“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” —Anakin Skywalker
Today’s quick review: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his brash apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are reunited with Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) when an unknown assassin makes an attempt on her life. While Anakin keeps the Senator safe on her home planet of Naboo, Obi-Wan tracks the assassin across the galaxy and uncovers a conspiracy to bring down the Republic.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a sci-fi action adventure and the second entry in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Anakin has grown into a talented Jedi apprentice, but he struggles to keep his romantic feelings for Padme in check. Attack of the Clones further develops Anakin as a character and sets the stage for the final conflict in Episode III. The movie boasts creative ideas and impressive action, but its storytelling is a mixed bag.
Attack of the Clones’ best feature is its action. The action scenes are elaborate affairs that include major set pieces, large-scale battles, and plenty of lightsaber combat. The special effects let the movie indulge in these to its heart’s content. Attack of the Clones also opens up new areas of the Star Wars universe and sets up the plot of its sequel quite nicely. All of this makes it a solid movie that contributes something unique to the series.
Even so, Attack of the Clones has a few major flaws that keep it from matching the best films in the series. The plot is a tenuous jumble of events that do not fit together very tightly. The forbidden romance between Anakin and Padme works well on paper but ends up being awkward in practice. The special effects have also aged poorly, making the film’s many CGI backgrounds feel a little off. The end result is a movie that’s fun, flashy, and inconsistent.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a good pick for fans of sci-fi action. Attack of the Clones falls short of the high standard set by the original Star Wars trilogy, but its ambitious action scenes and colorful setting make it an enjoyable watch nonetheless. However, sticklers for plot or for the lore of the Star Wars universe may want to approach the movie with caution.
6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for strong action and a great setting, hurt somewhat by a winding plot and dated special effects.