After all is said and done ATTACK OF THE CLONES is an enjoyable film that improves upon EPISODE I, but still leaves much to be desired.

Rating: Null/10 (23 June 2002)

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI to those who haven't been living under a rock) is a tool, not a means to create a film. George Lucas needs to realize this; because not only would it give his films a more realistic quality but it would remedy many of the problems that plagued EPISODE I, and unfortunately carried on to plague the latest installment, STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Don't get me wrong, I loved EPISODE II, and I think that many of the problems from EPISODE I were improved upon, however many were not. But, I digress, let me discuss a little of the positive. First of all, the movie was much better than EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE. The story was more complex, the acting was better, the tone was darker, and as many fans requested, Jar-Jar Binks was reduced to little more than an important cameo. This you can all see for yourself when you view the film. Let me go into more depth with the negative, which is often a little more difficult for the die-hard STAR WARS fan to pick up on at first because they are so overwhelmed at seeing a new Star Wars movie on the big screen. (I know, I too loved EPISODE I when it was first released). The vast majority of the problems with ATTACK OF THE CLONES are the result of abusing the power to create images digitally. For the last half hour or so of the movie you can easily forget that you are watching a live-action movie and think that you are watching WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT PART II. There are a handful of live actors interacting with CGI characters in a CGI world, and the result is very distracting. Christopher Lee's character, Count Dooku, riding a speeder (in front of a blue screen) looks like the Wicked Witch riding her bicycle in THE WIZARD OF OZ. This is the first time that our little green Jedi friend Yoda is created entirely using CGI techniques, and we end up losing a substantial amount of his character. Even if you can't quite place your finger on it, you can tell that something is definitely amiss.
Not only does CGI look bad, but it can have a huge impact on the actors. It is virtually impossible to get the same reaction from an actor who is acting in front of a blue screen as an actor who is acting in front of a fully functioning set or location. The actors end up feeling ridiculous, and can not convey the feeling of actually being in danger, or awe, or whatever the scene may call for. This results in more than a few scenes where the actors simply appear to be bored to be there. Lucas has become so enveloped in how the movie looks that he has forgotten why the original films were so endearing; they had real characters that we could relate to and cheer for. Admittedly, though, the actors did do a better job this time around, a big part of that is the fact that the story doesn't revolve around a ten year old actor. Ewan McGregor, the saving grace of The Phantom Menace, returns and is still the most likable, as well as most believable character. He is an inspired choice to play the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his enthusiasm, if not his simple presence is felt as a positive thing. On to Hayden Christenson as Anakin Skywalker, who did a better job acting than I thought. Although I did feel like he gave a stronger performance when he was playing the more dramatic scenes than when he had normal conversations. I did not feel any chemistry between him and Natalie Portman, though. Their relationship felt very contrived and I did not believe that they were in love. Not enough happened between the two of them to suddenly realize that they loved each other at the end. I am as big a Natalie Portman fan as any (probably bigger), but I do have to admit that she gave the weakest acting of all in this film. Not until the very end does she give any emotion to us at all. Do I have any other complaints? Yeah, just a few. This film contains what could possibly be the two worst scenes of any Star Wars movie. The first one comes when Anakin and Padme are `frolicking' in the field and Anakin is impressing Padme by riding on a creature with an enormous rear. If you have seen the movie you know what I am talking about. The second is C-3PO. Why did George Lucas feel the need to replace Jar-Jar Binks with our old loyal droid friend? C-3PO has more than a few unnecessary puns in the middle of what could be a dramatic, if not overly computerized battle. For someone who liked the movie so much, I certainly have a lot of complaints. This was a very good Star Wars movie, but possibly not a great movie in general. This is, possibly more than any other in the saga, a film for the fans. They will delight at seeing things that they have only heard about begin to transpire. We get to see Anakin begin to look to the dark side as Palpatine councils him, as well the tension between Obi-Wan and Anakin begin to form. We get to see a substantial number of Jedi in battle as The Clone Wars begin. Oh, and then Yoda gets into a little scuffle. This movie also has enough allusions to the original trilogy to keep a STAR WARS fan happy for days, and the foreshadowing is laid on thick. This movie defiantly will keep the Star Wars chat rooms full, as fans wait anxiously for EPISODE III. You can't help but wonder though, was EPISODE I really necessary? I mean it didn't advance the story as much as one would hope, and even still after EPISODE II, with only one movie remaining, there is a substantial amount of story left to tell. Hopefully Lucas will learn his lesson and make the final installment as worthy of the STAR WARS name as THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK is. Unfortunately I fear that we have more CGI in store and not so much character development. Lucas is a good storyteller, but not such a good director. I only wish that he would let a new face direct these prequels. After all he did not direct THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK or RETURN OF THE JEDI.
After all is said and done ATTACK OF THE CLONES is an enjoyable film that improves upon EPISODE I, but still leaves much to be desired. We can only hope that these desires will be fulfilled when we all go stand in that wonderful long line in 2005 to see the final chapter in the story of our favorite tragic hero, the one who will eventually bring balance to the Force, Anakin Skywalker.