Hard to watch

Rating: 4/10 (27 December 2005)

After the disappointment that was the Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones does nothing to rejuvenate the new wave of Star Wars installments, as poorly executed scenes, clumsy dialogue make and an over-reliance on computer generated imagery make this film hard to watch.
While it's technically sound Clones comes off like an experimental video-game more than a film with far too many silly and irritating moments but alas there is hope. His name is Ewan McGregor, his role Obi Wan Kenobi - and unlike Phantom Menace he gets the spotlight he deserves leaving newcomer Hayden Christensen with little more to do but whinge and whine in his role as the adolescent Anakin Skywalker.
Natalie Portman returns as Padme, and together with Hayden Christensen provide many of the worst moments of the movie as their love scenes are unpersuasive, corny and stilted with wooden dialogue which is a real shame, considering the success and innovation of Han's and Leia's love in the Empire Strikes Back.
The action scenes in Attack of the Clones are very good, but the third act is dragged down with one of the most ludicrous scenes ever assembled involving a characters head - and its just plain bad. I'm all for humour, even Ewok's but this was terrible.
Luckily Yoda saves the day, literally delivering a brief, yet memorable moment to savor. If it wasn't for the score, Ewan McGregor, the action and a sense of nostalgia this wouldn't even be passable. 6/10