Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Frank Oz
Director: George Lucas

Rating: PG

Studio: 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm

Review Posted: 5.20.02

Spoilers: Minor

Rating: 3.5/4

By Craig Younkin. | Read DVD Review

If you're a fan of Star Wars, but have not managed to see the new episode 2, then number one, shame on you, and number 2, get over to your local multiplex now, now, now. And if your not a fan of Star Wars, then let me say that neither am I. I've never understood the hype surrounding this franchise...until tonight.

"Star Wars Episode 2" is a marvel and a masterpiece, filled with great plotting, exquisite special effects, acting that works-even in the scenes that don't, and above all, an always above average musical score from John Williams. This is all well worth struggling through the dull-drums of Episode 1, I guarantee it.

One of the reasons, as I already said, is because of the plotting. Episode 1 felt as if the plot were only background for everything else, but here it is a much more centralized part of the movie. It begins, as always, in a galaxy far far away as the set-up scrolls up the screen, telling us that rebels, called the separatists, are planning an attack on the republic and that Senator, as opposed to Queen, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) is in danger. It is decided by the Jedi council that two Jedi must accompany her during her visit from the planet Naboo, those two Jedi being Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christenson).

Obi Wan, as you may remember, was the apprentice of Qui Gon Jin, who found Anakin and noticed a special power in him. Qui Gon was killed before he ever got the chance to teach the young boy, and so for the past ten years, Obi Wan has honored his masters wishes and trained the boy himself. This has been a mixed bag as Anakin has proven himself brave and daring, but also highly unpredictable and reckless. The fact that he is not being given the opportunity for advancement has also made him angry and clouded.

Anakin is also really in love with Padme, for whom he has not seen in ten years. While he is standing guard one night, a little spaceship sends two snakes into Padme's room, nearly killing her if it not for Anakin bursting in at the right time. This leads to the films first real action sequence, as Obi Wan jumps out of the window, grasping hold of the little spaceship. From here he takes a thrilling ride through the bustling flying traffic as Anakin follows with his space cruiser. This all turns into a chase sequence that ends with Anakin and Obi finding out that a bounty hunter was behind the whole attack.

Anakin is told to take Amidala back to Naboo, while Obi begins to investigate further. What he finds is a hidden planet making clones, all of which originating from the body of a bounty hunter named Jango Fett (Temura Morrison). This army is said to be the brain child of Qui Gon Jin, but as the plot thickens, dark forces seem to be at work. While this is going on, a romance between Padme and Anakin is forming.

I could go on, but as a way of not ruining the rest of it for you, I'll stop. Instead I'll go into the action sequences, which are immediately striking and thrilling to watch. There are more in this one than in Episode 1, and director George Lucas also adds the element of danger nicely to make you care about the characters and their situation. 

The special effects also look a lot better here, especially the colorful backgrounds and set pieces, which look beautiful. The planet where the clones are being produced for example looks great, in a dank sort of way, setting a mood for the events that unfold there. The CGI characters also look a heck of a lot better, keeping away from those annoying looking cartoon-like things that populated much of Episode 1. Lucas is going for a more adult film here, and has created something that looks much better, plays out in a much more exciting way, is funnier and more fun, and is deep down, spirited in the way of the previous films.

But "Star Wars Ep 2" is not without its problems. While the cast is serviceable in their roles, they seem a little wooden on screen and could use some of that witty banter that Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher had to loosen up. Still, "Star Wars Ep 2" overshoots my expectations tremendously. There is so much to love here that even the mere flaws it does have seem like nothing. Star Wars Ep 2 is the ultimate in summer entertainment, and the only part that really sucks about it is that I have to wait three more years to see how this story continues.

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