CONTEST: Post your SW2 Review here!

Just to start, I'm not a Star Wars geek.

I don't dress up in costumes and don't take these movies too seriously. I simply found this site after some searching on the internet, wondering how I could get my opinion heard on this film. Actually, I would love to get a letter to Mr Lucas himself but for the life of me, have no idea how to do it.

First, I can't stand reviewers and avid movie going fans who love going to the movies to put the film, like a dead body, on a slab to be disected and autopsy'd. I don't go to the movies to rip them apart, I go to have fun.

That said, the amount of people who have sat around dissecting both this film and Phantom Menace, while they are entitled to their opinion, have been very vocal. Especially those who claim to 'hate' Phantom Menace and state that it is a huge disappointment.

Let me start off by saying that there ARE those who not only LIKED Phantom Menace but actually consider it to be their favorite SW film.

I'm one of them.

I have seen the classic Star Wars films and while I thought they were good, never considered them to be gospel. This trilogy, however, really has my attention. Perhaps it is the premise of 'How could someone so good go so bad' that I find intriguing but also the manner in which Lucas is telling the story. Many people have complained about the dialogue and lack of story in Phantom Menace.

Well, I don't know. I got a story out of it.
And I liked it very, very much too.
And I liked Jar Jar.
I found him to be a refreshingly original character, a bit of comic relief to a movie with heavy spiritual themes and he lightened it up and made it fun. For me, anyway. After seeing Clones, I see that his place in the film was much more than just to add some fun in the series... and I like that hook to. The concept of making him be the springboard to bring the Emperor to power was genius, using for me, that most politicians are either idiots (Dan Quale) or have their own private agendas. Rare are the men who come forward that actually want to do some good for the people.

Anyway, I loved Phantom Menace. Thought it was a fun movie and a great way to start off the series. Lucas stated that Star Wars is about how a good person can go bad and well, before he has to show the bad, he has to show the good and he demonstrated it perfectly in PM. After all, the ending of Jedi would have made no sense (when he tells Luke that he was right, there was good in him) if Lucas didn't show us the character as a good guy at one time. Also, PM showed enough political strife to seed for the creation of the way of the Empire. There was enough in it for me to enjoy it throughly.

Clones takes it up a few steps. The story was great, I got to see where the stormtroopers came from, how the emperor came to power, how he is puppeting everyone around, it had romance (which was the MAJOR draw for me -- too much sci-fi space fighting gets old and boring to me, romance carries with it the human element and Lucas did it BEAUTIFULLY), action and TOLD A STORY (unlike Lord of The Rings, which was horridly boring. I understand it is a quest but watching it was like watching a big video game. I was bored)!

I don't know. I'm 33 years old. When I was a kid, I used to watch this program on channel 13 called Matinee At The Bijou and they had all the old serials from the 30's and 40's like Flash Gordon, Buck Rodgers, etc. I loved those flicks! They may not have been chuck full of characterization but the had a style and pinache, a fun and excitement that is sorely lacking in many movies today. Now while I'm not a Sci-Fi geek who dresses up in costumes and such, I do find those movies fun and for a long time wished they would make movies like that again.

George Lucas has, only these are more upper class. I find that they have great characterization, great stories and are a whole lot of fun with a cast of characters as varied and original as anything I've ever seen. I had a lot of fun with this movie (Clones), loved the story, the acting and the little snippets of getting to see the h

 

I don't care what anyone says, this movie rocks. I give it a ten out of ten and a two thumbs up. It has everything that's supposed to be in a Starwars movie and more.
Hayden is brilliant in his portrayal of Anakin's slide to the darkside. That look in his eyes after his mother dies is so creepy! It gave me chills.
Sure, some of the dialogue is corny but this is Starwars, we expect that don't we? If you just sit back and enjoy it like it's supposed to be there is no way you can't like this movie. I loved the new CGI Yoda and his fight with Dooku. It's a classic. I even didn't mind JarJar in this one. Sorta felt sorry for him because we know that what he does has terrible consequences.
Ewan MacGregor is excellent as Obi-Wan and I loved Christopher Lee. His portrayal of Dooku is the epitome of evil. All in all I can't say there was anything I didn't like. The acting; the score; the story; the FX...great. And those seizmic charges? Excellent!
Anyone who doesn't like this movie can never be satisifed IMO.
Way to go George!

 

By now you've read dozens of reviews. I want to cover some ground that I haven't seen discussed.


Herein, Major SPOILERS there are, my young Jedi.

Three very important 25-year-old problems were cleared up by Ep II!
1) R2D2 can in fact climb stairs! He does so on Naboo.
2) Stormtroopers are clones! We thought maybe they were way back in '76.
3) C3P0's first assignment was programming loadletters, very similar to evaporators in most respects. Ah-ha, he did

that for Owen 22 years previous!

The scene with Anakin flying fruit around the dining room table was awful. The CGI, especially where Padme bites the

fruit, just didn't work.

Whoa, those were the plans for the DEATH STAR! Wow, that little device must be exactly what was hidden inside R2 in

Ep IV. Did anyone notice it kind of looks like a Rio or iPod? I wonder if they use compact flash or smartmedia??

"These are the death star plans and some kickin' MP3's. Enjoy them, you will."

Speaking of R2, did you notice that we got to see how he climbs the stairs on Naboo?? Finally we get to see that

done! Not to mention the rocket boosters.

Natalie Portman's "romantic" performance was flat and uninteresting. She reminded me a lot of Leia during the arena

battle. Did you notice she wore cinnamin bun hairdo's?

The phrase "...my young Jedi" was used in Ep II more than the word "destiny" was used in Eps V and VI!

Do you suppose Darth Sidious hired the Tuskin raiders to torture Shmi just to help convert Anakin?

The cloners were wonderful aliens to watch. THe whole clone factory was visually stunning. There was something about

the photography though that reminded me of the movie "A.I." Something about the bright lights and fuzzy imaging made

it a strain to watch.

I think Chancellor Palpatine is a *clone* of Darth Sidious. That's why the Jedi council doesn't pick up on the bad

vibes.

