Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002)

  I consider this my third favorite movie of the series. First and second being V and IV respectively. It had good pacing and a good story. And of course the special effects are top notch, which we have come to expect from Lucas and Co.


This is the movie that was wide open in terms of where it could go. There was nothing that had to be told and no constraints, unlike in VI, I, and III. They could go anywhere they wanted and tell any story they wanted. So George choose to focus on Anakin for the most part as well as starting the Clone Wars (which he has throughly abused due to Cartoon Network, not that I'm complaining mind you.)


The writing and the story
For a George Lucas film the writing wasn't that bad. I would hypothesize that he didn't have any pressure to go anywhere with the story. No loose ends needing to be taken care of. So he was free to begin and end wherever he wanted. So he was free to keep it exciting and free to develop Anakin the way he wanted to. This movie (not the third) shows us why he became the Dark lord. I think the loose ends finally caught up to him in III which is why I give that movie my lowest rating. He also didn't kill Jar Jar so he get any points I give him cut in half for that very reason. Man I hate him. But anyways...


The story is that of Anakin becoming a man, and thereby exposing his passions and weaknesses. He becomes a Jedi Knight between movie II and III in the beloved cartoon Clone Wars so in this movie he is still a padawan. Anakin must make some hard choices in this movie and those choices show who he really is inside. He fights between being a loyal Jedi and falling for his emotions for Padme. He is pulled in two directions between his commitment to no emotional attachments and his love of his mother. It is in fact the love of his mother and Padma that ultimately causes his fall. This is a seed that cannot be removed, rather it is a seed that grows due to his interactions with Padme, his anger towards Count Dooku, and his desire to be the most powerful Jedi ever (which he could have been if these emotions never got in the way.)


The special effects
They are outstanding. Never did the special effects get in the way of the story. Nor did they look cheesy and poor. I'm very pleased with how it came out. It is awesome that ILM has the technology to create the huge armies and a fantastic battle at the end of the film. The creatures, planets, and ships felt real. It just takes you in.


The action and stunts
This is an action movie. Ya I know it is Sci-Fi but definitely has the best action out of all of the Star Wars films as well as many other Sci-Fi movies. What is cool about this film is that it isn't action and stunts with two humans interacting, like in I & III. Instead most of the time the actors in fighting/interacting with computer generated creatures. And what is so amazing is that Lucas Arts seamlessly integrated the real and fake flawlessly (well with maybe one or two minor complaints). It feels as if the jedi are fighting real monsters. You also get the feeling of how big everything in this universe is.


The flow
The flow was great. There really isn't any part that I hit the skip button for. No awkward moments on a balcony. No boring dialog at the symphony. It just flows very well from beginning to end. It keeps the audience engaged the whole time. Better than any other movie except for IV.


Costumes, make-up
Once again, outstanding. The only movie I can think of as beating this would be Lord of the Rings. But the outfits the Padme wears throughout the movie are stunning (as is Natalie Portman). Everything else in this department just captures you into this imaginary world so well.


Sound and music
Sound is awesome. On the DVD they talk about some of the issues and how they challenged it. After seeing the making of you really appreciated the development of the sound even more.


Music is done by John Williams. In my opinion one of the best writers of his generation. The music fits in perfectly with plenty of power and emotion.


Character building
Out of all of the Star Wars movies this by far had the best character building. Of both Anakin Skywalker and Padme. This was the movie everyone had been waiting for, to see what happened to Anakin to cause him to become the dark father. Movie 3 was very disappointing for this reason, it had no real character building of Anakin, rather it relied of the previous experiences, referenced them, and used that as the catalyst for his transformation in III. But it is really II that you see the transformation of a boy (with a crush) into a man (with battle scars and a new wife).


Padme Amidala was developed quite well. She was so complex in this movie compared to the other two. She was both a senator, and a girl, a strong women, a warrior, and a lover. It was a thrill to watch her act.


The key players
Director: George Lucas
Screenplay: George Lucas & Jonathan Hales
Music: John Williams


Ratings
Yahoo users: B
Yahoo critics: B
Metacritics users: 6.1/10
Metacritics critics: 53
Rotten Tomato community: 69%
Rotten Tomato: 67%
My score: 4.77


MPAA rating: PG


Running time: 132 minutes


My End Line.
I really enjoy this movie. I definitely enjoy it much better than either 1 or 3. I think that was due to the limited constraints placed of George Lucas. It is a must see Sci-Fi movie and an enjoyable one at that.


Other movie reviews
My favorite Sci-Fi
Star Wars V
Star Wars III