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Star
Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Reviewed
by Danny Graydon |
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| Rating:
Well
worth a watch! |
|
| Director |
George
Lucas |
| Writers |
George
Lucas
Jonathan Hales |
| Stars |
Ewan
McGregor
Hayden Christensen
Natalie Portman
Christopher Lee Samuel L Jackson
Ian McDiarmid
Temuera Morrison |
| Length |
142
minutes |
| Country |
USA |
| Genres |
Science
Fiction |
 |
Forget
the triviality, clumsiness, and blatant corporate synergy of
"The Phantom Menace". The great news is that "Attack of the
Clones" is a far more focused and richly dramatic entry in the
"Star Wars" canon.
Picking up ten years after "TPM", Anakin Skywalker (a surprisingly
believable and sympathetic Christensen) is the precocious, rebellious
Jedi apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor, more comfortable
second time round).
When an assassination attempt on Senator Amidala (Portman) fails,
Obi-Wan investigates the peace-threatening conspiracy by Separatists,
while smitten kitten Anakin is charged with protecting Amidala.
The film echoes the structure of franchise peak "The Empire
Strikes Back", and co-writer Jonathan Hales' contribution is
keenly felt, with better defined characters and an altogether
smoother story.
Shot digitally, "Clones" looks gorgeous, with CGI superbly realising
Lucas’ imaginative galaxies and alien lifeforms (including,
for the first time, a computer-generated Yoda).
Of course, "Star Wars" movies demand action, and George duly
delivers - opening with a breathless night-time chase through
the city-planet Coruscant.
And the climatic triple-whammy - of lightsabre duels (with the
film’s undisputed party-popper moment); an arena face-off between
hundreds of Jedi and countless robots; and the breathtakingly
immense and gritty launch of the oft-mentioned Clone Wars -
is nothing short of astounding.
However, for non "Star Wars" believers, the perennial problems
remain: clunky dialogue and wooden performances, while the occasionally
overwhelming CGI is weak in places. Fans will willingly overlook
these shortcomings, though.
Consistently thrilling and massively enjoyable, "Clones" redeems
Lucas' reputation after "Menace". And while "Episode II" doesn't
match the cliffhanger ending to "Empire", it does climax with
an expertly subtle sense of approaching doom that - George willing
- should lead to a magnificent conclusion. Roll on 2005! |
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