I'm still trying to figure out why they were trying to kill Padme. Does the Viceroy really keep a grudge like that,

or is it somehow part of Darth Sidious' master plan?

So who the heck ordered the clones? Clearly, it was Darth Sidious at the time of the Naboo blockade. But who is the

"Jedi Leader" they referenced that was supposedly killed? What is his story?

The fact that Boba is a fully-functional clone of his father, which is the donor for all the "clonetroopers" was lost

on the audience. I read the script so I knew in advance, but they should have made that more clear.

How come the droids don't remember Tattooene in Ep IV? C'mon, Owen buys C3P0 from the Jawa's, a droid that he owned

at one point already? Maybe they had their memory erased. Also the scene where Beru gives the droid to Padme must

have been cut. Wow, it was fun to see the blue milk again! And seeing the Jawa vehicles was great too.

The fact that Owen is Anakin's half-brother was commpletely missed by the audience. Watto's line about her being

freed and married was muddled by his accent.

C3P0 had two great lines: "[to R2D2] You are awful opinionated[?] for a mechanic." Classic! And: "What a drag."

Dooku's lightsaber had a neat curved handle. Very elegant. Too bad the lightsaber battle wasn't as interesting as Ep

I with Darth Maul. Yoda rocks, but does not live up to the hype I think. He looked silly literally bouncing off the

walls. His entrance was classic though.

How many video games did you count? The astroid field battle will be a great game as will the droid factory and the

Gunship battle.

The story so far: Palpatine creates a conflict that will create simpathy for Naboo, allowing him to become Chancellor.

He then, through his new apprentice convinces 200 planets to seceed from the Republic creating another conflict that

will allow him to become Emporer and conveniently build an army that he already ordered. Meanwhile, he realizes

Skywalker is strong with the force so he befriends him and puts thoughts in his head about how he is a greater Jedi

than Yo

 

I went in to Attack of the Clones not quite knowing what to expect. Unlike many other Star Wars fans, I remained "unspoiled" and knew very little of the plot. Thus, I was able to take in every plot twist with the excitement of a five-year-old boy. From the first chord of Willams' classic score, I was mesmorized. Attack of the Clones really stood out to me as one of the best, if not the best, films I've seen in a long time.

One of the things that made Clones jump out at me was Lucas' directing style. He seemed to be much more adventurous with his camera, taking several more chances. He took the familiar style of the Star Wars series and altered it into something recognizable, yet slightly strange and distant. Was this a good decision? In my opinion, it was. The close-ups on faces in the heat of a lightsaber battle, the silhouetted lovers in a tight embrace, and many other such scenes were interesting and pleasing to the eye. Lucas made Clones a movie that automatically jumps out at you to grab your attention, yet allows you to feel comfortable as you once again travel to a familiar place.

The characters and locales were once again a brilliant mix of colorful and ordinary, facinating and dark. The planet Kamino featured some of the prettiest shots I've seen, and I'm not referring to the indoor scenes. The harsh rain seemed volatile yet calm. The rough waters were almost characters, providing a foil for the calm-natured Kaminoans. New characters such as Jango Fett and Zam Wessel provided fun, serious, and exciting moments. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were an interesting pair, keeping the dull moments to a minimum both when they are together and when they are apart. Jar-Jar Binks returns, and continues his progression. Now a senator, Jar-Jar must take on added responsibility, responsibility that he may not be able to handle. Count Dooku provided a wise, powerful adversary. Then, of course, there is Palpatine. Ian MacDiarmid played the part brilliantly, and I loved the way he was written. I was slightly disappointed with his reduced role, though.

There were, however, some things about Attack of the Clones that I didn't like. Did the assembly line scene really have to be that long? I found this part, which should have been one of the more exciting moments, to be the most dull in the movie. I feel that scene could have been edited down a little. I wasn't very crazy about C-3PO's antics at the end, either. I didn't mind them, and at times I enjoyed them, but I felt that they were overdone. Also, I found it pretty funny that Padme just happened to get the midsection of her shirt ripped off.

Attack of the Clones was a movie of opposites and foils, some of which I have pointed out in this review, some of which I have not. Lucas was able to portray an unstable, volatile galaxy prepared to be taken over by one man. Overall, I loved this movie, and would give it a 9.5/10.

 

The good... the bad... and more good.
Attack of the Clones Review by Ummeiko.

As an 18 year old girl who is very much into Star Wars (some might say obsessed even), I am a rare fan. Granted, there are several other female fans, some probably more appreciating of the Star Wars Universe than I, but simply looking at the ratio of males to females in the lines at the local theater, it is still very much unbalanced. As such, I believe I view the movies with a different persepective and likewise take from them what others might not. So, without further ado, this is what I have to say about the movie.

I will admit, it took two showings to get me to appreciate Attack of the Clones. First off, I will admit, I enjoyed Phantom Menace, partly for the simplicity for which others have dispised the movie. That, in my opinion, was the biggest problem with AotC. There was nothing tying everything together until the very end. I'm not saying that everything has to be perfectly laid out for all to view. But in the beginning of the movie, it seemed there was too much happening in too many places, and very little connecting it all together. Anakin and Padme went this way, Obi-wan went that way, the Jedi Council took yet another course of action. People hopped from planet to planet on seemingly a whim. There was almost too much happening.

The character development, something I tend to focus highly on when I watch movies, had it's ups and downs. Anakin, as a character, took some time to swallow. I believe Hayden did a good job, but the character he was given was difficult. For one thing, Anakin whined way too much for a nineteen year old, possibly moreso than Luke did. When it came down to the fighting and the actual Jedi duties, Anakin came across as nearly flawless in character. In my opinion, the best display of Anakin was the chase through the airways of Coruscant. Anakin is in control, just a bit reckless as neccessary, but knows what he's doing. He matches wits with Obi-wan and yet can still accept the role as the learner. This is the perfect Anakin. Anakin on Tatooine, throwing a tantrum... that is where it all falls apart, character wise. I just cannot imagine Darth Vader throwing a tantrum like a six year old.

Padme as a character came off very nicely. She has obviously grown up, but she is still very much living in the real world. She is politically powerful, yet can be humble and sweet. She is just as honorable as when she was queen, but now she exists on a more personal level.

Obi-wan, as a character came off overall as being pretty good. In some aspects, he's almost too obedient, and I wonder where Old Ben gets the traits to challenge Yoda's decisions in Empire. We see such a nature in Obi-wan at the end of TPM, but that has vanished by AotC. Where is the "reckless" Obi-wan, as Old Ben even refers to himself as? Where does it tie together?

The romance factor, well, I've seen better and I've seen worse. I will admit that much of it seemed forced, but for example, the dinner scene on the public transport ship was almost perfect.

Now, with all of the critical aspects out of the way, I will admit that AotC had more than it's share of good moments, if only they could be brought together in a better manner.

The humor in the movie was great, showing just how versatile Star Wars is for being primarily an action film. It was great to see C-3PO and R2-D2 back together. AotC was, in my opinion, the best of the movies in terms of their relationship and the humor therein.

The political intrigue was great. I'm not talking about Jar Jar royally screwing up the republic with his gullibility. That's not really the most important thing. I think Palpatine was great, and even I had a difficult time figuring out what he was up to at times. And I will admit that for awhile, knowing who Sidious and Palpatine are, I nearly believed Dooku when he was trying to pursuade Obi-wan. That was classic, almost (but not quite) on the same level as "I am your father." It makes you wonder, just how much

 

I identify with all the complaints, however, let me tell you, the film plays 1000 times better the second time around. I was lucky enough to see it on Monday, and left feeling only half-impressed. I waited until Friday to go again, and everything seemed much better. I really think this film demands multiple viewings, and it's a shame that reviews are written after only one. Part of the problem is our own expectations. The film seems to drag in the middle on the first viewing. The person I saw it with today belted out "This is so slow" at about the exact moment I had given up on the movie at the first viewing. But this time I was really interested in following all the threads, noticing the nuances in the frame and in the story. Instead of wondering when the action was gonna hit, I found myself wishing there was more story BEFORE the action! And if you think you enjoyed the action on the first go round, you'll be amazed at how much more there is to see.

 

?A special effect without a story is a very boring thing.? ? George Lucas, 1983
?It IS possible to screw these sorts of things up.? ? George Lucas, 1999

It took two viewings to come up with my current opinion of Attack of the Clones: an advance screening at 7:00pm on May 15 and another show at 12:01am on May 16. I came away disappointed the first time and strangely cheerful the second. It?s almost as if one viewing isn?t enough. The filmgoer must see this movie again and again to take it all in. Is this a necessarily good thing? For the non-fan, I?m not sure.

The story is epic enough: The Galactic Republic is coming apart at the seams (did anyone without a fanboy guide book ever figure out why?) and the powers-that-be are either attempting to save it or plot its destruction. Meanwhile, young Anakin Skywalker takes a walk on the Dark Side while his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi deals with his apprentice?s seemingly unstoppable destiny. Star Wars was always about BIG things and Attack of the Clones continues this tradition. But upon deciding if Attack of the Clones is a cohesive, entertaining film, I?m stuck between a couple of stampeding bantha.

On one hand, Attack of the Clones is staggeringly beautiful.

Sweeping vistas on Naboo, gorgeous alien landscapes on Tatooine, and stunning power on Kamino. Grandiose, epic battles with droids, Jedi, clones, and massive starships; Lucas has made possible what could previously only be dreamed of. The sound design is superb (loved those ?seismic charges? in the rings of Geonosis). The CG characters, droids, and supporting characters are extremely interesting. I was very happy to hear a variety of aliens speak alien languages this time around rather than cop out with ?basic? like the Trade Federation. There are a lot of great ideas in this film and certainly features fewer plot holes than The Phantom Menace. I will thoroughly enjoy the DVD so I can stop the film and check out everything that has been packed in here.

But on the other hand, Attack of the Clones lacks something extremely important: simplicity.

Here comes the obligatory comparison to the first three films (look away if you must): Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi were SIMPLE. They evoke a sense of galactic proportions without shoving it in your face. They told a story about one man?s journey. All of the other stuff was strictly incidental. Attack of the Clones and its predecessor, The Phantom Menace, tell the story of the downfall of a galactic government complete with all of the various politics and tax issues and?oh, yeah, there?s this kid over here that?s going to wipe out the universe someday.

Anthony Daniels once said that the radio adaptation of Star Wars was so amazing because your imagination did most of the work. Like radio, the original films only hint at what else is going on in the galaxy and it seems that much bigger because of it. Attack of the Clones doesn?t make the viewer work at all. Lucas is so intent on showing you what he?s thinking that he?s willing to expose his audience to epileptic fits.

Whatever. There are enough really great things in Attack of the Clones to make me look past all of that and enjoy what?s being Force-fed to me. The opening shot of Coruscant in the clouds. Obi-wan?s coolness. Jango Fett making his way through the universe. Anakin?s twitchy dark side moments. Nightclub action. Nute Gunray complaining that Padme wasn?t dead yet. The younglings. Threepio actually making me laugh. Death stick guy. No midichlorians. YODA.

But along with the sumptuous buffet, I get indigestion. A really confusing political plot for the average viewer (if Padme was AGAINST forming an army, why would Palpatine want her back for a vote that would have resulted in NOT getting emergency powers? Even Jar Jar isn?t that dumb). Dooku?s name. Jedi who talk WAY too much. Death Star plans that weren?t 70?s retro. No music in the nightclub. More Jedi talking. Recycled Phantom Menace music during the most important climax of the mo

 

REVIEW:
STAR WARS EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES

MY FIRST VIEWING:

Okay here we go, my first REAL film review, after my first REAL viewing of Attack of the Clones.

For Starters:

It is an odd thing really, sitting down in your cinema seat after the most hectic day of your life and preparing yourself to see Star Wars. This is because quite simply, you can't do it. You cannot prepare yourself for this movie, no matter how hectic your day was or how many spoilers you saw, this film will have you gripping the arm rests of your theatre seats in an almost constant state of shock. For Episode II is not like any other Star Wars film you have ever seen.

