A mixed bag: parts are fun, but not a great movie

Rating: 7/10 (18 May 2002)

As Star Wars movies go, Attack of the Clones was a disappointment. Or, more accurately, the first 90 minutes or so were a disappointment. My 9 year old son summed up the first part of the film as "It was boring!". I have to agree. There is simply not enough chemistry between Natalie Portman (Padme) and Hayden Christensen (Anakin) to keep us interested in the story as it ploddingly shows the development of Anakin's character. It doesn't help at all that the stylized formal speech used by the Naboo characters (e.g., Padme) comes off as wooden, and not at all natural. Hayden Christensen does a fair job of representing the 'whiny adolescent' -- but how many people enjoy watching whiny adolescents?
All in all, I found the first part of the film to be altogether unexciting, even as it gave some good insight into Anakin's future transformation.
That said, the last 45 or so minutes of this movie were a rollicking good time. We see more of the Jedi than we have in prior films, and it was worth waiting for. The battle scenes are exquisitely done, and the special effects, at least at first viewing, were seamless. I don't think the last part of Attack of the Clones warrants any deep analysis - if you like Star Wars, and special effects, and action films, you'll love this part of the movie. It made the entire flick worth seeing, though to me this is the weakest of all the Star Wars films.