Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [2002]

Along the way the story has fun with the conventions of Chandleresque detective fiction as Obi-Wan explores the seedier side of Coruscant, and incorporates the noble warrior ethos of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in its portrayal of the Jedi order. The portentous tone is lightened by tongue-in-cheek self-referential dialogue and the antics of robotic clowns R2D2 and C3PO. (One niggle for music fans, though, is the cavalier cut-and-paste approach to John Williams's music score.) Like the Empire Strikes Back, Clones is the bridging film of the trilogy and thus ends on an equivocally bittersweet note.

On the DVD: Attack of the Clones is an all-digital film, and so looks suitably superb in this anamorphic widescreen transfer, accompanied by a THX encoded Dolby 5.1 soundtrack. Anyone who owns The Phantom Menace two-disc set will know what to expect from the special features: here's another group commentary led by George Lucas, two lengthy documentaries on the digital effects ("From Puppets to Pixels" and "The Previsualisation of Episode II") plus several other featurettes and Web documentaries, notably "Films Are Not Released, They Escape", a look at the sound design. There's also a fun trailer for the R2-D2 mockumentary "Beneath the Dome", trailers, photo galleries and more to satisfy any Star Wars fan. --Mark Walker

On Tuesday, May 21st, I travelled (with friends) to see the movie at the Odeon, Leicester Square. This is one of too few venues, which has the facility to present motion pictures digitally (if it's available in the format). Suffice to say that I was excited to see, for myself, whether or not 'Clones' could deliver both in terms of dramatic and technical performance.

On the former. After the obligatory credit crawl. The camera pans up, which breaks with the convention established in the previous entries, a motif that signifies a change in tone. The colour palette and designs allude to 'Empire'. And the tense, and by turns amusing, chase through Coruscant inspires obvious comparison with 'Blade Runner' and the highly derivative 'Fifth Element' on speed! This is followed by Obi-Wan's journey to the, mysterious and enigmatic, water world Kamino. The clinical 'look and feel' of the cloning facility mines the cinema of Stanley Kubrick! Culminating in a thrilling rain-soaked encounter with bounty hunter Jango Fett on a landing platform. Jango's eventual fate, at the hands of Mace Windu, was deserving. This hopefully drives an older Boba Fett to play a substantial part in the final prequel! He certainly has the motivation.

Anakin's 'Tusken slaughter' confessional to Padme is, arguably, almost on a par with Vader's paternal revelation! Hayden Christensen (finally getting centre stage) chillingly convinces as the conflicted apprentice. John Williams serves to underscore this pivotal scene, reflecting on what is to come with familiar leitmotifs that sound somehow fresh and new.

Christopher Lee excels as Count Dooku! His confrontation with Obi-Wan is rich with kinetic tension. Dooku's choreography shadows Vader's thereby embellishing the series' mythology further. And this is cemented when Anakin loses his right arm during the duel - echoing Luke's loss of hand in 'Empire'. Lets hope that Lee reprises the role in Episode III.

Whilst 'Clones' is certainly an improvement on 'Menace'. Lucas is still unable to write dialogue (an affliction that is not unique to him) and the production methodology intrudes at times - too often one is aware of the layers of fx composition. Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen's chemistry is wasted on relatively poor dialogue. And a few of the later scenes are laughable!

On a technical note. The difference between analogue (film) and digital (hard drive) sources is palpable! The sound and picture is vivid and, at times, an overwhelming feast for the eyes.

In conclusion. Ultimately it was inevitable that 'Empire' wouldn't be displaced, in my opinion, as the best Star Wars movie. But, there is much to enjoy and relish in 'Clones'. The performances, pacing and visual virtuosity are exponentially improved. Star Wars has never looked more beguiling - replete with unrivalled colours and textures. It is with elevated spirits that I look forward to the darkest, and by extension, most complex instalment: Episode III.


More mediocrity from Lucas's dark empire of commerce.   October 6, 2002
Jason Parkes (Worcester, UK)
38 out of 125 found this review helpful

Is this any better than Episode 1?, hard to tell- we get less of the politics (which would be more interesting in an adult film from Lucas, like THX1138)and less of the "Yippees!" and "Are you a space angel?" quotes from Mannakin...Having had his SF franchise usurped by great films such as Cube and The Matrix (which have intelligence!) and action sequences like those in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lucas makes concession towards the audience.

So we get lots of action. Too much in fact- as with the previous film and good looking duds like AI and Minority Report, there is too much going on-screen. And let's face it, CGI here and in the so-so Spiderman looks about as "realistic" as Technicolour. What all films require is good dialogue and good actors- here we get wooden performances from just about all the actors (excepting the guys who play R2D2 & C3P0!). Lucas and his co-writer are incapable of writing a decent script- perhaps he should have phoned up Lawrence Kasdan? (The Empire Strikes Back). The original films may look a bit dated in terms of SFX, but at least they had CHARACTER.