THE GOOD STUFF:

As I suggested before, Lucas has done something truly different with this film, in that every few scenes you will see of hear something to make you almost cry out in genuine surprise. (possible spoilers) The first such of these incidents comes in straight away with the destruction of Padme's royal starship. Even though I knew it was going to happen it was still a shocking moment, and definately not a gentle way to open the film. Even more shocking for me however, is the moment in Padme's appartment after Anakin thwart's Zam Wessel's second asasiantion attempt. The two Jedi's attention is immeadiately drawn to the droid hovering outside the window,
promptly followed by Obi Wan making a flying jedi jump right through the glass window! Wow. I didn't see that comming! Happily the film is full of priceless little moments like this which I hope to capture once again when I see the film for a second time.

Next the acting. I don't care what anyone says about this aspect, because the acting in this film IS far improved of that in the Phantom Menace, this time giving each character a great deal of...character. Ewan McGregor produces a truely entertaining, funny and believeable Obi Wan, showing characterisitics akin to 007 at more than one point. A good thing I assure you. Hayden Christiensen provides a strong Anakin Skywalker, delivering almost every line with something of the lustfull, adolescent, deeply confused Padawn that will one day become the Dark Lord of the Sith. Admitedly the dialogue he has to deliver is difficult and awkward at times, but something tells me that this is exactly what Lucas and Hales intended. This is because even the very bad lines are delivered with a huge amount of effort and emotion behind them. (I have spent some time going over that "sand" line in my head.) Natalie Portman and Samuel Jackson aslo deliver solid and occasionally excellent performances in their fleshed out roles. Frank Oz's Yoda is aslo amazing in this film and I just adored the "Master" in his extened role for this movie.

Need I mention the special effects? Okay then. Quite simply, they are outstanding. For many people they will see very little new in the quality of these effects because the major change in this film is in the style of the CG. Air brushed backgrounds and a much moodier colour palette make this film's look much artier than previous Star Wars films. This pays off as well in some of the bigger action scenes, and prevents them from becoming 2D and characterless.

Other good bits? Well all the action sequences are beyond reproach, especially the arena battle and the chase through Coruscant. The script and story is also less twee and more meaty than Episode Ones, providing much more action and emotion. Jango and Boba Fett deliver quite well as secondary villians in the film even if their roles are cut (?) a little short. The aliens and monsters in the film have considerably more thought and uniqueness bestowed on them,(especially the three in the arena battle.) Lastly Ian McDirmid's Palpaine is getting more emporer like all the time, and Lee's Dooku is a fantastically Dark and menacing villian for us to whatch, and fascinating to learn about.

THE BAD STUFF:

Okay the films not perfect, but hey, what were you expecting?

The dialogue in this film is, most of the time, very good, occasioan

 

I saw AOTC at the DLP screen at Cinemark Legacy in Plano, TX at 4:00 PM on Thursday May 16th, 2002.

I will sum up what affected me the most.

This is by far the most emotional Star Wars film I've ever seen. To add to that, this is also possibly the most artistic film George has ever done.

Certain emotional scenes stand out for me on this, particularly Cliegg Lars' words at Shmi's burial, Anakin's speech to Padme after the slaughter, of course the scene where Shmi dies, and even the scene where Dorme sheds a tear while bidding farewell to Padme. These were very human elements, and for me, they worked like a charm.

As for artistic scenes, I point to the scene just before Anakin goes off to find Shmi. As Padme leaves the Lars hovel, she walks out of camera, and the shot lingers on her shadow and Anakin's. This is far more artistic than anything in George's previous movies, and really surprised me. I also liked how (when Anakin was relating the slaughter to Padme), the camera kept on Anakin's face, but also cut to Padme to catch her reaction! Not only did it cut to her, but also the camera slowing was moving closer to her.

In my opinion of the acting, Hayden nailed Anakin down. He never sounded nearly as whiny as Luke, and he has already shown more soul than Luke ever did. Ewan McGreggor was exceptionally good as Obi-wan, and Natalie was simply good enough to be Leia's mom; no more, no less. However, she looked simply stunning. Kudos to the costume and make-up people. Maybe they should get some recognition this time around, you think?

In terms of photography, Roger Ebert is smoking crack. He is dead wrong on this, because the digital image was ALWAYS beautiful and right on! The last movie I saw in the theaters to have a "live" picture anywhere this good was Gladiator, and it was the opening shot with Russell Crowe's hand atop the grains of wheat.

In terms of music, it was always there when it was needed and then fell into the background when it wasn't. You can't ask more from music.

On the subject of visual effects, there was only one thing that I thought looked odd, and it was the hovering prisoner cart, carrying Anakin and Padme. Everything else looked great to me...yes, even Anakin riding the Reek.

The story worked for me...nuf said.

The dialogue seemed odd at the beginning, but it got pretty good very quickly.


Personal highs include the human emotion and artistic elements George has included in this one. I also LOVED Dexter Jettster's diner. I could not stop laughing/enjoying that scene. It was wonderful!

Here are the low points.

I don't like the final battle. It was well executed to be sure. However, an all-out battle of the scale at the end of AOTC, is NOT in the spirit of Star Wars. In every Star Wars film, the "good guys" have either beaten or escape from the bad guys because they were more cunning. In TPM, they lured the army away from the city, so they could infiltrate the palace and get the viceroy. In ANH, the rebels were clearly outgunned, but their most skilled pilots took out the Death Star's main weakness. In Empire, through skill and cunning, the rebels are constant escaping trouble. In ROTJ, the rebels (outnumbered in space and with worse technology on the ground) still are able to outwit the empire. However, in AOTC, the good guys win only due to brute force! All they did was send in a bunch of clones to mop up the droids.

There was no real structure or goal to the battle either. "Kill all the droids" was essentially the goal. Wow, gee. I wonder how the good guys can possibly accomplish this with all these clones running around?!
The fight with Dooku between Obi-wan and Anakin was also not nearly as intense as what we've seen in TPM. As for all of those who were concerned about seeing Yoda fighting, rest assured. You DON'T see Yoda fighting. You see a swing lightsabre with its occupant always clouded in shadow.
This is the one SW that did not get my heart pumping in the end.

