"Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones"- For every step it takes forward, it takes another step back.

Rating: 5/10 (30 June 2017)

2002 was quite the magical year for film-goers and the world of cinema at large. We had the delightful low-budget indie comedy classic "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", which came out of nowhere and charmed audiences the world over. We were treated to the second chapters in both the "Harry Potter" and "Lord of the Rings" film franchises, and both were films that arguably improved on their predecessors in every way. Spielberg had a massive hit with "Minority Report" while a young filmmaker known as M. Night Shyamalan continued his winning steak with a little film called "Signs." And of course there was the whimsical and highly impressive surprise hit "Spider-Man", which is one of the films that helped kick-off the recent trend in superhero and comic- book-to- screen film adaptations.
Oh, and we also got writer/director George Lucas' second chapter in the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy- "Episode II: Attack of the Clones." The hype was very real for this film, and it was one of the movies everyone knew was gonna rock! How could it not? The previews promised more action and intrigue than the last movie, early reports indicated that controversial comic-relief sidekick Jar Jar Binks' role was greatly reduced, and hey! We even saw some storm-troopers in the trailer! Sure, "The Phantom Menace" left a sour taste in many people's mouths, but "Attack of the Clones" looked to improve upon it in virtually every way! Right?! ...right?
Well, sadly this wasn't the case. While by no means a terrible film, "Attack of the Clones" suffered for being a wholly uneven and inconsistent affair. On one hand, yeah... it did seem to improve on many of the faults found in the last film. It's more focused on characters, less focused on contrived comedic side-characters and its storyline is steeped in treachery and chaos. On the other hand, however, the writing is shoddy and the dialog robotic, chemistry is almost entirely non-existent in the cast, and it's still far too focused on political mumbo-jumbo and big, loud special effects to really draw in the audience. It's a classic case of taking one step forward, followed immediately by another step back.
Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his padawan learner Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are put in charge of protecting Senator Padme (Natalie Portman) after a series of assassination attempts, which may or may not involve a former Jedi gone rogue called Count Dooku. (Christopher Lee) Along the way, Obi-Wan is forced to leave in investigate a series of mysterious developments involving the creation of a clone army, while Anakin and Padme find themselves growing closer and closer emotionally, despite Anakin having taken a vow to avoid love and romance as part of his training. This troubling series of events grows to a boil, and eventually leads to the beginning of a fabled conflict known as the "Clone Wars", in which all three of our heroes will play a significant role.
The strengths of the film lay in its many creative action-effects extravaganza set-pieces, and it's here where director Lucas shines through with his trademark old-school brilliance. While some have bemoaned the prequel trilogy's use of rampant digital effects and green-screen sets, I actually don't mind them at all when used properly and think Lucas never pushes the action too far. And an opening hover-car chase sequence, in addition to a wonderful action scene set in a droid-manufacturing plant are among the highlights. I also thought that everyone was fairly well-cast, with special commendation going to the delightful McGregor and the deliciously vile Lee, who are both absolutely phenomenal. There's also the continued brilliance of composer John Williams, who gives it his all with each new chapter of this series.
But much as was the case in the last episode, Lucas just can't quite wrap his head around key things like pacing, dialog and scene structure. For all the film does right with decent casting, strong action and an intriguing premise... it never figures out how to make it all work. The romantic angle- a key focus in the story- is trite and schmaltzy to the point of being often laughable, destroying the much-needed chemistry between Padme and Anakin. Scenes are blocked and executed in the same way over and over to the point you'll begin noticing patterns. (Keep an eye out for dozens of scenes where characters sit on a sofa, talk for a moment or two, then stand up and walk towards a window...) And the film moves in a very inorganic and bizarre way, alternating between crawling along like a snail and rocketing along like a certain cartoon roadrunner. And it makes an otherwise incrementally entertaining movie a joyless mess that's difficult to slog through far too often.
"Attack of the Clones" might not be the worst of the "Star Wars" franchise- that title still belongs to "The Phantom Menace." But it also doesn't represent more than a marginal improvement, with a tendency to shoot itself in the foot and hold itself back for little to no reason. And so, I have to sadly give it a very middle of the road 5 out of 10. It's only worth revisiting for the most die hard fans of that galaxy far, far away.