Enjoyed it; purists wouldn't

Rating: 5/10 (24 May 2002)

First, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Star Wars, Episode II - the visual effects were spectacular, and though I had seen the first installment, I would have appreciated it just as much with no prior Star Wars knowledge. It says something about George Lucas that he can make it supply the vital links between parts past and future, as well as making the film a decent stand-alone piece. The film also made me laugh. Star Wars purists would be appalled by this - surely the genre is meant to be full of meaning, metaphor and sincerity. I'm more flexible myself, however there are only so many times that yet another character or force joins a single battle (which we had been led to believe was won, yet again) before it descends into something slightly ridiculous. The cinema erupted in hysterics in master yoda's fight scene - surely not the intention of the director? I think maybe Lucas was trying too hard to 'fill in the gaps' and provide viewers with an easy guide to who's going to be who in future - Obi Wan's comment to his troublesome pupil 'you're going to be the death of me' after a high-octane chase scene bordered on the poststructuralist surreal. Having said that, though, I appreciate Lucas had a difficult job to do, which he performed to aplomb - making the movie exciting when anyone who has seen 'Star Wars' (don't read on if you haven't) knows damn well that Obi Wan, Yoda and Anakin will survive in order to feature in the original films. Despite knowing that she must survive in order to conceive Luke, I was still enthralled watching Senator Amidala's struggle to survive. In all, then, a film definitely worth watching - just suspend your sense of disbelief, and avoid being pedantic, and Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones is one of those films you can just sit back and enjoy, regardless of the occasional ludicrousies. Mind you, it would have been far better with some good acting - I am an actor and director myself and can imagine how hard it is to act against a character whose presence is only digitally added later, but even taking that into account, the standard of acting was, on the whole, sub-soap opera level, which even the cinema audience picked up on (more hysterical laughter) when Amidala suddenly and unconvincingly declared 'aaah...ahhh, er, I'm fine' on the desert sands towards the end. Nevertheless, a forcefully fun film to watch.