Pure magic

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2002)

Many fans may have been disappointed with The Phantom Menace (not me though) and hated the character Jar Jar Binks (again, not me) or Jake Lloyd's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker (yup, you guessed my opinion). The film was also too dry and impersonal (okay, you got me there). Let me just say that I feared the worst for Attack of the Clones. I was disappointed when the title was announced. I was disappointed when I saw the first teaser. I was disappointed when I saw the "Forbidden Love"-trailer. I started to show slight interest again when I saw the "Clone Wars"-trailer. So I went to see this with a minimum of expectations - some sort of "Pearl Harbor" in space, let's say. Boy, was I WRONG! The love story didn't annoy me one bit, as I thought it would. At the beginning, when Ani's love remains unanswered, I felt sorry for him. When Ani and Padmé are driven into the arena near the end, I felt tearing up inside at the (hokey, but so heart-warmingly delivered) line: "Every day since I saw you again, a part of me has died. I truly, deeply love you." Poor Padmé. I felt so bad for her, especially knowing what'll happen to her love in EpIII. Obi-Wan was, as we say in Ebonics, the illest (great, entertaining and loveable performance, as usual, by our man Ewan). Temuera Morrison was a likeable villain in the role of Jango Fett and Christopher Lee felt like one of the old-time Star Wars villains - which is positive, of course. Samuel L. Jackson was - as usual - a BAD ASS MOTHAF***A! Heads up, Jango! Yoda shows us why he's the Master (terrific contrasts: in the beginning of the film he makes jokes in front of his little Padawans at Obi-Wans expense and praises the innocence of children and at the end, he just totally whupps "Matrix"-style ass!) And watch out for Hayden Christensen's positively Pacino-esque "I hate them!"-monologue. Powerful the dark side has become indeed. Let's hope it remains that way for Episode III.