Better than Phantom Menace, Still Empty

Rating: 6/10 (28 May 2002)

Attack of the Clones seems almost like a response from the reclusive George Lucas to the many critics of Phantom Menace. It is as if he thought, "They dared to be critical of Phantom Menace, did they? Well, take THIS!"
Attack of the Clones has so much action (after a fairly long set up), it just becomes too much. The viewer already suffers from the lack of any connection to the characters (unlike in the original Star Wars). Add to that way too much visual overkill and you are left numb.
Sometimes numb is a good thing in a movie. Being numb from seeing amazingly creative scenes, or sudden plot twists you never expected, that's good. Unfortunately for Lucas and the quality of this new Star Wars trilogy, numb isn't from that. The fact that the next three "episodes" have already been made and been around for 20 years takes away from any real interest in what happens next or plot twists. After all, we already know what happens next to every major character, and we can guess at some minor ones (anyone here the name "Organa" in Attack of the Clones?).
No, numb in this instance is from loud noise and so many visual effects you can barely keep the action straight. Then you are left with odd questions like, why does Yoda hide his true ability (even using a cane)? And why didn't he throw the levitating column at the bad guy's escape ship, not harmlessly to the floor (sorry, trying to avoid spoilers here)? And doesn't he look when he fights like some escapee from the Muppet Show in a sugar frenzy?
Interestingly, I thought the most creative and involving piece of the film was the visit to the "clone water world." It also is the portion that seems least like the rest of the movie, and least like Lucas (it was more Spielbergesque). I wonder if Lucas actually had a hand in that segment or if someone else was responsible.
In a way, Clones is a reflection of our society today. Less characterization, less emotional involvement, more loud things and more shiny things. Kids today don't know what they missed (I'm 38). For instance, if Annakin had, in Clones, performed some amazing feat (powered by his emotion) that saved the Jedi and showed that he could indeed become the greatest of all, then his fall would be that much more melancholy, because we would know how good he could have been. Instead, he is picked on so much in Clones that you never feel he is much better than an average Jedi and that's all he will be. Too bad. Lucas misses a chance to put a real plot point in the story.
Overall, I rated Clones a 6. That's better than the 3 I gave Phantom Menace. If the next movie is an 8, then we will be back where the original Star Wars started.