A pale reflection

Rating: Null/10 (13 October 2002)

Much had been riding on Attack of the Clones. It was, after all, expected to make up for The Phantom Menace which, despite unfair galactic sized expectations, still came across as shockingly flat and uninspired. And to its credit, Clones manages to create a sense of adventure and excitement that Menace simply lacked. Clones was also blessed with an edge of maturity that Menace desperately needed i.e. very little Jar Jar Binks and no Jake Loyd. However, when all is said and done, Clones reflects the same stylistic abyss that turned Menace into an artistic farce: there is very little emotion in the telling of this tale. Indeed, the wide contrast between the film's visual splendor and its dull characterization makes it obvious where Lucas' heart lies as a filmmaker. And this problem is compounded by the fact that the prequels revolve around politics, diplomacy, and romance. In short, what the prequels needed was a real filmmaker.
With Star Wars, George Lucas had intended to capture the spirit of the old black and white serials he grew up with, such as Flash Gordon. With the original trilogy, this style of storytelling worked great. After all, the original trilogy was a simple tale of good and evil. However, this formula suffers with the prequels. The prequels deal with the seduction of evil, the fall from grace -- issues which need a good deal of subtext. Serials can be fun, but they are meant to be simple. Lucas has tried to apply this formula to the new films. As such, we wind up with a complex tale told in the most shallow and unemotional manner possible. Indeed, Star Wars may be for children, but even Disney film's have more emotion.
And while the acting in Star Wars has always been weak, in such a character driven tale, this weakness becomes an even bigger distraction: Portman's portrayl of Padme Amidala was, to put it simply, terrible. I've seen better acting from a piece of wood. As such, the "romance" fails to warm. Samuel L. Jackson (Jedi master Mace Windu) has never been duller, Ian McDiarmid seems to be moving in virtual slow-motion as Chancellor Palpatine. McGregor is only a tad more animated as the stern Kenobi. Hayden Christensen was decent as Anakin Skywalker, but where was the evidence that he is the Chosen One? For Anakin's fall to be a tragedy, he must do more than just kill Sandpeople. In the end, it's no surprise that Clones has been embraced by many in the Star Wars cult, but most of us saw a truly bad film. As such, I leave with the words of Darth Vader: "Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed."