Enjoyable, visual treat but pity about the love story

Rating: 7/10 (18 May 2002)

I enjoyed Attack of the Clones and as far as entertainment goes it was a great deal better than Episode One. I'm not the type for person to enjoy a movie simply for it's special effects however I had to admire the visually gorgeous treat before my eyes. The story also had a fair bit of punch, energy and humour which helped carry its more chunkier moments.
The number one problem I have with this movie is the tepid and contrived love story. It was soooo painful at times and the dialogue has got to be some of the worst I have heard in movie history. I was cringing. There was barely a spark of real energy or romance between the two leads. It played out like a seriously bad teen soap. It's a real shame because there was much to be admired in Attack of the Clones. I liked most of the movie and if the love story was handled better it may have lifted it from a good movie to a great one!
Hayden Christenson performed strong in parts and it was easy to see the makings of the future Darth Vader in some of the darker scenes. I was just glad that this time around Anakin had some of the presence you would expect from a future Vader.
All in all, despite some serious flaws that threaten to sink the movie at times, it manages to rise above these to give us a couple of hours of worthy entertainment.