The opening sequence looks like The 5th Element and AI, and replays the Moss Eisley Bar Scene from A New Hope. Nothing much happens, Amidala and Anakin go on the run- we get a silly explanation regarding the former's loss of Royal Status and an unconvincing romance between the pair. Obi Wan wanders around and meets the aliens from Close Encounters and a clone army. He wanders around a bit more and gets captured by Christopher Lee still in Lord of the Rings mode. Anakin is really nasty to sand people after a nauseating death scene with his mommy- then tells Amidala who gives him a kiss (surely he should have not told her and repressed the genocide to his dark interior?). He then goes to rescue Obi Wan, where they have a quick game of Donkey Kong and C3P0 wanders around a bit. Then we have a replay of Gladiator where Natalie Portman wears the see through top that is the highlight of the film. Then Samuel Jackson turns up and goes all Pulp Fiction with his purple wand. Then Yoda turns up and zaps the lot of em. Then we get more, yawn, light sabre duels where hands get chopped off (yawn) , though this is abated by some comedy break dancing from Yoda. Then it ends and you wonder whatever happened to a film having a beginning, middle and end; this film is a mess. It reminds me more of David Lynch's Dune- though without the nasty Lynchian bits.

Will the third part be any better? I don't think I really care anymore. SF can be better than this- see Pi, Solaris, The Man who Fell to Earth, Alien,X-Men ,Hardware, Dark Star, The Abyss. For Lucas's motivations it is best to look at William Goldman's views on sequels in Which Lie Did I Tell?; think I'll wait for those Matrix sequels. Still, you'll buy this anyway- won't you?


A huge let-down   June 11, 2003
Richard Beenham
29 out of 38 found this review helpful

As a long-time Star Wars fan ever since the release of the original film in 1977, it pains me to say that this is by far the worst instalment of the saga.
Yes, the battle sequences are impressive and yes, Yoda's fight scene is excellent. But these two elements do not by definition make it a good film, as many fans misguidedly seem to think.
The main problem is George Lucas. By his own admission, he dislikes writing and doesn't feel comfortable working with actors. He feels most at ease in the editing room. And yet, despite his self-professed dislike of writing and directing, he doggedly insists on keeping both duties for himself, displaying a staggering flair for being very bad at it.
Star Wars dialogue has always been traditionally leaden, but is at its absolute worst here. Poor Ewan McGregor, who time and again has proved himself to be a great and versatile actor, is badly let down by having to punctuate most of his lines to Anakin with such ridiculous epithets as "My young apprentice" and such like. Saddled with such preposterous dialogue, and the pre-requisite "young Alec Guinness" voice he has little choice in using, pretty much everything he says just sounds silly.
The love story between Anakin and Padme is laughable and not in the least bit convincing. This is supposedly the love affair that brought the galaxy to its knees and destroyed the Jedi, and yet it is so abominably written, and so atrociously acted, that the only reaction it provokes is acute embarrassment.
Hayden Christensen is wholly unconvincing as the future Most Evil Man In The Galaxy. His rage and hate-filled rampage following the death of his mother, and subsequent tearful confession to Padme, should be frightening, ominous and poignant. But, thanks to an unrelentingly bad script and poor direction, it contains none of the above and it is left entirely to John Williams and his orchestra to fill this dramatic void.
The "comedy" of C-3PO and R2-D2's adventures in the droid factory is utterly lame, pointless to the story and filled with dreadful punning, bringing the level of the script to a new low. It would seem the only function of this sequence is to allow ILM to show off a bit.
The whole film is cursed with atrocious dialogue, self-referential in-jokes, and toe-curlingly bad acting from a cast who have all proved themselves (in other projects) to be excellent. The reason is simple; any actor, no matter how good they may be, needs a good script and a good director in order to shine. As George Lucas is both writer (with a little help this time around from Jonathan Hales, who fails to give the script the lift it needs) and director, the cast are very poorly served in both departments. Even the mighty Samuel L Jackson.
Of course, the special effects are awesome, as spectacle is what Lucas excels at. But it is at the expense of script and performance.
What many Star Wars fans need to learn is that just because it's Star Wars does not automatically mean it's brilliant, and that great special effects and action sequences do not make a film great. If this film did not come with the attached Star Wars logo, then it would rightly have received the same reception as Battlefield Earth.
There was talk, many years ago, of Steven Spielberg directing "Return of the Jedi". Ultimately this didn't happen. But, given his undoubted flair for both spectacle and bringing out great performances from his cast, not to mention his proven track record in collaboration with Lucas (Indiana Jones), think for a moment on how much better it might have been. How much better would "Attack of the Clones" have been had the industry rumours, which inevitably resurfaced following "The Phantom Menace", had actually been true?
Unfortunately they weren't, and what we were left with was a spectacular-looking but poorly executed disappointment. It would seem that Lucas, being an independent film-maker free from the constricts of Hollywood, steadfastly refuses to listen to his critics and is determined not to let anyone touch his creation, no matter how much better at it than him they may be.
The original trilogy came at a time when, politically and socially, things were very different in the world. The socio-political climate at the time was partly responsible for their success, especially the first film in 1977. That, and the fact that Lucas allowed others into his world to write the screenplays and direct because he felt, correctly, that they would make a better job of it. Everything has changed now, and as far as it goes for the Star Wars saga, not for the better. I am sad to say that this is a terrible film, and the seven-year-old boy in me, who excitedly clutched his father's hand as Luke Skywalker destroyed the Death Star all those years ago, was very badly let down. Lucas is currently planning to direct Episode 3... a thought which makes me shudder with dread.


