker Star Wars movie, the amount of violence is astonishing. The darkness comes in double barrels. There's the political machinations, the gradual subversion of the Republic from within. Then there's the personal descent into darkness, emobodied by Christensen. That's a darkness of the soul, and he captured it perfectly. Again, he's unstable, a mass of power that's prone to simply going off at a moment's notice. He is volatile, and we can see that. He's passionate, emotional, lustful, and even Obi Wan can't control him. All of this is

 

Let me just start by saying that this movie had me before I sat down. I took my daughter to see The Phantom Menace when she was four. By coincidence, I had seen A new hope for the first time when I was the same age. Dare I say, she was just as enthralled as I was. Anticipating Episode II, and then running to the theater after school yesterday, was worth the price of admission alone. Attack of the Clones is no Phantom Menace, in fact it is unlike any Star Wars movie that has come before. My daughter loved it, but was a bit traumitized by Anakin losing her mommy, and his subsequent revenge.
Unfortuneately, I was not quite as moved. I honestly can't decide what I thought of this movie. On the positive side, it was visually stunning. I was enthralled with the sights and sounds from the opening scroll onward. As a side note, I saw it on regular film, and it was brilliant. I will see it again on DLP, and can only imagine how beautiful it must be. Anyway getting back to the review. The action sequences rank among the best in any Star Wars film. I'll take the speeder chase over the bike chase in ROTJ any day. The last 30 minutes were very busy and overwhelming; however, I don't think this is a bad thing. It gives me a lot to look forward to on my second viewing. Finally, Yoda is the star of the show. The final duel is as great as advertised, and the cg imagery impressed this skeptical critic.
The problem with this movie is that the dialogue and acting were just plain awful in parts. Now I have defended the Phantom Menace as well as the other three for having just enough acting and dialogue to carry the bear minimums of the story. In those cases, I felt that was all they needed to get away with a great fantasy piece. Here, the emotional weight of the story is a lot more critical to pulling the movie off, and it falls dead on it's face in a lot of places. Now I don't expect much from Jedi, Jackson and McGregor were fine. But the love story was nauseating at times. The long stares, followed by the simultaneous chuckles of embarrasment. Then of course, there was the field of Naboo, where Anakin falls off his steed. Padme sees him, gets a look of concern on his face, and runs to his side. That's when I heard a voice in my head that said "he's fine, he's laughing, and the two will use it as an excuse to roll around in the grass and steal a long gaze into each other's eyes"I was hoping it wouldn't happen but it did. Of course there is the earlier scene on Corusant where Anakin just incessantly whines about Obi Wan's teachings. I imagine any girl in this galaxy or others would think, at that moment, "you've got...issues. I....have to go" Picturing why she would be at all attracted to him was tough to do. Now I don't honestly blame this on the actors. They really had nothing to work with. I think Hayden did everything he could, and his intensity was given a great boost after he finds his mother. I don't know that it could have been done better. He carries the role very well considering the material. He could have very well saved me from becoming completely emotionally detached from these people, and for that I salute him. But that does bring me to my final point. Is Star Wars back? No, and it's not gonna be. I think I enjoyed this movie, but for very different reasons then the first three. Even from the beginning of Empire, I had already forged an attachment to all of these wonderful characters. I was even saddened by Darth Vader's funeral! Now I'm realistic, I know that I was ten years old at the time. But there is nothing close here, no comraderie, no humor, no personality to these characters. This wasn't as big of a problem in Phantom Menace since I knew it was all about setup. But this movie is meant to be an emotional and dark"beginning of the end" type of story and needed more personality to pull it off. It's just not there. I hope Lucas isn't too proud of himself here, this should have been a great movie, but without decent dialogue and better character interaction, it isn't. Had a little more attention been paid to that asp

 

I give AOTC 10/10. Overall, it was awesome, but it did have a few faults. One of the most noticable is when Shimi died. She just...fell. I didn't like the acting too much. I also think the lightsaber duel is way to short. I wanted more Yoda! The Yoda lightsaber duel is amazing! My favorite scene in the entire Star Wars Saga. As far as jokes go, the beginning was pretty slow, but by the end, it was great! Not the best I've seen, but still better, or atleast on par with Episodes 4-6. I especially like Obi-Wan's "Good Job" when Anakin was captured and C-3PO's "Die, Jedi, Die!" The end left a lot of questions open for answers, but I don't want to wait 3 years for the answers! I especially like that they showed the plans for the Death Star at the end.

