Official *** I've seen the movie, here are my thoughts**** thread

Just got back from the theatre. WOW! AOTC was so good I loved everything about it. From the Courscant chase to the Yoda/Dooku fight, just incredible! Who are all these critics saying that the acting is bad? I didn't find anything wrong with the acting even though some lines weren't necessarily Shakespear type. I thought that there would be more of the Tusken Raider slaughter but it turned out to be about 5 seconds. However, I still loved it. Great work George!

 

Fantastic!!!!! Better than ROTJ, better than TPM. Not quite as good as ESB or ANH.
I thought Hadyn was brilliant. I even shed a tear or two. And his confession to Padme about the tuskens sent shivers down my spine.

My one and only complaint: too much reliance on CGI. I preferred the days when what you saw on the screen looked solid and not 2D. All this filling in the background later seems inferior to the good old days of cardboard sets.

 

Something strange happened this afternoon, on my 3rd visit to see AOTC! (I saw it 2 times last night...... I was a late starter) As the Star Wars theme erupted into the End Credits, half of the theatre started clapping. I have NEVER experianced this in a British Cinema. Just thought I would tell you all that!

After 3 visits to Attack of the Clones, I am now ready to post an opinion, infact I was ready after the first time I saw it last night. This movie is amazing! In my view it really is nothing short of a Cinematic Masterpiece! It had me completely hooked from the moment I first saw the Naboo Space Ship flying the Courascant. And, it just got better and better from that moment.
I thought the performances were outstanding. Especially Hayden Christensen's Anakin..... I thought he was wonderful, much better than Mark Hamill (in a much harder role than Hamill had) Ewan Mcgregor is making Obi-Wan his own. Christopher Lee and Ian Mcdiarmid were fantastic as the villains. Ian just get's better and better with each film. Natalie Portman was weak at times, but on the whole even she rose to the occasion. She came into her own with Hayden. The love story worked very well for me. OK, some of the lines were cheezy, and it was a little rushed. (How is this differant from Luke becoming an *almost* Jedi Knight in just 3 scenes, during ESB?) In Star Wars time means nothing....... Maybe we didn't see them on Naboo for a couple of weeks? Whatever, I thought the Romance was touching and well played...... It worked for me. Audiance reaction seemed OK, all the 3 times I saw it, nobody groaned or laughed.
The Kamino scenes were wonderful, and helped break up the romance, so even if anybody did think it was dragging, on Naboo, it quickly cut away to Obi-Wan. The scenes with the Cloning facilites, I found quite chilling. For me though, the film came into it's own on Tatooine. Right from Anakins meeting with Watto, you could feel the tension building. And as he zoomed off into the desert, with all the operatic wonder of Duel of the Fates blasting away, you could feel doom desending.
I was very moved by Shimi's death scene, even though I knew what was going to happen. I could really believe those were real tears Hayden was crying...... I could feel his hate, as he launched into his murderous rage. I loved the cut away to Yoda, just as Qui-Gon was being woken up from the dead. Why didn't Yoda tell Mace he had heard Qui-Gon?
The confession was the most disturbing moment in the Saga so far, and once again, Hayden rose the occasion. The hate in his eyes, the tears streaming down his face..... I can't rave about Hayden enough, he was fantastic.
Now I want to give a couple of complaints, minor, though they are! 1. I thought the Geonosis assembly line battle went on too long. 2. I would have liked to hear a scream from Anakin as Dooku chopped off his arm. 3. Actually, I can't come up with a 3rd complaint!
I thought the Love pledge was very moving, John Williams, like in all the other love scenes, helped me believe in the love these two were sharing in their darkest moment. The Arena battle was wonderful. Did Mace and Dooku look at one another when Mace killed Jango? Do Dooku and Mace share some secret? Or was Mace just warning Dooku, thats Jango dead...... Your next?
BTW, I loved Jango, Boba, Zam, Dexter, the Lars, all those slightly less important characters. I felt sorry for Boba, as he held his fathers head/helmet.
I loved the Jango/Obi-Wan fight in the rain, I loved Slave 1. I wasn't that keen on the Asteroids, though. I have missed out the Chase through Courasant, again, I loved this sequence...... It was soooooo Blade Runner-esque.
The lightsaber battles were great, as I say, my only problem with them was no scream from Anakin....... Can't think why George didn't put that in?
This is, as so many people have said, YODA'S FILM!!!!!!!!!!!
As his shadow fell across the floor, you could hear a collective gasp from the audiance. And then the battle. It was amazing! The theatre laughed (not in a mocking way, but in awe) and on all 3