Last but not least. The audience I was with lau

 

Leaving the theater, I reviewed in my mind all of the reviews of the film that I had hitherto read. I found that many critics were on the ball with their statements and many fans likewise.

Of this I can say, the dialogue and pacing was vastly improved over the previous film and I loved the contentions between Anakin and Obi-Wan. Fantastic.

I actually enjoyed Jar Jar in this one, and as George Lucas was stating, he fits better in the series. (And I think Ahmed Best will appreciate hearing that too).

I also loved C-3P0 and his encounters with doom. Spectacular. One critic expressed that there was little point to his being in the film, but I find that it made superb comic relief and it felt like I again reunited with an old friend.

Yoda. I want to rewind and rewatch that scene over and over and over again. I can't believe I just watched him do that. Out comes the lightsaber in the smoothest of manners and just... wow!

Flaws:
George, the fireplace scene: please fix it.
The dialogue there was freaky and disturbing and just not romantic at all. My skin was crawling.

Timeline. There seems to be too many jumps back and forth between the Anakin romance and the Obi-Wan detective scenes where I felt two things:
that there was a developing inconsistancy in the timeline (that would have made a dang long trasmission from Obi-Wan to get a hold of the Jedi on Coruscant - did it feel like he waited all night?) and that the romance scenes were cut short. It felt like it should have at least had the scenes paired into clusters.

Transparent Jedi. Jedi hall, Mace, Yoda, and Obi-Wan chatting (as I recall), and in the background: two transparent Jedi. Oops.

Otherwise, I liked the movie. I even started liking the Trade Federation guy (Nute Gunray as I recall) and loved his determination to have Padme shot.
"Shoot her, kill her, do something!!!!!"
Very nice.

For all the minor flaws that there were, I left the theater wanting to rewind the last hour of the film and watch the climax again and again and again. Hence, this movie goes on the must see again list and must own on DVD.

Thank you, George Lucas, this film actually made Phantom Menace better and I now understand what it is you're up to.. we're now five hours into the eight hour prequel movie and I am now waiting for the climax!!!

 

I would just like to deeply apologize for any foul language I may have had in my post. I copied and pasted it from where I wrote it before, and I forgot to fix it. When I went back, it was too late to edit my message, so I apologize!

Laura

 

I saw it twice Thursday and don't plan on slowing down. This is my new favorite Star Wars movie!!! These are VERY strong words coming from me. I loved everything about it. The special effects were amazing, they finally know how to make alien skin!! I loved all of it!!!

 

What did I think of AotC? I loved it! I can't see why people thought it was boring....

okay...i went into this film as I have in all star wars movies; viewing it as any sane person would do a piece of fine art. Hear me out: You can appreciate the art piece without knowing it's context, but it's only after you know the motives, views, style, symbolism and other aspects not right-outly told that you actually can judge the art rightly. I mean, sure..any critic can say SW sucked....they're used to comparing Julia Roberts movies to Sean Penn movies....I mean, come on! SW is a whole different animal.

Anyway....I loved the movie. I was asked what my favorite part was last night...I really, for the first time in a SW movie, can't answer that question..yet. If I had to say one right now, it's be the clonetroopers fending off and fighting, in general. I loved Yoda as most people did, butit wasn't like, the best moment...although I can see this movie bieng quoted by that scene.

The dialogue wasn't like on par to a spielberg movie..or any given contemporary film like that. No...but it's best that way.
It's a mythological story..we wouldn;t wanna see Hercules or Moses or some other character like that spout out some contemporary dialogue.. same with the new Naboo Queen. Most of the critics are saying the speech is too flat n rigid....well, I really didn;t see that much more than in a Shakespeare play or something from the Bible.
Get over it, people.
Visually, the movie was spectacular, and defintely wins my art direction award for the SW films to this point. I had the great oppurtunity to see it on a DLP screen, and let me tell you...it was a dream. There were many many parts where the camera captured images as my eye does, but one that comes to mind is when Padme falls from the gunship to the sandy ground...I swear i saw freckles.
When Obi-Wan is talking to one of the Kaminoans, you can see the WEAVE of his robe..I mean, damn.

Problems with AotC? Not many, offhand. if I don't come up with one or two, you'll think i was praying at Lucas' feet or something..If i had to really judge this critically..yoda was a bit too fluid..we didn't see enough of the lars' homestead.. the clones were too cgi..we should have seen more of the Jedi melee battle.

With that said, here's waiting till tomorrow to see it again!
Maybe then i'll be a bit more critical...


SW ratings scale....

1) AOTC
2) ESB
3) ANH
4) ROTJ
5) TPM

 

let me start off by saying this: definitely better than the phantom menace...maybe even better than a new hope. now where do i go from there...maybe it was me just growing up a little, or perhaps there was more emotion in this movie than any of the previous ones. shmi's death really got to me...looking at the ol' skywalker place was weird but nice. i hope lucas develops more on the lars family in episode iii.

john william's score for this was fantastic, but i felt at points that the music during the transition from one scene to another was out of place.

the acting in this movie definitely had its ups and downs. i thought natalie portman did a better job in this one, but still seems a bit stiff/stale. i was disappointed in ewan mcgregor's performance...although he didn't perform too badly, i thought his performance was actually a bit worse than what he did in the phantom menace. however, i think daniel logan as boba fett really stood out as the worst actor...sorry, p51. i hope he does a better job if he appears in episode iii. i guess it doesn't run in the "family" though, because i thought the three best actors in this movie were temuera morrison as jango fett, christopher lee as count dooku, and a bit of a surprise...hayden christensen. i'd say christopher lee delivered the best performance, then hayden, then temuera. other actors in this movie like samuel l. jackson, jimmy smits, etc., didn't really stand out as being good or bad actors...kind of in between...

i'd have to say that the fight between obi-wan and jango was the best in the movie...kept me on my toes for a bit. the battle at geonosis was great...but i thought the obi-wan/anakin/dooku/yoda fight was just so-so. it was amusing to see yoda fight (only one of two times the audience clapped and cheered, other was at the beginning of the credits), but i thought it was a bit overdone.

going to the love story...i thought it was alright. when padme and anakin first kissed, i was like "what in the world are they doing?!?!?!" i thought it was WAY too fast to even go to kissing...and it was nice to see them get married at the end, but again, i thought it was a bit fast to do all that...i would've preferred the wedding to be in the first half of episode 3...but i guess it was okay where lucas put it. it's gonna be interesting to see lucas wrap it up in episode 3, so i guess that's why he put the wedding at the end of aotc, to get it out of the way.

c-3po was great in this, i laughed at least a several times when he was on...r2d2 was nice, as always. i thought jar jar was actually a bit annoying in this one...i think he was better in episode i...i bet a lot of people won't agree with me on that. i think it was because there was more of the gungan stuff in episode i, and in episode i, jar jar was it as far as the gungans went...so he was definitely out of place. it's not as annoying when done in a group, i guess.

