Star Wars 2-Attack
of the Clones-Fox-3.7 Stars
George Lucas is
back with his sequel to his prequel called Star Wars 2-Attack of the Clones. Now
for those who were disappointed with the The Phantom Menace you can be a bit relieved
that this follow-up film is a lot better.
The story takes
place some ten years later where things are a lot more unstable with the Republic.
You remember queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) from the last movie. Well now she
is no longer a queen but a senator whose life is threatened by a splinter group
of political separatists.
Who you ask is qualified
to protect her from assassins and those who wish her harm? Well, non other than
2 familiar Jedis better known to you and me as Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)
and his protégé Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).
Although Anakin
is eager to learn from Obi, he nonetheless has a very quick temper and is quiet
the rebel type. He questions things regularly and further more he disagrees with
his superior just as often.
So when Anakin is
left alone to protect Amidala, he doesnt necessarily obey orders like he
should. In fact, he thinks he is smarter than everyone else and therefore believes
his way is always better.
And with the dark
side scheming close by, this kind of behavior is not a good thing. To complicate
matters worse, Anakin has fallen in love with Amidala. His hormones are raging
just as a big war is about to begin.
Outnumbered by an
army of clones controlled by the dark side and finding themselves in the middle
of a huge battle, Obi and Anakin must safeguard Amidalas life at all costs.
Not to give away
any more of the plot, Attack of the Clones shines in the action scenes and suffers
in the acting, dialogue and storyline.
The love episodes
between Anakin and Amidala are presented in a juvenile Mickey Mouse Club level
and are laughable at times. Jarhead better known as irritating Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed
Best) is given a very small part which is such a relief.
Enjoyable moments
are when you see the special effects working well. They include the big fighting
scenes, Yoda (Frank Oz) demonstrating his combat abilities, and when Obi and Anakin
show off their Jedi skills.
Sometimes the minute
detail Lucas puts all over the place in certain scenes distracts from your ability
to focus. Perhaps if he concentrated some of the elements better, he would of
gotten more bang for his buck.
You will probably
enjoy Attack of the Clones if you like wonderful special effects applied well
to certain spectacular battle scenarios.
Gil Benzeevi
In 1999
George Lucas brought the first of three new Star Wars films
to the screen. Amidst hype and expectations never before encountered
for any previous film, "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom
Menace" was released to a rabid public and was met with
mixed reactions by fans and critics. Many viewers cited the
child like tone of the film, and did not like new characters
such as the clownish Jar Jar Binks, and Nute Gunray as they
paled when compared to the characters in the original series.
Nevertheless, the film went on to gross over $400 million
at the American Box office alone, and gained millions more
in merchandise sales as well as video and DVD sales and rentals.
The problem in many ways was that the film was a victim of
the previous films success. It had been 17 years since audiences
had last seen a new Star Wars film, having only books and
comics to further the series in the meantime, and with the
promise of a new series, fans expected a continuation of what
they had grown to love from the original series. The problem
with this thinking is that the new trilogy is a different
time, and a different setting. The new series follows the
rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker as well as the fall of the
Old Republic. Lucas knew he had three films in which to tell
his tale, and I believe that the first film was nothing more
than an introduction to characters, situations, and places
in order to delve into a deeper and darker storyline in the
next two films. It should also be noted that since the new
series centers on Anakin Skywalker, the tone of the films
likely would reflect his age. For example he was a child in
the first film, so the tone went accordingly. In the second
film, he is a young man, and as he has the trials of growing
into adulthood and learns the ramifications of decisions he
makes as well as from his mistakes, the film has a more mature
theme, as it is a coming of age story in many ways.
Awash
in speculation, conjecture, optimistic hype, and plenty of
secrecy the second chapter of the Prequel trilogy "Star
Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones", went into production
roughly a year after the debut of the last film. The Internet
was abuzz with casting rumors, alleged storylines, and pictures
from the closed film sets and fans spent the two years plus
production time of the film speculating how the new film would
fit into the series. Would it fail to live up to expectations
for some as the last film did, or would it soar as Director
George Lucas was no longer shaking of the rust of a 17-year
sabbatical from directing and has a established premise and
characters?
