A.J.'s Rating: 4 Stars (1 original & the other 3 cloned) |
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones |
Directed By: George Lucas Written By: George Lucas / Jonathan Hales Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmd, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthon Daniels, Frank Oz, Kenny Baker, Jimmy Smits, Temuera Morrison, Daniel Logan Rated: PG (Sci-Fi Action & Violence) Running Time: 132 Min. |
Yes, The Force is back, and the question on every Jedi's mind is the same; "What will happen to Jar-Jar Binks?" Well, maybe that's not the question on everyone's mind, but I was sure wondering if George Lucas had learned from that old showbiz adage, "Never work with children or computer-generated sidekicks." The answer is yes... and no. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, the continuing story of the Skywalker clan, has plenty to enthral hardcore fans of the series and fans of special-effect films, though some aspects of the story are laughably cheesy. Silliness aside, Attack of the Clones does succeed in recapturing much of the spirit of the first trilogy, a characteristic that The Phantom Menace sadly lacked, so it appears that Lucas has listened to his fans in that regard! Vader says, "Yippie!" The story takes place ten years after the events of Episode I, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and his young padawan, Anakin Skywalker, given the task of providing protection for former Queen, now Senator Padme' Amidala. It seems that she's in much danger! Along the way, hidden desires are acted upon, secret motives regarding the fate of the Republic are revealed, and Anakin Skywalker takes a few more steps toward the Dark Side. Also, not to give anything away, the story even provides a reason for all Star Wars fans to universally despise the ever-meddling Jar-Jar Binks. Horrah! This is the Star Wars movie I was waiting for! If you're waiting for more about the plot of this film, you'll just have to go see it! Visually, Clones is simply jaw-dropping. How do those at ILM keep topping themselves?! Clones was an entirely digital production, using not a single frame of celluloid film stock. The resulting images are incredibly clean and crisp, with stunningly brilliant color. Not exactly realistic, but still impressive, most impressive! The only weak point was that some of the computer-generated characters appeared very flat when flanked by real actors, but this was apparent only during the first few scenes of the movie. How much better can visual effects get? Could Episode III be Episode 3-D? (I hope not!) Other highlights of the film include Jedi Master Mace Windu, played by Samuel L. Jackson, clones, clones, clones, and many great scenes that help to connect the story with the events of A New Hope. Also, while Hayden Christensen, who plays Anakin, never seems believable during the romantic scenes, he does succeed in displaying a wicked glimmer of the Dark Lord he has yet to become. Finally, last but certainly not least, bringing down the house was an especially bad-ass full-digital Master Yoda! I was amazed at how well ILM's animators were able to realistically reproduce the movements, personality, and mannerisms originally performed by legendary puppeteer Frank Oz. An excellent achievement! And now, the cheesy bits... time to rant! Keanu says,"Whoa... bad acting!" Um, does all of Yoda's dialogue come from the other movies? What was with that 'Jedi nightmare' scene, anyway?! And Jar-Jar Binks, shut the hell up!!! Okay, that's the rant... thank-you for your attention. So, Star Wars fans rejoice! The force is strong in Attack of the Clones! And, as for Episode III? Hmm, difficult to see, the future is... |
STAR WARS Posters available from |
The World's Largest Poster and Print Store |
Review published 4:30am, May 16, 2002 |
A.J.'s Movie Reviews |
I've Got a Very Good Feeling About This! |