7.25/10

 

This is what movies are all about.

I just got back from watching, no, experiencing this latest piece of the Star Wars saga. I loved EVERY minute of it. I had a smile on my face the entire time. I can't remember being entertained by movie this much since the Matrix.

I honestly don't understand what all these critics are talking about. The acting was good, occasionally shakey, but overall very good. Hayden did a great job, Ewan was excellent, and Natalie, well, she could just hold up a sign with her lines on it and I'd be happy (she is so hot!).

The love story worked for me. I'm sure it could have been made more emotional with more screen time, but then it would have slowed the movie down.

All the reviews mention that it doesn't come alive until the last 45 minutes. This is totally false. I was entertained for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes. There weren't any scenes that I thought should be edited out (unlike TPM).

For a Star Wars fan, this movie delivers in a major way. The detail put into the planets, technology, vehicles, everything is incredible. There is so much to look at, so many cool little details to notice. For example: the beard on Watto, the way the clothing on the Kamino aliens moved perfectly, the sports on TV in the background of the bar scene. It was all amazing and I have go back ASAP so my eyes can grab another handful of goodies.

Side note: I saw the DLP version. I have to say it looks amazing. The green screens before each trailer told the story, pure solid green, no hairs, blotches, or scratches. I could tell that the trailers were converted from film because you could see the film grain. Not so for the movie. There were times when text was on the screen that you could see a hint of pixellation, like a computer monitor, but it was almost imperceptable. There was only one bad thing I noticed, there was a distinct buzzing sound coming from the center speakers during the quiet portions of the movie. A minor distraction, and I'm not sure if it was typical of DLP or just something wrong with this particular setup. Overall, I'd say this is definitely better than film.

Pure Star Wars entertainment.

I give it a solid 10 with no reservations.

 

STAR WARS: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

The Force is with us.

I don't think that anything I say about this movie will do it justice until you see it for yourself. I know the experience will be different for every viewer, fan or non-fan alike, but Attack of the Clones isn't a movie that can be explained in words. It's an immersive experience that draws you in and spits you back out feeling as if you've been swallowed by a space slug and then fed some sort of narcotic that will keep you high for about the next 48 hours.

Let me start off by saying that if you're expecting something like a movie from the original trilogy, AOTC is NOT it. Neither in storyline, nor in character development, nor in graphics, nor in plot. I think the thing that most struck me after I saw this movie is that there will never be another trilogy. I think the reason many people were disappointed after seeing The Phantom Menace is that they expected another A New Hope. The Prequel trilogy is not meant to replace the original trilogy. Nor is it meant to supercede the original trilogy in size and scope. Perhaps even "Prequels" is a mistaken term...maybe we should have called them "Backstory Episodes." AOTC makes it very clear that ANH, ESB, and ROTJ were the Original Star Wars and that no movie made now, however good, can be another Original Trilogy. Classics cannot be cloned.

What the Prequels do instead is add on to the original trilogy. If Star Wars is about Luke Skywalker and the redemption of Darth Vader, the prequels provide explanations. How exactly did Vader become the "more machine than man" that we see in the classic trilogy? What were his motives? How did the Republic fall? AOTC answers all of those questions, to a fuller extent than I could imagine.

The special effects are probably they first thing you'll notice about this film. If you thought the effects in TPM were over the top...well, think again. There are long sequences, as much as 30 seconds to a minute long in places, in AOTC that are entirely digital. While it does provide a dazzling effect, I personally sometimes felt it was a bit too much over the top. I said above that the prequels are meant to add on to the original trilogy, but as the guy sitting next to me said, "When my daughter watches Star Wars for the first time in five years, she's going to be wondering why for three movies, the duels are so damn awesome, and then for Episode 4, all they do is chop at each other a few times." I don't think that toning down the SFX in AOTC would have been that much of a problem, for continuity's sake between the prequels and the original. Most of the "large scale" planet scenes, such as on Kamino, Geonosis, and Tatooine felt like this to me, especially Tatooine because this is "home territory" to most of the Star Wars movies. Coruscant I didn't mind so much, because it was more appropriate for SFX there, being the capital world of the Republic (and my personal favorite planet ever since i read Shadows of the Empire...but anyway ^_~)

Special effects aside, the main storyline is amazing. The love story seemed a little rushed at times, but I suppose it's a Star Wars thing. The dialogue at the beginning was a bit stilted, and I found myself wondering at the beginning why they were inserting all this bogged down dialogue between faced-paced action scenes. I suppose they had to do it somewhere, though. This is a galaxy that is still somewhat a democracy, after all, and board meetings are a must. The only time we see any diplomatic meetings of any sort in the original trilogy is on the first Death Star with Tarkin, Motti, Tagge, and the rest of the commanders. The second half of the film flew by, as opposed to the first, once things got going. The foreshadowing is off the wall, and I must confess I really didn't expect that part with the Death Star, but the more the merrier, I guess. Though I wonder what they're going to do with these plans...it can't have taken 20 years to build the original Death Star. The second Death Star was completed (

 

you've got to be kidding,right?did i see the wrong film?AOTC was devoid of plot- structure,character development or motivation.
people don't just fall in love...see baz luhrmanns ROMEO AND JULIET for any of that,where exactly are the clone army going at the end...what is the 'clone war' being fought over?
is is race,religion or land?
and what happens to shmi and the others graves(or did the desert just swallow them up?)
and how many sequences came straight out of a video game?one,two,three,four...still counting.
the only acting worth mentioning was OBI-WANand JANGO FETT meeting in FETTS apartment.EWAN MCGREGOR carries the whole film,even with his FAKE beard.the only other good performance is WATTO!
ho-hum.

