Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones - EMC's Review

Rating: 8/10 (7 March 2015)

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones is the eagerly anticipated sequel to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. After three years since the original let-down, we find out that this one won't include Jar Jar Binks as a central character, or won't have an irritating ten year old who'll play Anakin Skywalker, we even see a glimpse of what could be everyone's favorite bounty hunter, Boba Fett! We all reassure ourselves that Star Wars would get better now, and stay true to that classic style we all cherished. But the same thing with The Phantom Menace occurred again, most fans didn't like the movie for reasons we'll explain throughout this review. This movie, like The Phantom Menace suffers from a bad script, though not as bad as The Phantom Menace's. Firstly the dialog between Obi Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the elevator scene at the start of the film. It's a nice little bit where the two exchange words about their previous adventures together and show a friendship. Though we as an audience don't know what they're talking about because we haven't seen those adventures. George Lucas can't just simply explain to us that in that one minute scene that they're friends, you have to show it in the actual movie, like they did with the Lethal Weapon franchise. Like when Martin Riggs reminds Roger about the time he was stuck to a toilet in case a bomb went off in part 2, the two smile remembering that bizarre moment and we as an audience remember it too, relating to the friendship. Here the script takes one short scene in an elevator to tell us that the two are friends because... They were meant to be good friends according to Obi Wan's story to Luke in Episode IV. Then for the rest of the movie they do there own separate things showing concentration in the wrong area. Obi Wan's off finding this Clone Army on the planet Kamino and Anakin's on Naboo protecting Padme from an assassination. Now people criticize the film for Anakin's (Hayden Christensen's) acting performance in the film, but this is a false claim. The actor does very well if the right script is given to him, the bad acting is a result of poor direction by George Lucas. For some reason the love story dialog between Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Anakin is so horrible because... Of the way Hayden Christensen says the lines!? Almost every character in this movie has to say stupid lines too, why does all the critique come down upon Hayden!? Although Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan makes his lines sound much better, seeing that he is in fact a better actor. Now another reason why everyone dislikes this movie is in fact for the love story, they say it's awkward and forced but we say it's beautiful though very clichéd. There really is no problem with the love story other than it's clichéd as hell, and that great John Williams score doesn't help either! But with all the beautiful backdrops and locations, who cares, we think it's perfect how Anakin and Padme fall in love. The movie also uses too much CGI, but it makes for some thrilling action scenes, this movie has he best actions scenes out of the whole entire saga. It's got the Bounty Hunter chase through Coruscant, Obi Wan VS Jango Fett, the Jedi Battlle in that arena, the beginning of the Clone Wars, and Yoda's epic light saber duel. Although Yoda having a light saber totally clashes with everything he stands for in Episode V, it's still pretty cool to see him whipping out and wielding his very own light saber. Then Jango Fett, the father of Boba is also a very cool addition to the Star Wars Saga, we maybe even prefer him to Boba, just for his awesome battle with Mace Windu on Geonosis. It is also interesting to see Chancellor Palpatine take his first step into becoming the Emperor in one of the ending scenes, as he controls the Clone Army. Another great thing about the film is Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, back in his old comic self again. But another major flaw is the brief relationship between Anakin and Owen Lars. At the end of Revenge of the Sith he receives the child of his stepbrother (Anakin) from a guy he didn't even know (Obi Wan). Anyway, comparing these positives, Attack of the Clones is a thrilling space adventure film featuring new awesome planets we love like Kamino and Geonosis. It pushes the action to new heights, and is our personal favorite of the saga, making it number one. Though for some reason George Lucas writes Anakin as a bad apple. Anakin is not much like Luke Skywalker at all, for he is not totally being a good guy in this film, this is seen after his mothers death when he mindlessly slaughters countless Tusken Raiders. And when he attempts to run at the movies' villain with a light saber with hate and anger! Though there are some scenes where he's kind-hearted, most of it is just him being arrogant, but this doesn't really bother us. Another great thing about the film is Count Dooku, he makes the film very enjoyable but the slightly UN-EVEN pacing of the film makes him enter a full hour in! Episode II is an epic story that goes in depth at the look of how the death of Anakin's mother will influence his fall to the dark side and how his love for Padme will cross a forbidden Jedi rule. The only thing wrong with this film, that bugs us enough to point out is the relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin, which should have been expanded. Nonetheless Episode II is the strongest of the saga but suffers from an onslaught of under-ration by fans just because of a few reasons they that can't even explain...