An emotionally complex and visually stunning film.

Rating: 10/10 (26 May 2002)

Unfortunately, I had ruined this movie for myself long before seeing it. Bored one summer, I started looking up a lot of "spoiler" information. Thus, I was worried that regardless of how of the film was, I would not be very impressed simply because it would be nothing surprising... ...but whoa, was I so unmistakably wrong! I have never been left speechless by a film, ever. In fact, I figured that people saying that were simply being dramatic. However, I was, in fact, speechless for about 20 minutes after leaving the theatre. George Lucas has truly outdone himself.
Attack of the Clones is the most emotionally complex Star Wars film Lucas has made. Its tone is not simply good vs. evil, like episodes IV-VI. Instead, it is good people and a good government becoming evil. Of course, this is embodied by the central figure in these films, Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen, who, though somewhat awkward at times, gives an overall good performance (he's brilliant in Anakin's break-down scene). Natalie Portman returns with a solid performance, and the love story between Anakin and Padme is, for the most part, charming. The dialogue becomes a bit too much in one scene, but hey who's the more foolish: the screenwriter, or the person who goes to a Star Wars film expecting anything less than corny dialogue? Ewan McGregor, delivering the best performance in the film, is superb as Obi-Wan Kenobi! He is the consummate Jedi, the serious, straight-arrow center of the film. However, what makes the performance so excellent is the manner in which, through this stern exterior, he can be so perfectly comical. Most of the laughs in the film come from his witty one-liners.
This film sports a strong supporting cast. The two Sith lords, Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) provide much of the film's intrigue. These two are the puppet masters behind all the events of the film, with Palpatine serving as the supreme mastermind, as he did in Phantom Menace. However, the interesting nuance in Clones is that we see these two Sith lords attempting to betray each other! If any film demonstrates that being on the Dark Side is an uncomfortable position, it is this one. In Palpatine's scene with Anakin, and Obi-Wan's scene with Dooku, we see each of them attempting to find a new ally, each hoping that, though in league with the other at the time, he will eventually overthrow him. It is this brand of intrigue that makes this film, and the prequel trilogy in general, a richer, more fascinating story line.
Yoda (Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) lead the Jedi entourage. They emerge as the generals in the film, the heroes who save the day. Jackson lends his usual "coolness" to Windu, making his action scenes all the more enjoyable. But Yoda is the real showstopper. We've loved Yoda since Empire Strikes Back, but in this film, he's in his prime. He is stern yet funny, as lovable as ever. He steals the show, though, as Yoda the action hero. His light saber battle, the film's climax, will have you cheering, a brilliant achievement of which Industrial Light & Magic should be proud.
Another notable aspect of this film is that Lucas seems to have become much more creative as a director. His visuals in this film, especially the rain planet Kamino, are beautiful as always, but it's his camera-work that is noticeable different in this film. As Steven Spielberg noted, Lucas does his best directing in this one. He captures the proper emotions of each scene, each close-up occurring at just the right time. Most interesting, though, is Lucas's "artsy" camera-work, which shines a bit in this film. There's an interesting scene in which he plays with the shadows of Anakin and Padme on Tatooine. Another scene between the two, a romantic shot of them silhouetted while moving into a sun-drenched arena to which the camera pans, is fairly breathtaking (thanks in part as well to the swell in John Williams's love theme). My favorite of these scenes, though, is the light saber battle between Anakin and Dooku. It's unlike any light saber battle ever seen in a Star Wars film. The two characters appear to be blending into one another, their faces illuminated by only by their light saber blades, the blue and red flashing across each of their faces. Perhaps this is George's way of linking these two characters, the Jedi fallen to the Dark Side (Dooku) and the one who will soon take his place (Anakin). Brilliant moment, brilliant.
Thus, my hat's off to Lucas and company for this film. I love the others, all of them, but this one truly stands out. It is massive, emotionally and visually, and altogether satisfying.