 

Anyways, I'm giving this an 8/10. Better than TPM by my count. How AOTC, as well as TPM and Ep. II compare with the OT will be determined in six or seven years when I can view all six films in order and in one sitting.

I'll start with my gripes. First off, the dialogue. Most of it wasn't bad, but not good either. However there were times when it got downright bad. As an aspiring screenwriter, AOTC is not a sample script I should read for inspiration. Granted, people have said there was bad dialogue in the OT. I watched ESB last night and I just didn't hear it. Though maybe its me...

Maybe this is a side effect of the bad dialogue, but Hayden's acting didn't impress me. I thought he expressed the anger well after his mother's death. Though other times it seemed like he delivered lines like he was a stereotypical teenager and everything was an inside joke. Once again, might just be me...

Portman did a fine job. Though, I was probably blinded by the fact how beautiful she is and that outfit she wore during the gladiator type sequence

The love story, aka "The Courtship of Luke's Father" was nothing special. A bit cheesy, but I've seen worse.

The good. I thought many things went well here. The special effects were an essential part to tell the story. Thankfully the effects were done well by ILM. Now I can see one reason why GL waited so long to do the prequels. I loved the fore shadowing. There is too many to list here, but from Obi-Wan telling Anakin that "he'll be the death of me someday" to the Death Star plans, to the Imperial March theme playing while Palpatine looks over the clone army. Fantastic. The action sequences were done well as were some of the suspense even though we know who lives and dies.

The showdown between Dooku and Yoda drew the biggest stirs in my theatre. Seeing them two duel using the force and sabers was fun. In fact, when the whole saga is over, Yoda "whipping it out" may one of the highlights.

Overall. When I walked out of Episode I, my first-run SW movie in a theatre, I felt underwhelmed. Honestly I probably got caught up in all the hype and just put the movie behind me. I took some time off from the franchise, picked it up again, saw this movie and felt refreshed again. I am very excited about Ep. III and the fact of watching the complete saga in order. Sure the movie gets off slow with enough political and love stuff to throw casual fans off, but it picks up to cap off a worthy installment in the SW franchise. Bring on 2005!

Also a sly move by Lucas: He made Jar Jar so repulsive in TPM that made most people hate him. Now after seeing AOTC, you know he is indirectly responsible for the Empire. Jar Jar takes Padme's spot as Senator from Naboo and is partially talked into by Palpy into creating an amendment to allow a Republic army. Who wants to bet that the Re[ublic/Empire opposition forces kill Jar Jar in Ep. III for his little creation? I guess on a sense of things, Jar Jar started it all...

 

First off let me say that this is the movie i have most anticipated in my life. Though i have remained as spoiler free as possible, i still had high expectations for the film. And i can honestly say that not only did it meet my expectations, but it blew them away. I would give it a 9 out of 10.
As most people would agree, the highlight of the movie was seeing Yoda in action. It kicks butt. The acting i believed was in most cases excellent. I thought that Hayden was great in making you believe that he will eventually become Vader. The scene that stood out was when he killed the Tusken Raiders and was telling Padme about it. Ewan McGregor was also great and resembled Alec Guinness in many ways. Other great performances were Christopher Lee as Dooku, Sam Jackson, and as alway Ian McDiarmad as Palpatine. The one performance i was a bit dissappointed by was Natalie Portman. I though she was flat and dull in many scenes.
I was also glad to see many familiar faces from the other movies. I though that C3PO and R2-D2 were a great comic relief. I also enjoyed the father-son relationship between Jango and Boba Fett. I even enjoyed Jar Jar's few moments in the film. I thougt it was an overall great movie, and would dare say its the best yet. Lastly i thought the ending was a great foreshadowing.

 

Well Jaimie69, you are entitled to your opinions. However, your post not only comes across as rude, your opinion also falls on deaf ears.

SW fans are more critical than anyone when it come to the movies. Look at the heated debates that TPM stirred up. I think you will find that MOST fans feel that they have been given a very, very worthy addition to the saga. Arguing your point in such a manner will not win you any points here. Get over it. If you didn't like it, fine, too bad. Don't come around and try to piss in our pool, all it will get you is flamed.

Better go watch Spidey again....now that was a masterpiece.


Now, onto my review.

Loved it. Nuff said.

 

I would like to begin this by sharing a tale of personal torment... I am the staff Star Wars fanatic at my job. Everyone knows it and has some fun with it (me)! Thursday night I arrived at work, a shift with the hours of 6pm. to 2am. This is only a problem every 3 years when there's a midnight preview that I'm responsible for viewing! I was greeted by a copy of a local theatre ticket from my boss, on it scribbled, "Guess what I'm seeing tonight! My signicant other has an employee who bought an entire block of tickets, a gave us a pair! Guess it pays to have a friend in the Force after all!!! Have a nice evening!" Needles to say, I had to excuse myself and have a good cry.....

I truely suffer my luv for these movies. I did get to see EP2 on Friday and would like to venture some ideas for the gallery.
First let me say, digital is awesome and don't let anyone tell you there's not a difference in viewing!

My criticisms (which I will dispense with quickly) are reflectant of an old timer, in Star Wars years. Pace is a difficulty in this outing. Not the kind of pace as most of us have commented on with TPM but, pace that is covered under the directors responsibility. The actors seem like they are really trying to please Mr. Lucas. They generally seemed a bit detached from a promise of emotional fulfillment. In the retreat/fireplace scene with Ani and Padmi, for example, I almost imagined in my slightly deranged mind that I heard George call for action, they delivered the lines, widened the shot out to see the set, then I could hear him call "cut"! Also in the Jango/Obi apartment scene, theer was a slight "waiting" effect to the delivery of the lines. A sort of "check for thumbs up from Papa Bear G" then go for it!!!

