This is published under video only because it is not located in the database under movies currently in theatres or coming soon.

Today I got to see one of the movies I’ve been waiting for. Yes, I know it is two weeks before its arrival in the theatres, but I was invited to a special showing. If you are here to find out all the details of the movie, you are going to be sorely disappointed because I’m not one for spoiling the fun for others.

On the other hand, there are many of you who are wanting to know whether or not Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is going to be a waste of money or worth seeing multiple times on the big screen. That I can help with. Well, at least in my opinion.

The Story

For those of who you have followed the four movies previously released, you already know what is going to happen in the future and where and these people have been in the past. There is just a gaping hole of what happens in between. A lot of questions of how things happened, or why. Although not all of those holes have been filled in, a lot have, the picture has become clearer. Of course if they had answered them all there would be no room for the “Chapter 3” to be produced.

Attack of the Clones takes place ten years after the close of the first chapter. Some things have changed, others remain the same. There are some within the Senate trying to gain power. Others trying to maintain the balance. But there are a select few that seem to have been planning for years and now is the time to bring all those plans into focus, trying to destroy those that stand in their way.

The overall plot follows two lines and manages to hold to those two quite well, even smaller exits from the main plot still apply to the main two somehow. The first line is the protection of Padma Amidala. The second is an investigation to find out who wants her dead and why. While young Anikin Skywalker (still a Jedi in training) takes on his first task as the protector of Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi goes his own way to find out the who and why.

The Characters

Ten years can really make a difference in some people. Amidala is still played by Natalie Portman and does not have a noticeable age change. However, she has grown wiser in some ways even if she is still the same reckless girl that enjoyed watching in the first chapter.

Young Anikin has certainly grown up, well, he’s grown older. He definitely has a will of his own that is wanting fulfillment even though his mind is still trying to remain calm and outside of the situation. There is a lot of pull within him, like a personal tug-of-war. And the battle just grows stronger and stronger as the movie progresses. If you’ve watched the others, you can see times throughout the movie where one action would have a major impact on him donning the black helmet later in his life.

Ben Kenobi has not changed much at all. Maybe they should have aged him just a little more. I kept seeing the apprentice Jedi trying to act more grown up than he really was. I’m not saying he did badly, but it is a little difficult to see him aging from where he is in this movie to the man we find in the desert of Tatooine in Chapter 4.
Yoda, the younger and much more agile version of the wise old Jedi we’ve all grown to love, has decided to show off a few of the talents that have given him that wisdom in his later years. I must say that this is one of those parts that I could have probably done without. I really think they may have overdone a bit with his character, but on the other hand, take a step back, don’t analyze too much, and you just might find yourself cheering loudly.

Boba Fett is introduced into the story line during this movie. I found the incorporation of his character was done excellently. You could truly seeing him grow up into the bounty hunter we would later know better.

Those characters associated with “The Dark Side” are a little muddled though. Not nearly as crisply define as the others. I’m not going to name names because that would give away too much of the story. Although I must say that none are as commanding and powerful as “Darth Vader” will be soon enough. They are definitely lacking a true leader.

One last character I must mention … Jar Jar Binx. Clumsy, humorous, absolutely stupid muppet of a character in Chapter one that made us laugh doesn’t have that role any more. Over ten years our loveable guy has become more serious and takes his job to heart. He still makes mistakes, he still talks funny, but he has definitely grown up.

Special Effects

Star Wars is Star Wars is Star Wars … true enough. I thought they did really well considering the technology has advanced but they kept the special effects to a similar style as the rest of the movies. I must say that there was one new effect that I really liked, that that was of the bombs launched in the asteroid field. It didn’t quite outdo those other cool shots we’ve found in other movies, but definitely added little oomph to the scene.

As for the lasers, there was more “light” running across the screen in all the previous movies combined. Ok, maybe a little exaggeration, but it certainly seemed like it at the time. I’m not an FX wizard, but if those had to be added after the scenes were shot I can see how that would have added a lot of time and money to the project.

Overall Recommendation

This was definitely a “Star Wars” movie. If you are a fanatic you might find it a little disappointing because of the humor that just wasn’t in the first three releases. There were numerous times that something said or done was instantly connected to a “future” movie that made it all that more funny.

But if you enjoy the Star Wars saga as another set of movies, it was great. But remember to go into it knowing that the direction style is just a little different.

I was the only one in my family who has gotten to see the movie so far. But I can guarantee that just like the others, my kids will be seeing in on the big screen. It is definitely worth paying the full price of admission, and we just may be waiting in line for opening night just as we have in the past to get in. And just to make it that much better for them, I’m telling them what happens either. You’ll just have to go and see the movie to find out for yourself.

p.s. – There was a girl behind us that had never seen a Star Wars movie before. By the time we left, I heard her saying that she was definitely heading to Blockbuster tonight to check out the rest of the films.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8