Problems abound in this bizarre prequel.

Rating: Null/10 (16 May 2002)

Being a Star Wars fan for so many years makes it very difficult to judge the latest installments in the saga with a clear, unfettered eye. After seeing Episode I, I felt disappointment, but at the same time there was something admirable about the whole thing. It was a strange, stilted, but creative film, and it had a very consistent tone and feel. I had problems with little Anakin, and Jar Jar, and the deadpan acting, but somehow you could see this film as a credible epic. In short, I liked it.
Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, while short on Jar Jar and long on great visuals and action sequences, is all over the place. It has no genuine, consistent tone. There are moments of violence, darkness, and serious subject matter, and then the next moment there is a cheap laugh. The film wants to be dark and mature, to deal with the duality of good and evil, but it does not have credibility or the screenplay to make the audience believe (or Make-believe) in what is going on. In other words, the film fails to entertain.
There are wonderful scenes in Episode II, and there are chunks of it that I wish could be transplanted into a film that is less insulting to its audience. I felt as though I was being jerked around, manipulated in a bad, non-escapist way. What should be handled with subtlety (such as the "love story") is so blatant that it is awkward and almost laughable. In the tender moments between Anakin and Padme, the dialogue is so awful that you feel your stomach twirling in agony. At certain points, audience members either laughed out loud or sighed (or sobbed with horror)at the romantic exchanges that were supposed to touch your heart. Glances, body language, and, well, less speech could have saved George all that trouble in digging up old cliches and inventing new ones that manage to be worse than the old ones.
When weighing in what Episode II amounts to, one is left with this feeling that there was something good in what they have just witnessed, but its hard get past all the garbage. What was good was the speeder chase through Coruscant, the Jango Fett/Clone business (that costume goes a long way), and the occasional flourish of ACTING from Ewan MacGregor. Sometimes, if you could get through the wretched dialogue that was coming out of his mouth, Hayden Christensen did exhibit some shred of talent. Ultimately, however, the film is only recommendable for the "coolness" factor of its effects, and the incredible designs that were created during pre- and post-production. What should be the "soul" of the film, the screenplay, the characters, the direction, all seem to be just there, but with nothing new to offer us. Lucas once said that it is not the effects that are important, but the characters and the story that made a good fantasy, and that effects are just a tool. It seems that he has forgotten his own rule, and has given us a pretty thing without a soul.