In the great tradition of 70's filmmaking

Rating: 8/10 (5 March 2003)

Fcae it: Whether you love it or hate it, Attack of the Clones has the heart of a 70's auteur masterpiece. You know: The Godfathers, the Chinatowns, the Apocalypse Nows. Obviously, it doesn't share their subject matter, but in principle, they are close cousins. They are all about SOMETHING. Yes; Attack of the Clones is really about something. There are deep (and some disturbing) themes that run through George Lucas' latest: forced abandonment of family for the greater good, the death of democracy, etc. Attack of the Clones is not just "some silly sci-fi cartoon." It captures more of the 70's trailblazing spirit of filmmaking than Return of the Jedi did. Even the acting in some ways is a tribute to the 70's. Doesn't Natalie Portman's acting style somewhat resemble Diane Keaton's acting style in The Godfather; come on: you KNOW what I'm talking about. Clones is not perfect, but it is very good and does not deserve the critical hatred it receives. Rasberrie for worst film of the year: that is an insult to all the talent that was invloved in the making of the film. Many of us now realize this film is great, but most will not understand this until Episode 3 is released when "the circle will be complete."
Despite some flaws, when all six films are finished, George Lucas will have given an amazing gift to the world of film and the world in general. BTW, how is it possible for someone who thinks AOTC is slow and boring can label Godfather 2 as one of their favorites; it's called film discrimiantion, an ugly thing indeed.