 

Ok, this is a contest for a DVD but let me tell you one thing, as far as Star Wars films go, there is no contest. Episode 2 Attack of the Clones delivers with impact and surprise. With glorious graphics superb character development and emotion that swelled up tears in my eyes, I can honestly say I enjoyed this film as much as any of the earlier films if not more.

It doesn't surprise me however, that some other film critics from Chicago that are round, wear glasses and eat too many doughnuts would not like this movie. It simply does not have the big fat all empowered Jaba the Hutt in it. Misery loves company I guess. Oh yeah, big fat Chicago film reviewer, the incredibly sexy Mrs Anakin Skywalker likely steamed up your glasses, so that would explain your "blurred" images on the screen. Also, try contacts or lazer surgery. If not I know of a green Jedi who performs Light Saber eye surgery.

I apologize for my rant but he is simply dead wrong on this one.

Let me tell you how I also no that this film will be huge. Four words: "My wife loved it!" Ok, that may sound insignificant, however my wife hates science fiction, she found all the other Star Wars films boring and uninteresting. This one, however with the injection of fast paced action and a love story gave it a unique stand by itself quality. Mark my words, 10 years from now, it will be the number 1 movie for all fans of Star Wars.

I must admit having a read before seeing the movie that Yoda was going to be in a light saber duel, I was anticipating his arrival to screen. When it occured, I half laughed and half admired the little green guy. I guess using the force takes a lot of you since he needed his cane immediately after the battle.

I personally give this movie 15 our of a possible 10. Why 15? It immediately gets a 10 out of 10 + 5 bonus points for being the best of the 5 films.

Dave

 

After seeing the 10:15 showing of Attack of the Clones last night at my local cinema, all I can say is WOW. This movie totally rocks the Star Wars universe. Although it had a few slow parts (which were mostly setting up the story in parts) the connections made during those slow period's really linked The Phantom Menace and the classic Trilogy together.

We begin to see the intricacies of Palpatine's rise to power as both future emperor as well as ultimate Sith master. We get a hint of Anakin's downfall to the dark side. In the end, we get a cool lightsaber battle. It's got all the elements of a great story. Truly evil villans, truly good heros, mythology, good vs. evil. The best part of all was watching Yoda kick some butt at the end.

One complaint I have is a person can definatly tell which characters are digital and which are real actors. The digital characters moved and spoke in a very precise manner and weren't very believable. They didn't have a fluid motion to them as a real person has. I found that to be a bit destracting. I think digital filmmaking has a way to come yet but not a bad start by any means.

On a 10 scale I give it a 9 and that is only because there were some slow spots and Hayden Christensen's dialog and acting at different spots wasn't very believable. I would say it is a marked improvement over The Phantom Menace and I thought that was a good film to begin with.

 

WOW! Words cant describe the happiness I felt when I left the theater. No Star Wars movie has ever played with my emotions as much as this one. I was cheering, laughing, crying, scared, angry, it had everything. First off this is the most beautiful looking film ever, never has any movie come close to having special effects like this one. THe love story was great IMO. Ok so some of the acting was bad and some of the lines they deliver are way to overdramatic, but I didnt care I loved this aspect of the movie. Man when Padme confessed her love to him right before entering the arena, I felt the shock that anakin felt. Hayden is the perfect Anakin. He is solid throughout the movie but that tusken scene, wow! When his mom died I was almost in tears (hey she was a very nice lady, I felt sorry for her.) His speech to Padme was tied as the greatest moment in Star Wars history. And then there is the action, OH MY GOD. Incredible, never has a star wars film had so many great sequences. The first half of the movie was rather slow, besides the amazing chase. But the last half of the movie was easily the greatest last half of any movie ever. I was jumping with joy when Yoda came out, I know it lasted a minute but that was one minute of pure bliss. I love this movie. I've seen it twice and I still want to see it again and again, damn it I want to live at the theater. Let me go over a few things I missed, Ewan Mcgregor is perfect as Obi-wan. C-3P0 and R2 are great in the film, 3P0 delivers what is now my favorite line of his "Die Jedi die!, oh my what am i saying!" The storyline is brilliant, the emperor is a genius. This movie is tied as my favorite Star Wars movie. I give it a 9.5 out of 10 as a whole. But if I could just rate the last half of the movie I would have to break the scale.

 

(Advance apologies for the length of my post)

I loved the movie and give it a 9.25 out of 10 rating.