 

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I just walked out of the theatre about an hour ago with my wife, and we were talking about how great of a movie we just saw.

I came over to my parents house to help my mother prepare for my brother's graduation party tomorrow when I just had to get online and read more about this movie. Let me say this: Monday night, I had a stomach ache after Boston Public and the cliff hanger they gave us, forcing us to wait a week for the finale. That PALES in comparison to what I'm feeling now.

I just told my wife that I'm lightheaded and that my head is spinning. Were some of the scenes forced? Yeah, but you know, when Anakin and Padme were going out to the gladiator arena to be executed, I feel that the scene in which she tells him how much she loves him is now the second best Star Wars scene (next to "I am your Father.") The passion they showed there, the intensity, the love; they honestly thought they were going to die, and they were not afraid because they would die together. My friends, that is love.

But the scene that still has my head spinning was the total and utter annihilation of the Tusken Raiders by Anakin. It is really haunting when you consider it. Anakin, full of rage, decapitating the Raiders left and right. Remember what Clegg said: 40 men or so went to rescue here, only what, 4 returned? 36 people died at the hands of the Raiders? And Anakin, full of rage and anger, killed all of them, or, as he said, slaughtered them without even breaking a sweat. This is the first scene of any movie that truly shows how powerful and corrupt the Dark Side really is.

Lucas did a marvelous job IMO with this movie. The way he set up Anakin for his fall in Episode III is going to leave people in tears because of Anakin's fall. Even though he fall has already begun, the audience falls in love with Anakin because of the way he dances so periously close to the Dark Side of the Force. His ultimate fate is going to be highly emotional, mainly because of the way he was set up in this movie.

I loved this movie, and it leaves me wanting more. TPM was good IMO, but lacked in key parts. It was really aimed at bringing in a younger, new generation in of Star Wars fans that maybe had never seen the original trilogy. ATOC gets back to the dark, forboading elements of the original trilogy. It would have been perfect had we been able to see Anakin's full fury against the Tuskens and watched him cut them all down.

Great movie, great saga. Star Wars will go down in history as one of the greatest stories ever told, and will rival priceless and timeless stories of all time, such as The Odessy, Beowulf, and The Illiad.

 

Overall, I must say I really enjoyed ATOC. Much better than EP1 in my opinion. I felt it had a lot more depth.

The visuals were as always, amazing. GL has really created a well-thought out univerese.

The acting was fine in my opinion. The actors may have been a little restrained at times but they managed to put it off. I was impressed on how they were able to express what they were truly thinking by their words.

The dialog was OK. It may not have been as good as some recent films but I saw nothing offensive about it.

The plot was great and I could understand what was going on. As for the love story, well, it was kind of chessy, but I didn't think it was bad. GL just isn't that expreiend with directing romance scenes.

It may have had some flaws, but overall, as a whole, I really enjoyed it. It made me anxious for EPIII.

 

AOTC is a fantastic film. great visuals, & an exciting story, & really good acting made AOTC one good movie experience. i thought Hayden was great as Anakin, especially in the confession scene, & Natalie did a pretty job as Padme. For me, the stand out in the acting department was Ewan. he did a fantastic job as OB1, & he should be great in Episode III. the special effects were good, i enjoyed the love story, & Yoda's duel w/ Dooku was just plain amazing. i really liked how the film focused on 2 plots, & how well they were played out. one the final shots of the film when Palpatine was looking at the mass clone army, w/ the Star Destroyer like ships flying into the air w/ the Imperial March playing on th esoundtarck. i thought C-3PO's humor was right on the mark, w/ he & R2 doing what they do best. AOTC is a really great film experience, & i give kudos to everyone involved.