I have
been a huge fan of the series ever since that Imperial Star
Destroyer zoomed across the screen back in 1977. My then nine-year-old
imagination was sparked by the images of the series and in
many ways, that series fueled my love for films and prompted
me to start writing about the genre back in my Prep School
days, and has continued to this day. I rode a fine line between
wanting to know about the new film, and not wanting to learn
everything there was to know. I posted an outline of the story
as I understood it to be a year ago, but I refrained from
reading the book or learning more about the film until the
press screening, as I wanted to have some surprises much as
I did with the first film. So while I did go in with a general
outline of the events of the film and a desire to see just
how accurate the information given to me was, I was ready
to be taken away to that Galaxy far, far away.
"Attack
of the Clones" is set ten years after the events of "The
Phantom Menace" as the Republic is continuing to crumble
and faces a new threat from a separatist named Count Dooku
(Christopher Lee), who is leading systems to break away from
the Republic, and a state of galactic civil war is brewing.
Into this backdrop, Senator Padme Nabariee (Natalie Portman)
of Naboo travels to the Galactic Capital of Coruscant for
a Senate meeting on how to deal with this crisis. Padme avoids
and assai nation attempt upon her arrival and is put under
the care of Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and
his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen). Anakin
has not seen Padme since she was serving her people as Queen
Amidala ten years ago, and is captivated by her. Padme sees
Anakin as the little boy she knew years ago and even refers
to him by his childhood moniker of "Annie". Subsequent
attempts on Padme's life lead the Jedi to uncover a darker
plot that threatens not only Padme, but also the entire galaxy.
It seems that a large clone army is being created on the water
planet Kamino, and this event can only be seen by the Republic
as a prelude to war. It is against this backdrop that Anakin
and Padme begin to fall in love despite her misgivings and
the fact that Anakin is strictly forbidden to have close relationships
as a Jedi. Their courtship takes the two lovers to her home
world of Naboo, Anakin's home world of Tattoine and to a desolate
planet for the films spectacular climax.
I do not
wish to give away much of the film as the joy of this film
is discovering the plot as it unfolds and watching the love
blossom between the two characters against the backdrop of
war. The fact that we know what is to come for Anakin in many
ways makes his love for Padme even sweeter as it is something
that is his, and he has lived a life of servitude and isolation
and is starting to find himself for the first time and questions
authority figures and rigid structures in an effort to express
himself.
Christensen
and Portman are fantastic as they have an electric chemistry
between them that makes the their relationship not only believable
but heightens the tension of the film as the audience knows
that the quite moments for the two lovers are to be cherished
in the face of the brewing storm as if just for a moment,
the audience and the characters can wonder what if, for the
couple as people have for "Romeo and Juliet" in
the past.
Of course
this would not be a Star Wars film without action and rousing
special effects and the artists at Industrial Light and Magic
have once again set the standard for others to follow as the
film is a visual marvel. A rain-soaked battle between Obi-Wan
and Jango Fett (Temura Morrison), is a frenzy of images and
moves that combine visual style with action movies worthy
of the best fight sequences in film history. In a bold move,
Lucas pauses the battle briefly only to resume it soon after
in a space setting as the two combatants take their battle
to the skies. It is a sequence that will leave audiences exilherated
and breathless but as good as it is, it pales when compared
to the epic battle at the films conclusion.
McGregor
gives a tour deforce performance as Obi Wan, as he blends
the wisdom and compassion of his character, with the fierceness
and loyalty that he displays as a warrior battling for the
Republic. You can see the love he has for Anakin and his turmoil
to instruct Anakin as he grows into a man just as his mentor
Qui Gon Jinn did for him tempered with the strain of his duty
to the Republic. Christopher Lee is solid in an all to short
role as Count Dooku, he is a man who is charismatic as he
is malevolent, and is a character that has a complexity about
him that is hinted at briefly in the film, yet does not leave
his character lacking.
In summary
"Attack of the Clones" delivers the goods. The political
turmoil of the plot is a rich and pleasant surprise as it
elevates the entire film and provides a maturity and sophistication
to the story and characters that was not present in the last
two films in the series, and makes the film easily the most
mature themed film of the series, and easily the best film
of them all
5 stars
out of 5
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
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