I've already said that I absolutely loved it, but I also admit that there are some aspects of the film I would've changed. I'll talk about those and get them out of the way.

First: three not-so-perfect CG scenes that could've used some polishing (Anakin riding that animal during the meadow picnic; Anakin, Padme and Obi-Wan riding the beast in the arena; Count Dooku on that swoopbike-like vehicle riding to the Final Confrontation). But the rest of the effects are just fantabulous and breathtaking, I think they should give everyone over at ILM a big bonus! ;o)

Second: the mushy lines. Guess I got used to the Han-Leia type of banter, that in the SW context, this is something new. Someone could've put in better lines, though (think Nicholas Sparks). But the lines are really all I have to complain about regarding the romance angle. I thought GL handled it well enough so that he doesn't go all sappy on us. ;o) The situations are just human. And it's a good idea that he interspersed it with other sequences so it doesn't become overbearing. On hindsight, and looking at things in another way, maybe the lines are appropriate for the characters after all, mushy though they may be, considering the age and emotional aspects of Anakin and Padme. I guess it just has to grow on you.

Third: too short a screentime for Dooku. I guess I just wanted to know more about his character and go in-depth as to how he became a Separatist and came to be in league with Darth Sidious. I guess it's up to the novelization to explain all that to me.

Now that my complaints are out of the way, I'd better get to the positives.

The plot. Boy, did good old GL pull something out of a magic hat! The story was exciting and informative, and helps us tie up things with the Classic Trilogy, and even with events from TPM. It's marvelous how complicated everything is, and even more fabulous to find out that one man is behind it all. Those little hints that suggest the events in Episodes 4-6 were things that fans will just have fun trying to spot.

The Coruscant chase. I love watching Formula 1 racing, so this whole Coruscant chase just appealed to me. High speed, high flying, it sort of hearkens back to the Boonta Eve Classic, and boy, Anakin can really fly! There's the added bonus of seeing more facets of the Obi-Wan and Anakin relationship. The duo is just so fun to watch.

Characterization. Obi-Wan's development is great, he has humor, sarcasm, wit... and he gets into trouble in a bar, which takes us back to the Cantina scene. What is it with him and bars, hmmm? GL also did a good job with Anakin, you can now believe that the cute little kid who became a gorgeous young man will become a mean, masked, red-lightsaber wielding, mass murderer. Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious... fabulous! Mace was cool. And of course, "His Royal Greenness" (borrowed this from a news article I read in a local paper this morning, I just loved it!), Master Yoda (I will try not to forget to append "Master" to his name from now on.). Anyway, we see different sides to Master Yoda here. There is some humor ("Master Kenobi has lost a planet. How embarrassing!"), more wisdom, more of a show of his leadership skills, and a whole lotta ACTION! Padme. Any other woman would've ran away and called 911 if her "boyfriend" said "I killed them all...", but GL shows us just how much her personality will affect the whole story, as she still decided to accept Anakin after his shocking revelation. Her motivations for entering politics reflect in this scenario, as she probably considers Anakin as someone she can help and redeem, much like her people.

The Battle Scenes: The action just doesn't stop, my heart was beating fast, I don't think I was breathing much also. The sight of 200 Jedi igniting their lightsabers all at the same time... it just does wonderful things for you and you start thinking, "Thank the Lord for George

 