 

"I cant even put "Movie" into AOTC because I just didnt feel it was anything that any of us couldnt have done ourselves."

-kenoidewi

What a lame man.

 

At the age of 9, I saw Star Wars in the theatre in 1977. I've been hooked ever since.

AOTC is George's finest hour.

AOTC has great acting, great effects and a great storyline. It is simply the best Star Wars movie I have ever seen.

 

DarthLuxor,

It's not for nothing that my handle is "Dissenter1", so I am afraid that I have got to disagree with you on AOTC.

I think AOTC is a simply aweful film, the worst SW film yet by far. Mind you, I am a big fan of the series, and I even liked TPM very much. But I think AOTC is a much weaker film by far.

In my opinion, there are three basic problems with AOTC. First, there is just not enough conflict in the movie. It seems like George Lucas was saving his wad for the last 20 minutes. Up to that time, this is a pretty placid picture, excepting the scenes where Obi-Wan is fighting with Jango Fett.

Second, there is not enough information on the conflict driving the Clone War. Why do the Separatists want to break with the Republic? What are their grievances? Are any of their complaints legitimate? There is no clue in the movie about any of these things.

Third and finally, the dramatic scenes between Anakin and Padme and Anakin and his mother (1 scene) are poorly written and even more poorly directed. George Lucas is still great at directing other kinds of scenes -- scenes with fighting and suspense. But the man seems to have lost his touch at directing actors in romantic situations. He was pretty good at the whole "men and women" thing in "American Grafitti", but I don't know what happened here. The scenes with Anakin and Padme are simply aweful! It's not that Hayden Christensen is a bad actor. Actually, I think his performance was OK, but the lines he had to work with were just godaweful.

Sorry if you other fans out there hate me for my sentiments. Granted, I seem to be in the minority on this one. Then again, I was in the minority on TPM -- a movie that I basically liked very much.

I don't see how AOTC went downhill so badly from TPM. Maybe Mr. Lucas spend too much time working on the special effects versus putting together a good script.

Any thoughts?

 

Dear Jiaobaoyu,

I agree with the complaint about the editing, but I feel that the fault is with the script.

Rather than being choppy, I don't know that AOTC was edited enough. The movie moved very slowly to me.

At the same time, I felt that it should have been longer. There is just so much information that they left out, like WHAT IS MOTIVATING THE SEPARATISTS TO BREAK WITH THE REPUBLIC?

There is never a clue about this in the film. This was a slow-moving movie that never even posed the questions it was supposed to be asking.

Dissenter1

 

alright, I saw this movie the other day, and in all honesty, I thought it was one of the worst scripted pieces of tripe i have ever viewed in my life.

first lets look at the pros
The CGI in this film was very well done. i enjoyed the background, the archetecture and all that. I also liked the sounds. good music and all that, but thats to be expected with star wars.

now lets look what didnt work
the acting... enough said. this was some of the worst acting in a film i have ever seen. what did they just have que cards and that was the first time they read them? it brought me to tears it was so awfull. the script was such trash I was expecting so much more.
also the pointless CGI. that thing with anikin riding that weird animal in the "sound of music" outdoor sceen.... what was that?!? they even did CGI for clone troopers. i mean indavidual clone troopers. when amadala was talking to that one when they fell out of the ship, it was a cartoon!!! this movie reminded me of who framed rodger rabbit except that isnt what i wanted to see.
another thing that bothered me that goes hand in hand with the script is the way they said things. like when they meat Owen lars. he says "well i guess that makes us step brothers" and thats the end of the sceen. cut to a different one. hayden christianson cannot act his way out of a hole! that whole dream with his mother. i died laughing, when he came back from killing all thoes desert dudes, i laughed again.