I was really begging for dialogue between Mace and Obi-Wan when they were back-to-back in the arena. Dialogue other than C-3po's harping (I did not have a problem with that) maybe from some of the Jedi Knights would have exclamated their grandeur a little. I didn't know any of the supporting Jedi any better than I did at the beginning. Music should not take the place of dialogue.

My good list.
Hayden, I dig ya! Whiny, arrogant and DEAD ON as Anakin! His emotional exchange with Obi-Wan while on the Republic battle transport was really a portal to greater conflict for those two in the next one.

Ewan,you're Obi-Wan is a thing of beauty! Wry, physical, dedicated and already a bit tortured.

Christopher Lee, you've sent a chill down my spine for years!!! The champ in this movie, as far as I'm concerned. The carressing of our heroes, laced with contempt filled mockery, nearly turned me to the dark side!

Yoda as Military leader and Warrior, astounding! The fact that his "nulifyng" of Dooku was carried out while Ani and Obi were knocked out, is a testimony to his humility and power.

I thought the film was very colorful and went very good. Nothing sank far for me. I would like to score EP2 a 7 out of 10.

Thanks for your time and go Ep3!!!
Peptin

 

Worth the Wait.

I enjoyed this movie alot. I thought the effects were grand the action scenes were intense and the romance between Anakin and Amidala was satisfying. My only complaint that I can see were that there was alot of meetings and explanations going on that may have been lost on all newbies to the Star Wars universe. 1.This movie really doesn't cater to those people at all, 2. I wish Lucas had been daring enough to show Anakin's slaughter, 3. The romance between Anakin and Padme didn't have to be thin. A few more scenes of flirtation or passion or even unrequited love would have gone a long way to strenghtening the romance and I'm a guy. As it stands, if it wasn't for that one line Padme gives Anakin before they enter the arena, their relationship is more one of protection and infatuation. Episode II in reflection is still such a jammed packed treat for the fans of Star Wars that speaking for myself I truly believe that the tradition continues and without so many questions left unanswered I can't wait for Episode III. P.S. The loose ends this film presents brings a very downcast outlook for Episode III. I actually like Anakin Skyywalker and it is such an irony that he is to become the evil Lord Vader.

 

I went into the movie with mixed expectations. I was well aware that it had already been panned by the media and was somewhat afraid I had another TPM to sit through.

After seeing it once at midnight the 16th I really liked he movie and would have ranked it just behind ANH at 3rd on my list of SW movies.

After I watched it again today, I would rank it as on par with ESB. Stripped of my worries by my first viewing, I was able to actually sit and simply enjoy the movie ( faults included, and there are faults ) for what it is. What it is is pure Star Wars...nothing more and nothing less.

 

I saw "Attack of the Clones" yesterday and was blown away. While there was plenty of action in the first half of the film,nothing quite prepared me for the dazzling blitz of action during the finale! But first things first.

While some have complained about the love story being trite, I had no problems with it whatsoever. I thought Hayden struck all the right notes as a young man tempted by what his order ordains he should not have. And Natalie did a fine job resisting his charms for a while. For those who thought the romance wasn't given time to build, desperate times forced these character to act more quickly than they normally would have. Anakin's loss of his mother and the fact they maybe wouldn't survive the arena brought it all to the forefront.

Anakin's disobedience to Obi-Wan and his growing ego (pumped by Palpatine)were nicely played by Hayden and his anger after finding his mother was intense!

Ewen as Obi-Wan continues to make strides toward the Obi-Wan we all know in the original. His humor came out in this film and his purity (especially in his refusal to join Dooku) reminded one of Luke's similar refusal to the Emperor.

Instead of an out and out review,from this point I'll just list my favorite parts as there are many.

Obi and Anakin "feeling" danger at the same time and rusing to Padme's aid and slicing up the Kouhuns left by the assassin droid.

Obi's leap through the glass onto the flying droid, Zam's shooting him down and Ani's subsequent rescue of him.

Anakin losing his saber while clinging to Zam's speeder and Obi catching it.

Obi using the Force to convince the young alien to stop selling death sticks.

Zam's changling effects. Zam's hotness as a woman.

Padme's hotness as woman.

Obi's trip to Kamino to view the clone factory and the groovy looking Kamino aliens.

His tense confrontation with Jango in his quarters,while Boba glares at him.

The fight of course and Boba cheating by firing from Slave One on Obi.

The whole fight in the asteroid belt and the charges that explode first then are followed by a delayed noise that rocked the theater.

Ani and Padme in the ship on their way to Naboo and R2 getting turned down by the cook. "No droids!"

Yoda's flying seat while talking to Obi-Wan and Mace about Anakin.

Anakin finding he has a step-family and then finding his mother in the Tusken Raider camp. And of course his rage brought upon them.

Dexter Jettster's and his diner. Like that Dex!

Yoda teaching the young Padawans with their mini-sabers and his comment about the wonders of a child's mind. Very touching.

The reappearance of Watto and his obvious nostalgia at seeing Anakin.

C3P0 and his joy at seeing "the Maker" and the beginning of his love/hate friendship with R2,complete with insults.

Obi-Wan's capture by Dooku and Obi trapped in the energy field.

Padme and Anakin's adventure in the droid-building factory and R2 and 3P0 having a difficult time of it too. Especially 3P0 switching heads. His comment of "Well,shut me down!" was hilarious.

Jar-Jar unwittingly playing into Palpatine's plans by giving him special authority to authorize a Republic Army.

The funky flying Geonosians.

The Super Battle Droids. Very cool.

The Arena Beasts-especially the Reek,that the 3 heroes end up riding. Anakin using his mind control to tame the beast.

The Jedi,especially Mace busting up the event. Mace saying,"This party is over!"

His battle with Jango and the end result.

Kit Fisto-my personal favorite of the supporting Jedi. He either strikes someone or uses his Force "push" on them and smiles broadly. I like this dude.

The total blitz of the arena battle. It was impossible to catch everything at once. I've only seen the movie once, so I'll be looking for more things on subsequent viewings. Just to see all those Jedi rushing the bad guys was overwhelming and something I've wanted to see for a long time.

Yoda flying in,leading the troops and saving the day. The way he stood right on the edge of the door while the ship swooped aroun

 

up