Attack of the Clones is just as good as the classics!

Rating: Null/10 (20 May 2002)

I was floored by Attack of the Clones, and can easily say that it is now in the top 2 favorite Star Wars movies for me. I am not sure if I prefer Attack of the Clones or the Empire Strikes Back -- its that close. I can honestly say that I have greatly enjoyed each of the Star Wars movies -- not because they gave me more of what the previous films gave, but because each one has covered new ground. I have read a lot of the other reviews posted here by people slamming this movie (and its predecessor, The Phantom Menace, which ALSO rocked) and saying that it didn't live up to the interplay between Han, Luke & Leia from the classic trilogy. News Flash: This is 30 years before the original trilogy! It is about TOTALLY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. It is asinine to expect the prequels to give us the exact same feel & chemistry as a group of characters who DO NOT EVEN APPEAR IN THIS PART OF THE STORY!! Don't get me wrong -- Han, Luke & Leia were awesome in the classic trilogy, but Padme, Anakin and Obi-Wan are just as compelling if you give them a chance. George Lucas has done an amazing job giving continuity with the classic trilogy. He has also created interesting new characters, and is giving compelling reasons why Anakin is about to Darth out. Attack of the Clones was technically superior to ALL of its predecessors, & the story completely lives up to the Star Wars name. Perhaps the people who do nothing but lambast the film have built the original trilogy up so high in their minds that NOTHING George Lucas did would please them anyway. The point of Star Wars is to sit back, enjoy the spectacle, & lose yourself in Lucas's Universe again, just like we did when we were children -- not to pick it apart because it wasn't custom made to YOUR perception of the classic movies. As for the complaints over CGI, the special effects in the new trilogy are no more noticeable as artificial than the muppets & stop motion from the classics. It is sad that so many people have COMPLETELY lost the childlike nature that Lucas's films are designed for. I, for one, am not willing to let the modern world kill the wonderful escapism of Star Wars for me. If you can watch this film without any preconceived notions, then you will enjoy it. If not, then maybe you should ask yourself why you bother to go to the movies at all. If you hate something because it doesn't give you more of the same, then perhaps you should stay home & watch re-runs. Personally, I am glad that George Lucas has chosen to delve into new areas with the same eye for fantasy & detail that he has always had. Attack of the Clones is not only a worthy successor to the previous movies, it is an excellent film in its own right. Give it a chance.