overall the movie was a waste of time. the only redeming qualities came in the last 40 minutes of the film. the rest of it was just cheese. now, if you could put the film on without dialogue it would be a decent movie, but instead we have to sit through the piles of duece to wait for the action and parts where they dont talk. this movie was like a fancy bag of popcorn with nothing in it. i hope episode 3 is better, because this one is so far the worst of them all. this is more or less the worst movie i have seen in years, comming in after land befor time 4

but i did like the CGI. in fact i loved it. thats what i am going to do for a living, but damn lucas, there is such a thing as overkill

 

I absolutely loved everything about this movie! Highlights for me were Hayden as Anakin - "impressive"! - and Yoda, the facial expressions/emotion/depth of the cgi Yoda & the fight scene.

Hayden Christensen was excellent. Loved the way he flirted with his eyes! Loved the scene where he confesses killing the Tuskens. Just think about the implications of a Jedi killing them all - men, women & children! INCREDIBLE & TRAGIC!

I thought the love story (& John WIlliams' Love Theme) was great.

As for criticisms of the fireplace Anakin/Padme scene: I thought Anakin's dialogue & emotion very believable FOR A YOUNG MAN (what is he 'spozed to be? 19 yrs old?) IN LOVE FOR THE 1st TIME! Don't you remember?! Did you not experience that same "torture" when you fell first and fell hard? For that matter, every time you fall into the first stages of love! You even know it's corny, schmaltzy & over-the-top but you just can't put it any other way! I bet many folk's private first declarations of love aren't very different in that sense. The differences between this scene & many of our own 'love-scenes' lies in the (fore)shadowing of the truly tragic nature of Padme & Anakin's love story and the fact that their "private" declarations of love are broadcast for all to see!

The entire Yoda fight scene is indelibly burned into my brain forever. Especially when he absorbs (or dissapates?) the force-energy blast from Count Dooku. Lucas did an excellent job 'composing' Yoda's whole demeanor through out the film.

Did anyone notice the clones (in red, sitting at the table eating) didn't look to me like Jango but rather like Capt. Typho. Am I crazy? What's up with that? (& what happened to Capt Panaka - he was one of my fav new characters from TPM)

 

Forgive me. This is kinda long, but there is something that I must get off my chest regarding "Attack of the Clones".

I felt I had to see the movie twice in order to give it an accurate assessment, one way or the other.

Other words, I knew I couldn't unequivocally say I hated it just seeing it once, nor could I say that I loved it after seeing it once.

Because, truth is, the first viewing of an anticipated Star Wars film is an odd beast.

When I left the theater the first time, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I know I had liked it, but I wasn't quite sure how much. Cause, all throughout the movie, I was sitting there thinking how dissapointed I was that I knew the film. I was envious of one of my friends who was with me, who (though a casual fan, he is very familiar with the Star Wars story and is wiser than most fanboys in the area), knew virtually nothing about this movie. (BTW, I've got some thoughts on that, but I'll get to that in a minute)

Anyways, I was quite taken back when leaving the theater he told me that he thought that this was the best Star Wars film. Although I had liked the film, I wasn't ready to say it had dethroned "Empire Strikes Back".

So the movie again, this time with my brother and some more friends. This time, I forgot about what I knew and just took in the movie. Whole. Plot. Characters. Visuals.

Watching the film, I couldn't help but feel magic. And leaving the theater, I knew that my feelings were true on this:

IMO, this IS the best Star Wars movie ever.

Blasphemy? Insane assessment? Especially from someone like me who was at times very critical of some random spy reports?

I see now, more than ever, that judging a film by spy reports, scripts, and even novels is utterly stupid. You only get once chance to make a first impression. If I had read in some isolated spy report that Darth Vader was Luke's father, sure it would've been surprising. But it wouldn't have left the long-lasting impact on me that it did when I discovered it for the first time in a darkened movie theater. Back when the OT came out, we (me, my friends, family) didn't watch any trailers. We didn't even read any magazine articles about the movie. We didn't even really anticipate the movie. It just kinda came out, and we went to see it. And we loved it. I think internet fandom hurts this experience more than anything (and as I personally can atest to, in more ways than one). Yet, despite being spoiled to hell, I still couldn't shake that overwhelming feeling that I had after seeing it a second time.

