Tyler Do'Urden
Soap Maker
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Review
This seems like a good thread to post my review in, so here it goes:
Score: 5 out of 5
First off, I'm a geek. I probably wouldn't be posting to these boards if I wasn't. I also love archetypal, heroic stories, big explosions, cool graphics, and love stories involving pretty young women.
Attack of the Clones is, to say the least, the best Star Wars movie since 1982. But then again, that's not saying much... so instead, I'll say this- Episode II is easily as good as Episode IV, if not as good as V and VI (the jury is still out on whether it matches these giants- I'll wait for the afterglow to wear off). Lucas has got his groove back- big time.
There is more amazing eye candy in this movie than I've ever seen in any other movie- coming off a year that featured such effects-laden movies as "Lord of the Rings" and "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within". The amount of detail put into the visuals is nothing short of astounding. From the amazing chase through Coruscant City, to the cloning chambers, to the massive battle near the end of the movie, there is no shortage of beautiful video footage. Although it lacks the "every shot is a beauty shot" quality of LotR, that's not to say it doesn't have flare.
The acting isn't oscar quality, but it's not bad, either. Hayden Christiansen pulls off the role of Anakin, portraying the angst and uncertain character of the role. Anakin isn't Luke Skywalker- he's a cocky jerk, a first-rate antihero on par with Elric of Melnibone or Squall Leonhart. He loves and he kills- and the scene with his mother broke my heart. Natalie Portman's role as Senator Amidala was just icing on the cake- the love affair between the two leads was not just "filler between the action scenes", it was one of the highlights of the movie. Ewan McGregor probably delivers the overall best performance of the movie, however, giving an excellent foil to Christiansen's rebellious padawan. Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee delivered solid performances as well, and many other more minor characters also shined- just like the CG characters.
And speaking of CG characters, what of Jar-Jar Binks? Well, I can't believe Lucas did this- as it turns out, Jar-Jar isn't only annoying, he's to blame for the fall of the republic. When I saw him deliver his speech before the Republic Senate, I slapped a hand over my mouth in shock.
There's just too much in this movie to mention, so I'll quit giving away spoilers now. However, one thing that also caught me when I was thinking about the film afterwards, is how many loose plot threads seem to have been tied or at least guided in a new direction by this film. The Star Wars epic is truly coming together- and, in this light, Episode I no longer looks like an anticlimactic disappointment, but like a lighthearted first 2 1/2 hours to a 15-hour long saga. The story of Anakin Skywalker is not yet complete, however... and this time, the three year wait for the next installment will be agonizing indeed.
This seems like a good thread to post my review in, so here it goes:
Score: 5 out of 5
First off, I'm a geek. I probably wouldn't be posting to these boards if I wasn't. I also love archetypal, heroic stories, big explosions, cool graphics, and love stories involving pretty young women.
Attack of the Clones is, to say the least, the best Star Wars movie since 1982. But then again, that's not saying much... so instead, I'll say this- Episode II is easily as good as Episode IV, if not as good as V and VI (the jury is still out on whether it matches these giants- I'll wait for the afterglow to wear off). Lucas has got his groove back- big time.
There is more amazing eye candy in this movie than I've ever seen in any other movie- coming off a year that featured such effects-laden movies as "Lord of the Rings" and "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within". The amount of detail put into the visuals is nothing short of astounding. From the amazing chase through Coruscant City, to the cloning chambers, to the massive battle near the end of the movie, there is no shortage of beautiful video footage. Although it lacks the "every shot is a beauty shot" quality of LotR, that's not to say it doesn't have flare.
The acting isn't oscar quality, but it's not bad, either. Hayden Christiansen pulls off the role of Anakin, portraying the angst and uncertain character of the role. Anakin isn't Luke Skywalker- he's a cocky jerk, a first-rate antihero on par with Elric of Melnibone or Squall Leonhart. He loves and he kills- and the scene with his mother broke my heart. Natalie Portman's role as Senator Amidala was just icing on the cake- the love affair between the two leads was not just "filler between the action scenes", it was one of the highlights of the movie. Ewan McGregor probably delivers the overall best performance of the movie, however, giving an excellent foil to Christiansen's rebellious padawan. Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee delivered solid performances as well, and many other more minor characters also shined- just like the CG characters.
And speaking of CG characters, what of Jar-Jar Binks? Well, I can't believe Lucas did this- as it turns out, Jar-Jar isn't only annoying, he's to blame for the fall of the republic. When I saw him deliver his speech before the Republic Senate, I slapped a hand over my mouth in shock.
There's just too much in this movie to mention, so I'll quit giving away spoilers now. However, one thing that also caught me when I was thinking about the film afterwards, is how many loose plot threads seem to have been tied or at least guided in a new direction by this film. The Star Wars epic is truly coming together- and, in this light, Episode I no longer looks like an anticlimactic disappointment, but like a lighthearted first 2 1/2 hours to a 15-hour long saga. The story of Anakin Skywalker is not yet complete, however... and this time, the three year wait for the next installment will be agonizing indeed.
Last edited:
