Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Review
by Jerry Saravia (faust668 AT aol DOT com)May 20th, 2002
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
May 17th, 2002
RATING: Three stars and a half
Just to show you the evils of the Internet, the naysayers began their proverbial attacks on George Lucas's anticipated second chapter in the first "Star Wars" trilogy long before he shot a roll of film. Questions abounded like "What kind of title is 'Attack of the Clones'? Are we watching killer tomatoes again? Why bring back Jar-Jar Binks, if ever so briefly? A 'Star Wars' love story? George Lucas has the temerity to write and direct it again after failing miserably with 'The Phantom Menace'?" Forget the naysayers. Forget the hype. If you love "Star Wars" at all, you could care less what anyone else thinks about it or Lucas. I'll say this: "Attack of the Clones" is the best damn "Star Wars" picture since "The Empire Strikes Back," though not nearly as explosive or as entertaining. It is, however, more souped-up, dazzling and character-oriented than "The Phantom Menace" and far more inv olving in every way.
The future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), is now older than his youthful counterpart in "Phantom Menace." He has been under the tutelage of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), a Jedi Knight who is teaching Anakin to be patient before learning the more mature ways of the Force. Anakin does have a way with his lightsaber. He finally meets with former Queen of Naboo, Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a Senator, who is still negotiating peace with other galaxy systems. No sooner is an attempt made on her life that we learn peace is not under advisement at the moment. A separatist movement has begun, notably under the leadership of an evil Jedi, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who is building an army of clones for an apparent war. Nevertheless, Anakin is asked to protect Amidala from danger, while Obi-Wan is in hot pursuit of an assassin, Jango Fett (Temeura Morrison), which leads to the planet where the clones are being assembled by the thousands.
"Attack of the Clones" eschews the cutesy theatrics of "Return of the Jedi" and "Phantom Menace" for a far more serious and sinister tone. It makes sense since Anakin is slowly developing feelings of hate, not to mention unduly love for Amidala. Love, fear and hate - a Jedi craves not these things. When Anakin finds his mother, Shimi (an underused Perilla August, returning from the original), dead by the Tuscan Raiders (Sand People to the rest of you), this Jedi begins a rampage and the seething anger and roots of violence begin to take shape (even Amidala is shaken when she hears of his exploits). We are talking about a man who will eventually cause the death of many Rebels in the future, and it is a sometimes grim experience witnessing Anakin's slow transformation. As Lucas has mentioned, "Episode III" will not have a happy ending.
If writer-director and creator George Lucas is still deficient in any department, it is in the romance angle. Han Solo and Princess Leia always had great chemistry, but that was largely due to Lawrence Kasdan's witty writing in "The Empire Strikes Back." In this film, a romance slowly develops between Anakin and Amidala and, though it is bittersweet, it is not half as romantic or as juicy as any scenes between Solo or Leia. Anakin gives Amidala those beatific smiles and looks but it is too sour to really evoke fireworks (there must be more than a gleam in the eye and cascading waterfalls in the background to elicit any romantic interest. One must remember these are the parents of the future Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia). Yet Hayden Christensen is a charismatic performer, alluding to an edge that is bringing him closer to Darth Vader's character. And Natalie Portman is at least not too stately as in the last film, showing a little more liveliness and some athleticism. She seems to actually move about more, rather than sitting like a zombie in her throne.
Yes, there are some lulls in the pacing. Yes, Lucas doesn't always trust his visual eye completely and cuts away a little too quickly from his beautifully crafted images of landscapes and cityscapes. Yes, the dialogue is often clumsily written (as it always has been). Yes, the annoying Jar-Jar Binks makes a guest appearance, and almost ruins the momentum. However, never has a "Star Wars" movie had such a sonic sweep. This movie swishes and swooshes before our eyes in a way not seen since "Empire." There are so many marvelous sequences, particularly the 40-minute finale, that are guaranteed to give the audience the thrills they have been longing for all along. We are talking multitudes of dueling lightsabers (even the crafty Yoda handles one), spaceships with strange, sonic motor sounds, fantastically grotesque creatures in a gladiator-style tournament, cavernous castles, a rainy city where creatures with enlongated necks (reminding one of "A.I." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind") talk about the clones, bounty hunters with rocket packs, the bantering of old favorites like C-3PO and R2-D2 (both still played by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker), droid factories with lots of furnaces and smoke, "Metropolis" cities with thousands of ships in the skies, Samuel's Jackson's Mace Windu actually sporting a purple lightsaber, asteroid fields, and so on. No one will walk away from "Attack of the Clones" without the look of astonishment from these incredible visuals. Yet Lucas is not entirely interested in visual candy. All of the technical mastery of special-effects and CGI effects in the world mean nothing unless it is in the service of a story. They certainly are. The most striking image is of Anakin, hot on his tail for revenge, on a speeder traveling at super speeds across the desert of Tatooine. Anger is leading closer to the Dark Side of the Force, and by the end of the film, you will certainly feel the darkness settling in. This "Star Wars" is not a festive walk in the park - it is as somber as one expects with occasional flashes of humor.
An ambiguous, open-ended finale (essential as a lead-in to "Episode III") and some of the most stunning visuals in eons, "Attack of the Clones" is damn good fun, if overlong and cluttered with one too many speeches on the Republic. Yes, it is necessary exposition but I'd just as soon learn more about Anakin and his relationship with Padme Amidala and Obi Wan Kenobi. Nothing quite beats the chemistry of the Han Solo-Princess Leia-Luke Skywalker camaraderie of the initial trilogy, but this film has enough appeal and an ominous tone that will leave viewers breathless for more.
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