Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones: LUCAS IS THE MAN!
Written: May 21 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Acting, special effects, action, romance, characters.
Cons: Dialog.
The Bottom Line: You should go see it if you like watching good movies. The action sequences and effects are unparalleled. There's also a Matrix 2 trailer...
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| dashblast's Full Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones |
6:00PM: I go to bed.
10:20PM: I wake up to the brilliant beeping of my alarm clock. Snooze button is hit.
10:30PM: I wake up for a second time, get dressed, and walk to my car.
10:50PM: I arrive at the movie theater to watch Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. I bought my tickets 1 month in advance.
10:52PM: I get inside the theater that’s packed with people that are equipped with Light sabers and Jedi robes. Almost everyone has on a Star Wars shirt, or some piece of memorabilia. I find a seat and sit down, eagerly awaiting the film to commence.
12:01PM: Lights dim. Curtains open. THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN…
That’s right. I went to the 12:01 showing on the Thursday that Star Wars came out. You could easily say that I’m a die-hard fan. I’ve seen episodes four, five, and six 15 times apiece. The first episode I’ve only seen about 5 times, but you can bet on that number increasing in the near future. I have an addiction to Star Wars. I love everything about the series.
I know it’s been a while since I saw this movie, but it’s because I’ve been preoccupied with life outside epinions. There’s no need to fear though because I still vividly remember the whole film.
It’s been ten years since the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace took place. There is conflict in the galaxy and thousands of planets threaten to break away from the 1000 year old Republic. An important participant in this drama is Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman). After two assassination attempts are committed on the Queen-turned-Senator Amidala, Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his fiery apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are assigned to watch over her. Kenobi is sent to investigate who's behind the assassination attempts, while Anakin’s main responsibility is maintaining the well being of Padmé. Anakin has grown into the skilled Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan, who himself has recently converted from student to teacher. As relationships shape and mighty forces collide, these heroes face choices that will affect not only their own lives, but also the life of the Republic.
Like Austin Powers in Goldmember, this movie cannot be brought down by expectations. I think I had the highest expectations ever for this movie, and yet I was still impressed beyond belief. I think George Lucas did a tremendous job, and you should bow down and say, “I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy,” if you should ever see him.
Contrary to many peoples’ beliefs, I did not find the movie to be too long. There honestly wasn’t a moment that I sat bored. The love story is what most people thought dragged on, but I think the love story was interesting. I was pulled in by Anakin and Padmé’s romance. The struggle that went on in both of their minds was very intricate, which in turn made it very fascinating.
My favorite character in this movie was Anakin Skywalker. The transformation that he was going through just made me realize how great Hayden Christensen was at acting. In one scene, Anakin argues with Obi-Wan about what steps should be taken to protect Amidala. Normally you’d expect the student to accept the teacher’s opinion, but in this case Anakin fails to let his own opinion go unused. You can really sense his rebellious side growing inside him. I could tell each and every time when he was slowly turning, slowly becoming less obedient and more defiant. I think his struggle was the most evident and the most significant in the whole movie. George Lucas made a great decision in picking Hayden Christensen. He might be the best actor I’ve ever seen in all the Star Wars movies so far.
Senator Padmé Amidala is elegant, smart, beautiful, and oh so young. I still can’t believe how young she is, and how well she knows her stuff. She has single-handedly helped the vivacity of the Republic, and she proves to be a great fighter. She’s the perfect catch, and Anakin definitely seems to agree. Natalie Portman is gorgeous, and I think she was a great choice for this role. She wasn’t really chosen for Attack of the Clones, but I’m glad she was chosen for the Phantom Menace.
Ewan McGregor is also wonderful as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi is a very skilled Jedi, but a very textbook Jedi as opposed to Anakin. He does exactly as he’s told, but never fails. He is hailed as one of the best Jedi, and in this movie he has a very good time to shine. His fight scenes are among the best in the movie, and the one he has with Boba Fett is one of my favorites. His relationship with Anakin is interesting, but you never really get his raw opinion of Anakin. Anakin constantly talks about Obi-Wan to Padmé, but Obi-Wan rarely mentions his true feelings towards Anakin. Anyway, Ewan does a great job as Obi-Wan and I can’t wait to see his acting in Episode 3.
I’m not going to go into detail about the other actors because I just don’t have the time, and the other actors aren’t principle actors. I will say that the annoying Jar-Jar Binks is only in the movie for a short while, which makes me very happy.
The special effects are world-renowned. Better yet, the Star Wars effects are world-renowned. This movie takes the cake though. WOW is the first word that comes to mind when I think about the effects. I’ve seen lots of action movies and lots of other movies that boasted great special effects, but believe me when I tell you that this movie’s effects are unparalleled, and they probably will be for a few years. George Lucas is the man.
The action is magnificent. There were so many cool scenes that I just wish I knew how to create. It’s never going to happen, but I can wish beyond my wildest dreams. I was thrilled, ebullient even when I was watching the action scenes. The scenes were not scarce, but they weren’t in abundance either. I wish they were in abundance, but you can’t have everything.
The story was wonderful. It wasn’t the best yet, but it was about 10 times better then the story in the Phantom Menace. The characters were actually complex, and the plot was actually elaborate. People shouldn’t expect a phenomenal story out of Lucas, but the ones that do weren’t let down with Attack of the Clones. I loved how everything tied together with the other sequels and prequels, and I just loved all the little references like the Death Star.
The dialog was wooden, but I’m not going to complain because it was a great improvement from Episode 1. The brilliant acting sort of covered up the not so brilliant writing. I was satisfied, but I wouldn’t go much further than that.
This movie was better than what I could’ve possibly expected, and I’m very happy about that. George Lucas, I thank you for creating Star Wars. I thank everyone that has anything and everything to do with Star Wars. From the guy that brings George Lucas his coffee during filming, all the way to George Lucas, I love you all.
If you’re looking for action, drama, romance, or just a well-made movie, then Star Wars is the choice for you. It’s perfect for all ages, but I know that the Star Wars fans will love it the most. If you’re thinking about seeing this movie without watching the other 4 Star Wars movies, then you’re making a bad decision. DON’T DO IT, WATCH THE OTHER 4 BEFORE HAND! Trust me, you don’t want to see Attack of the Clones without knowing the background. I have friends that did that and they just didn’t appreciate the genius that is Star Wars.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dashblast
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Member: Dash
Location: California
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 32 members
About Me:
I am a writer, and more generally an entrepreneur.
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