Well how can i possibly give a bad review of this film? i mean it has everything you can possibly want in a film: action, adventure, excitement, great actors, amazing sets, gorgeous locations, spectacular music and oh yeah lots and lots of Lightsabers! I personally very much enjoyed the Phantom Menace and still give that movie 3 1/2 stars. Howeever, i think Attack of the Clones is even better. it is 4 stars all the way, never use 5 star scale, always seemed unneccessary to me.
The movie starts out so well, the chase through Coruscant and the back and forth between Anakin and Obi-Wan is soo good. I love the music in the chase scene too, it sounded like an Electric guitar on the soundtrack but in the film it is some weird engine whine i think, whatever it is is sounds very cool.
I thought that the love story was done well also, it made for an entertaining excursion and explanation of thing we knew were gonna happen. what i liked so much about the love is that it was totally set up in TPM, we all know Anakin is madly in love with Padme. we also get the impression that she is very fond of him too, afterall she was only 14 right? what makes it so good in AotC is that Anakin's feelings are never in question, but Padme has to discover and admit to hers. i like it a lot becuase many of the scenes were just the Love Theme playing while they frollicked, which is exactly how people fall in love right? when they do have talks they seem like a natural courtship considering the circumstances. Tatooine is what pushes Padme over the edge, her seeing Anakin as vulnerable and human there is what makes her abandon her reason and logic and give in to her love.
One the action side Obi-Wan really delivered he goods. while i love the end sequence of fights, particularly the Dooku fight, i think that Obi's melee battle with Jango might be my favorite. i love his flying drop kicks and Jedi-enhanced acrobatics. i love it that Jango is basically pulling out all the stops, and he still cant stop Obi-Wan. plus the rain makes it such a cool fight atmosphere.
Yoda of course steals the show, and i like the new CGI Yoda, though i prefer the puppet for the type of Yoda we see in the Classic Trilogy, i think that the active warrior Yoda makes a lot more sense, and looks very good with the CGI. i think the best thing about his fighting is all those noises he makes! both times i have seen the movie the whole audience erupted in cheers when they first saw him come in and anticipated his display of martial prowess. i love it to that he is just a blur, just a lightsaber constantly moving in supder-speed.
i only had a couple of small complaints about the film. while i like Hayden a lot, i think he works very well, i think he comes off as too much of a whiner in a couple of scenes. like on Coruscant when he is watching Padme pack, and starts that whole rant about Obi-Wan without provocation or anything, when he says "its worse, he's overly critical.." i think that is my least favorite line and moment in the film. it seems like they could have at least had some better exposition to get to his rant, then it wouldn be as whiny, but as it is he seems like the same little kid who beat on that Rhodian in TPM deleted scene. the other "complain" was that when Padme falls out of the ship and rolls on the ground groaning, she seems very hurt and is laying there unconscious for a bit. then as soon as the Clonetrooper comes over she is fine, i thought that was funny and a little awkward, but who carfes! the movie still is the best first-run theater film i have had the pleasure to see in my 22 years of life thusfar, should stay that way until LotR or Episode III i guess
no movie can be perfect, other than Empire of course, but this one is damned close, id give it:
9.7 just short of perfection.
i will be seeing it all summer long, i saw TPM 15 times in the theaters i plan to see AOTC twice as many!

 

I felt that AOTC was one of the best Star Wars movie of the entire saga to date. The digital effects were incredibly real. I saw Spiderman on opening night, and AOTC's effects blew it away! The storyline included so many intricate details, and for true Star Wars fans, it was amazing to see all of these details fall into place.

Hayden's acting was superb, making me truly see where he begins to turn towards the dark side. Ewan was witty and kept me laughing. And of course, Yoda was unbelievable - Oh, no, I mean totally believable! We now know why Yoda is THE master!

Now, the real question is, how will George Lucas out do this movie? It will be difficult. If he does I will be amazed!

 

God I feel sorry for anyone who has to read all of these and pick a winner.

 

As Seen In commentarypage.com

Judge Star Wars For What It Is? Not What It Isn?t

It is 6:00 pm on Wednesday May 15th. I have not seen Attack of the Clones yet. I will be the first in line to see the midnight showing in approximately 6 hours. I already know I will like it. Why then are there so many criticisms online already. The dialogue is slow. The love scenes are horrible. The actors can?t act. These are comments that are already plaguing the new Star Wars film. You might think that it is going to be bad? but I beg to differ and I need to point out a horrendous oversight that all of these so-called critics have been making.

In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker whines to his Uncle that he wants to go to the Tosche Station to pick up power converters. This is some of the worst acting I?ve ever seen. It doesn?t get much better when you see Mark Hamill?s mouth move like he?s chewing grass when Vader tells him about their family relationship. In Empire Strikes Back, you can see Harrison Ford?s mouth move as he holds Carrie Fisher in the Millennium Falcon. He does this to say her lines to remember his own.

In Jedi we see an Imperial Officer tell a commander "We are starting our approach.? I?m sorry, but that is not very good dialogue. The fact that these annoying characters are in the Classic Trilogy doesn?t help either. Despite never actually hearing the term Ewok in Return of the Jedi, (it was a marketing term) we are still annoyed by them. Threepio annoys us in Empire. Those pesky Jawa?s didn?t make the best case for Star Wars either.

As you read this, you may be thinking, where is he going with this? The answer is simple. All of the poor reviews of the newer films, Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, talk about bad acting, poorly written screenplays, and annoying characters. They then refer to the Classic Trilogy as wonderful films that the newer ones will never live up to.