It was time for me to let go of Darth Vader, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia.

All that aside, I don't feel as if I have to defend my stance on this movie. At this point, that feels as silly as defending my love for "Empire". Honestly, I don't think this movie needs excuses, at least for the Star Wars fan. This film speaks for itself.

Now, I can see why your non-Star Wars fan, who isn't familiar with the story, would not like and even hate this movie. It would seem like an incoherent sci-fi/action flik with some romance and mystery mixed. That said, that same person can categorize the great ESB the same way.

But, to me, there is no reason whatsoever why a person who is truly a Star Wars fan (in other words, someone who should be well aware of the story and mythos) would not like or even love this movie. Then again, there are those who claim to be Star Wars fans who don't really like the story and mythos as it is because it doesn't meet their preconceived notions as to what the story should be about. Some want it to a straight-up war flik, with wall-to-wall action. Some want Darth Vader to be an evil bastard who just happened to be born an evil bastard because he was born in the evil bastard nursery and attended the evil bastard pre-school.

But, I accept the story for what it is, and for what it is I don't think it could've been executed any better (at least in terms of this installmnent).

My friend knows what the Star Wars story is about. H

 

Though I enjoyed AOTC immensely, IMHO, I think Lucas made a mistake filming a prequel trilogy rather than a sequel trilogy.

 

After three viewings, I can honestly say this film ranks up there with ESB as my favorite in the series.  I have already begun to cherish favorite scenes and dialogue just as I have with the OT.  

Favorite Moments

? Anakin nervous in the elevator before meeting Padmé.
? Obi-Wan saying "What??" when Anakin questions his judgment about their mandate.
? Obi-Wan jumping through the window onto Zam's droid.
? The entire chase through Coruscant
? Anakin's reaction to Padmé saying he's still just a Padawan.
? Anakin and Padmé's first kiss.  The look on Anakin's face after she rebuffs him is priceless.
? Obi-Wan's meeting with Jango... the tension in that room was palpable.  
? The fight with Jango (those rocketpacks seem pretty unreliable), and the chase through the asteroid field (seismic charges rule!).
? The most powerful sequence in the film, and perhaps the entire trilogy, was Shmi's death, the Tusken massacre, and most of all, Anakin's confession to Padmé.  That was the most emotional, and superbly acted moment in AOTC.  Bravo Hayden!
? Dooku telling Obi-Wan the truth behind the Sith and the Republic senate.  
? The entire conveyor belt sequence.  I love how Anakin uses his lightsaber!
? Padmé telling Anakin her true feelings right before they are brought into the arena.  Easily the best acting by Portman in the prequels so far.
? Obi-Wan's "good job".  Excellent delivery, and great humor.
? The sequence with the arena creatures was great.  I loved how Padmé took care of herself.  
? It was a rush to see the Jedi enter the arena battle.  Tragically, so many of them didn't survive (one nice little touch was seeing Obi-Wan check the pulse of a fallen comrade).
? Boba cradling Jango's helmet.  That moment brought a choke to my throat.
? Yoda entering the arena on the Republic cruiser with the clones.  "Around the survivors a perimeter make!'  
? The entire clone/droid battle, and Yoda's pensive reaction to the violence.
? Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting over saving Padmé after she falls from the cruiser.
? The confrontation with Dooku, and both Jedi's humbling defeat.  Yoda entering the hanger, and the ensuing battle had to be my second favorite scene in the film (right behind Anakin's confession).
? The clone army and ships shown to the Imperial March.  What a powerful moment!
? The wedding scene... so bittersweet.  Anakin smiles at Padmé, but she doesn't smile back.


The Characters


Obi-Wan Kenobi
I loved his "detective" role in this film, and his obvious distase for unnecessary excitement.  He's certainly alot more cautious and reserved that Anakin, although he knows how to protect himself when action is necessary.  Ewan's ability to channel Alec Guiness is stunning...

