Begun, This Clone War Has

A long time ago in a movie theatre not so far, far away, a thirteen-year-old kid with a love for all things Science Fiction got his first glimpse into a futuristic galaxy filled with incredible characters. That kid was me, of course, and the galaxy in question was part of Star Wars, George Lucas epic space opera. Shortly after the film became a huge success it was announced that it would be the first in three trilogies planned by Lucas. There would be a movie every three years through 2001. “My god,” I remember thinking at the time, “I’ll be old by then”.

Here we are, twenty five years later, standing in line to see the fifth film in the Star Wars saga, which has now been reduced to six installments. Happily, I don’t seem to be old yet. In fact, after seeing Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, I feel a lot like that thirteen year old kid all over again.

The story opens ten years after the events in Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Young Anakin Skywalker is now a full fledged Jedi Padawan, training under Obi-Wan Kenobi and well on his way to becoming a Jedi Knight. Padme Amidala is no longer queen of Naboo, her elected term to that position having expired, but she still serves her home world as a representative to the Senate.

Someone, however, wants Amidala dead, and they’re doing their best to assassinate her. To prevent this, the Jedi Council assigns Kenobi and Anakin to protect her. During the course of their duty, they pick up the trail of the would-be killers, and Kenobi is off to find them whilst Anakin accompanies Padme back to Naboo, where it is assumed she will be safe.

Meanwhile, back in the Senate, there are political wranglings going on as thousands of star systems, led by the Trade Federation and the mysterious Count Dooku, are threatening secession. Chancellor Palpatine is working feverishly to prevent this. The Jedi, however, inform him there is not much they can do about the situation.

Through some detective work, Obi Wan soon discovers first a clone army that is allegedly being grown for the republic by the bounty hunter Jango Fett, and then a droid army being assembled by the separatists. As the pieces of the puzzle are slowly assembled, our heroes are ultimately drawn together in a climactic battle scene that brings the film to a close.

That’s a basic synopsis of the film that will give you a general idea of the storyline without giving too much away. Of course, there are several subplots interwoven along the way, all in support of the main story arc that is building back to events in Star Wars: Episode I: A New Hope. In reality, that’s part of the magic of the film: it’s another piece of a greater whole that fits in seamlessly and gives us a greater idea where the next film will be taking us (though we aren’t left wondering cliffhanger style as we were with the middle film of the first trilogy, Star Wars: Episode 4:The Empire Strikes Back. Then too, Clones is a lot of fun even if you’ve never seen a single Star Wars movie, though it will surely spark interest in the series amongst youngsters.

In Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, we’re introduced to interesting new characters like Zam Wessel, Darth Tyrannus, and Jango Fett. We’ll meet old friends along the way too like Watto, Jar-Jar Binks, R2 D2 and C-3PO, and even a young Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. We’ll learn secrets too, such as why Boba Fett hates the Jedi as he does. We’ll laugh at the gag lines, both obvious and subtle. Think about who Anakin will become when Obi-Wan tells him “Why do I get the feeling you’ll be the death of me?” And we’ll thrill to the action and marvel at the spectacular sights that unfold before us.

And sights to be awestruck by there are. The scenes on Coruscant are pure eye candy. They simply must be seen on the big screen to be appreciated. In fact, there is so much going on that you simply can’t keep up with it all. Vehicles of all shapes and sizes careen across the screen at breakneck speed against a stunning backdrop of soaring, rounded structures. Lucas has a fascination with a thirties era sci-fi retro look ala Metropolis, and its wonderfully presented here right on down to the diner in which Obi-Wan learns about the clones.

Just as Star Wars: Episode 4: The Empire Strikes Back was darker in tone than the original film, so too is Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones darker than Phantom Menace. And that’s a potential problem for the kids who will make up a large part of the film’s audience. The Anakin portrayed here is a far cry from the Annie of Phantom Menace., who because of his age was easy for kids to identify with. Now, he has become a disrespectful, self-centered brat, certainly not role model material. Kids will have to stick to Kenobi, Mace Windu, Amidala, and Yoda as their heroes here.

Younger viewers also may have difficulty with the romance scenes. Certainly, there’s no problem with nudity or anything of that sort, but kids might find these segments boring. Fortunately, Lucas keeps them in small doses and sandwiches them between a few slices of action whenever possible. That action does break up the slower parts, especially an edge-of-your seat battle in the droid factory that is nothing if not a video game brought to life that kids will adore.

The cast is all-star, with great performances all around. Hayden Christensen is a convincing brat. He puts a great deal of feeling into his acting, and comes across well as a confused young man coping with great powers. Ewan McGregor is even better as Obi-Wan than he was in Phantom Menace. Now out of Liam Neeson’s shadow, he takes charge with a commanding screen presence.

Natalie Portman is effective as Amidala, and she has more action scenes than she did in Phantom Menace, as does Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu. Both carry them off well. Ian McDiarmid is delightful as Senator Palpatine/Darth Sidious, though we see much too little of him in either role. And Christopher Lee is pure fun as the Jedi Count Dooku. He’s a natural for Star Wars, just as Peter Cushing was twenty-five years ago as Grand Moff Tarkin. Fans will be disappointed to learn that the rumored appearance of Christopher Walken as a young Tarkin did not occur.

As much as any of the stars, the special effects in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones deserve top billing. Through the latest in computer-generated animation, elaborate costumes, and model mockups, we’re treated to exotic planets, dazzling space battles, and strange alien creatures. They’re all brought to life so vividly and realistically that at times we forget this is just a movie. Particularly breathtaking are Yoda’s battle scenes and his animation throughout the film. There's also a closing battle that is surely the most spectacular ever filmed.

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones is pure escapist fun for the whole family. In the end, that is all it was ever intended to be. Lucas is a master storyteller, and he has done it again with Clones.. Do yourself a favor, and buy a ticket for a two and a half hour ride through that galaxy far, far away. Who knows. Maybe you’ll feel thirteen again too.