Pretty awful..........   October 16, 2002
23 out of 91 found this review helpful

Okay so The Phantom Menace was pretty dire but (along with 3 trillion kids) it was mainly watched by the 30-somethings who worshipped the first trilogy...obviously it was never going to be the same! However Attack of the Clones (title George!!) had me rolling around in my seat and not through sheer excitement. George Lucas has unwittingly written himself a good old fashioned comedy here such was the idiocy of the dialogue, the bizzare set pieces and the manic CGI creatures (and yes, I am including our beloved Yoda). I am a fan of Star Wars, always have been and like many I was expecting so much from this new trilogy. However I just think that Lucas should relinquish a little of his total control and get some objective, expert opinions pre-production. It could make so much difference. For example, did he truly not see the lack of chemistry between the lovely Natalie and the brooding Haydn. Did he not notice that the dialogue was so painfully spoken it made the audience wince, or that the plot whizzed around so much that I got bored trying to follow it. All in all a great disappointment. I had thought Christopher Lee might add a bit of class to the proceedings but the man had obviously taken a bit fat cheque and was hamming it up as much as possible. I'm not really sure I care what happens in Episode 3. Suffice to say I have all three of the first trilogy on DVD. I doubt I shall be buying the second. Truly not worthy of your fans Mr Lucas.


Star Wars back on track   November 17, 2002
N. D. Maidment
21 out of 21 found this review helpful

While Phantom Menace was in many ways doomed from the start in trying to fill in so many gaps from the start, Lucas succeeds here in pushing the plot firmly forward rather than treading water through a host of introductions.
10 years further down the line, Anakin is now approaching full Jedi status but we can see that he and Obi-Wan have a sometimes uncomfortable relationship and one that the older Jedi seems too intent on imposing his authority than letting Anakin use his abilities to the full.
Lucas (and the actors) do a reasonable job at portraying Anakin's growing frustration wit the restrictions of the order - a quietly pivotal aspect of the entire SW universe that escapes many in the thrills and spills of the film's incredible action scenes.
Some of the big set piece scenes are truly jaw-dropping. The arena fight between the Jedi and droid armies is terrific, and the ensuing land battle is something that could only have been dreamt rather than realised at the time of the original trilogy.
The only problem is that it takes a while for things to get exciting - unusual for Star Wars. Infact, it's only really when Anakin gets to Tatooine and Dooku appears on the scene on Geonosis that things really get interesting.
Lee steals the film in his fleeting appearances as renegade Jedi Dooku and although he's not as sprightly as Maul, he makes a brilliant Sith. His lightsaber duel with Anakin may not have been as breathless as the fight in Ep I, but it's filmed beautifully in a more 'old skool' fashion reminiscent of the Vader/Kenobi clash in A New Hope. And as for the Yoda battle scene? I think it's incredible.
The only disappointment is the lack of screen time for Palpatine and his tinkerings with the Senate and maybe more should have been made of Anakin's loss of his mother. It would have been nice to see him say 'I'll never come back to this planet' to explain why he didn't search for the plans in Episode IV, but that's no major beef.
Otherwise it looks great and is generally top notch. The romance scenes are a touch painful and R2 and 3PO are very annoying, but other than that it's a great addition to the universe.
My only worry is that Lucas now has only two-and-a-bit hours to fill in lots of gaps. What he leaves out will be just as important as what he chooses to reveal.