The criticisms have ALWAYS been the same. Critics. Don?t sit there and tell me about how new movies are ruining a franchise. Get a clue and go through your newspaper archives before you call the old films classics and beat the new ones down for the problems strung across the board.

It?s a well-known fact that between my tattoo, my license plates, and my 40,000-dollar memorabilia collection, I'm a huge fan. That makes me bias which Ill openly admit. But I cannot sit here and watch a franchise get bashed on things that it has never claimed to be.
What it can claim to be is: The most popular movie franchise ever, the basis for the most lucrative toy market in history, and the product of millions of websites. Add this to the fact that it opened up the special effects door to every blue screen and GG movie since 1977, and you have the makings of something great. Make no qualms about what Star Wars isn?t; just remember what it really is.

 

I posted an earlier review, and after reading what many of you had to say about the movie, I feel compelled to play devil's advocate. By the way, I am not targeting anyone. I respect the opinions of others and am not writing this solely to stir things up...

Has anyone noticed how hypocritical some fans can be? I remember when Phantom Menace came out, just about every person that I read online lambasted Lucas for the movie's flaws. At the time (such a short time ago), TPM's visuals were breathtaking, yet they were seldom mentioned because nearly every "critic" (professional and otherwise) focused their hatred on Jar Jar and Jake Lloyd. People bitched about the kid saying "Yippee" and Jar Jar stepping in poodoo. Yet, here we are, 3 years later, and those same people who ripped Lucas for "making a movie for 10 year olds" are embracing the ridiculous shenanigans of C-3PO.
Yes, the visuals in this movie were amazing...awe inspiring...unbelievable. Why do so many reviewers in this thread focus on the visuals as being a saving grace, yet these same reviewers so blatanly ignore the far-too-numerous shortcomings of this film?

Since when is laughter in a movie theater the appropriate response to a death scene---a scene so pivotal as Shmi's death. That scene was atrocious. Worse, it was convenient and atrocious. So many people I've spoken to have made concessions like, "Oh, she only needed to see her son so she could let go and die in peace." You've got to be kidding me! What a load of crap!! Not only was her actual death miserable, but the ensuing carnage was nearly absent. If Lucas cut the Tusken slaughter scene to get a PG rating, he should be drawn and quartered. Take the PG-13 and show Anakin's fury and rage. Look at Lord of the Rings---brutal and violent yet beautiful. It captured all of the danger and darkness of a given moment while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. I couldn't wait for the Tusken slaughter scene that I had heard so much about through spoilers, yet it was here and gone in the blink of an eye.
If time constraints are an issue, then lose the retarded sequence in the droid factory. IT SERVED NO PURPOSE WHATSOEVER!!!! There are other ways the characters could have been captured and taken to the arena scene. Was that scene even necessary? Yes, we all wanted to see hundreds of Jedi fighting, but why steal so blatantly from Gladiator? "Oh, I can make a Coliseum scene bigger and grander than Gladiator" Is that Lucas' mindset? A cinematic pissing contest?

Did anyone else want to break into "The hills are alive with the Sound of Music" when Padme walked through the field? I know I most certainly did.

Did I like any of the movie?
I think the scene that was the most well-done in the entire movie was the initial meeting between Jango Fett and Obi Wan. It didn't rely on camera trickery or special effects. It was well-crafted and intense. The rest of the movie missed that feeling entirely. For me, there was no sense of foreboding anywhere in the film save a few scenes where Anakin's dark side peeks through.

Did anyone feel anger or hatred towards Count Dooku? Was he intimidating? Hell, Grand Moff Tarken was 10x more intimidating than Dooku. I couldn't help but wonder what must have been going through Christopher Lee's head while he filmed the scene at the table when being spied on by Obi Wan. "How did I end up here?"

And the lightsaber duels? Yoda? Why would Yoda struggle to prevent Obi Wan and Anakin from being crushed, yet he could lift an X-Wing from a swamp without breaking a sweat. I know that sounds nitpicky, but for all of us who grew up with these movies and know every snippet of dialogue, this doesn't work. That scene was not "Yoda", the greatest of all Jedi. I would've liked it better if, when Yoda walked into the hangar, Christopher Lee would have simply lowered his lightsabre in defeat and retreated in the face of greatness. Nah, let's make Yoda into a ridiculous Tazmanian Devil (as Lucas said he wanted) and detract from the true greatness of his c