Anakin Skywalker
My favorite character in the film, tied with Yoda.  Hayden's acting was pitch-perfect, from the impetuous impatience, to the obsession, cockiness, and intolerance for failure.  I couldn't take my eyes off him.

Padmé Amidala
Definitely less wooden in this film than TPM, and she has some geniunely entertaining moments, but overall, I thought Rose Byrne was better in that one scene of emotion when she said goodbye to Padmé.  Natalie Portman seems to have a problem losing herself in the role.

Mace Windu
Awesome.. I loved the few fighting scenes he had.  His authoritative lines OWNED.  I just wish his fight with Jango could have lasted a bit longer.

Jango and Boba Fett
Tem's presence was great in his tense dialogue with Ewan.  Their fight on Kamino made me forget all about the older Boba.  And as for the young clone... I loved that kid. He was the son of a bounty hunter, and very entertaining to watch.  He was genuinely scarred when he witnessed his father's death ? now we know where those braids on his armor come from.

Yoda
What can I say?  The most soulful CGI creation ever.  I loved every moment he was on the screen.  He is the MASTER.

Count Dooku
Very elegant, very intellig

 

I agree with you 100% about Anakin, BithySith. IMO, his character is so complex and I cared about what was happening to him on-screen.

 

Welcome back, Twink_Kee. Welcome back.

 

I've just come from the theatre.
It was fantastic !
Remember that bit when Padme is in pain in the sand, but then suddenly sits up. What strength she has ! And she already knew the Dooku is going to a hangar, this is a subtle hint that she has force powers too and sees the future !

And Anakin just standing there waiting to have his armed chopped off. What a character !
And I liked the how all the dead Jedi disappeared in the arena, it really made my jaw drop.
Hmm, I and wonder why R2 never flies in other SW movies, it was awesome !
Plus with C3PO they made me laugh out loud all the time.

And the tick ! The big tick that Anakin rides in the picnic scene, I almost forgot. That was the highlight of this movie.
I'm anxious to get my hands on the DVD as soon as it is released so I can play back that scene over and over.

11 out of 10

 

Soory, but I would not rate AOTC a 11 out of 10.

I wish the movie would have cut back and forth to Shmi's capture by the Sand People while Anakin and Padme are going to Naboo. I think that would have made the movie a little more interesting when all of the plot preapration dialouge was happening. It also would have introduced the Lars family earlier.

 

Shmi was kidnapped a month before the events of AOTC, Tyler.

I agree with you 100% about Anakin, BithySith. IMO, his character is so complex and I cared about what was happening to him on-screen.

Thanks! I think alot of people agree with our opinion of Anakin. Although he was very flawed, I still felt great compassion for his character.

 

I loved the film. Here's my top 3 highlights of the film:

1. The Tusken Camp and Anakins Confession. Wow, this was one emotional scene. The music when Anakin looks up from his mother's body is amazing. His confession was acted out very well in my opinion, too. "...And I hate them all." His facial expressions were very chilling.

2. Confrontation with Dooku. For a 79 year old man, Christopher Lee did one hell of a job in the lightsabre fights. his tauntings of Obi-Wan were hilarious. And then there's Yoda. I laughed out loud when he drew back his cloak and whipped his sabre out. I think we now know why he is the master.

3. Ewan McGregor. He did a wonderful job slipping into Alec Guiness's shoes. The humor he inspired was hilarious, especially with Anakin. Anakin:"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan: "For a drink". The way he said this had me in stitches.

Overall, i'd give the movie a 9 out of 10 rating. It didn't receive full marks due to the dialogue in the love scenes. It made me cringe a bit.

 

It was STAR WARS!!!

But p l e a s e answer my question:

Lucas said, that Ep.2 will explain why Qui-Gon did not disappear after his death. Did I miss something???

 

GRIFFZ!

Good to have you back! Where you been?!?


EDIT: Jocasta, can you find me a quote where Lucas said that? I believe that he said that this would be discovered over time, not neccessarily in Episode II alone.

 

Sorry, can´t find Lucas quote. Thanks for your answer!