Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) User Reviews

Great scale, action and mystery squares off with bad romance and dialogue

[Movie_Muse_Reviews · 7/10 · 11 December 2015]

And now, the Darth Vader origin story really begins. In fact, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" sort of renders its predecessor useless. "Episode I" feels like a mostly unnecessary part of the story now that "Episode II" gives a better glimpse into the troubled young man Anakin Skywalker – the future Darth Vader – has become.

Of course, "Attack of the Clones" also has troubles of its own. Although it is quite the grandiose visual effects spectacle – more so than any of its predecessors – it is the smaller, character- driven parts of the story that George Lucas absolutely botches, to almost comical effect.

Central to the entire prequel trilogy is the story of how Darth Vader becomes Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire rises to power, which means Lucas has a trajectory he must follow. It's clear in many ways that the story and screenplay is slave to this. Everything must add up to fit with the original "Star Wars" trilogy and Lucas must connect the dots, even if they don't all want to connect.

The dots that are most critical to the story are the ones that trace Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) path to the dark side and becoming the father of Luke and Leia. Therefore, he must turn evil – and fall in love – at the same time.

Because "The Phantom Menace" does very little legwork for Anakin's turn to the dark side, everything falls on "Attack of the Clones" to put it in motion. Right away, we are presented with a cocky, reckless young padowan of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who is nothing like little "Ani" in "Episode I." He is also extremely forward with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), because, well, they have to fall in love and there just isn't much time for them to do so in a believable way.

Before ripping into this unfortunate romantic subplot, it's worth noting that most else about "Clones" is entertaining. Running through the film is a pretty solid mystery thread: As a dangerous separatist movement gains steam in the Republic, now-Senator Amidala finds her life threatened and Obi-Wan and Anakin are assigned to protect her, and if possible, identify her would-be assassin. Obi- Wan traces a poison dart to a mysterious planet called Kamino, where he uncovers a big secret and a conspiracy unfolds.

Ever since Alec Guinness' Ben Kenobi mentioned fighting with Luke's father in the Clone Wars in "A New Hope," "Star Wars" die-hards have been itching to see the Clone Wars and find out just what they were all about. "Attack of the Clones" sets this up an exciting way and introduces some exciting villains to boot in Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). For the first time, fans can piece together how the Galactic Empire came into power, and that's exciting.

Interspersed with this unraveling mystery, however, is the Anakin- Padme romance, a subplot that reveals the most hideous weaknesses of Lucas' storytelling ability, namely that he cannot write good dialogue and he most certainly cannot create a genuine romance.

The feistiness of the Leia-Han backward romance accidentally worked out really well for Lucas because of Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford's repartee. This romance, however, is way more dramatic, serious and creepy. For one, the age gap between the two is uncomfortable, and largely because Padme says that she still sees him as a little boy. For another, he comes on to her aggressively and with a stalker-like anger that she apparently doesn't mind after he's persistent enough. And amidst it all, Anakin is having nightmares about his mother and is dealing with feelings of revenge that don't seem to bother Padme. There's just no way it had to be this ugly, but again, Anakin is Luke and Leia's father, and that has to happen somehow.

In a film without "Star Wars" in the title, "Attack of the Clones" would've warranted more scathing backlash, but the romance failure is somehow more acceptable in this instance because "Clones" is part of a story and a universe bigger than itself. You just have to brush it off. At least, unlike "Phantom Menace," the film feels more connected to that universe in other ways (and there's exceptionally less Jar Jar Binks in it).

With an iconic lightsaber duel at the end to top it all off, "Clones" skates by on adventure even though it does make it clear that no matter what happens in "Episode III," the prequels won't have the same heart and same lovable nature as the original films do.

~Steven C

Check out Movie Muse Reviews for more

Looking back this episode is much better

[lawnboy1977 · 8/10 · 28 November 2005]

This episode of the Star wars saga was criticized by some when it came out for having wooden dialogue and too much digital landscaping to be any good. I wasn't overly impressed with it myself, but having seen all 6 films now, AOTC is actually a very important and well done section of the overall series.

Lucas has said time and again that this movies are meant to be seen as one long film, not to be taken as 6 individual movies. This particular installment features so much that affects every other episode. The discovery of the clones, the immaturity and arrogance of Annakin, the beginning of the clone wars. All of these events happen in this one movie, which is actually a lot more than what happens in some of the other films. I don't consider this to be the best of all 6 by any means, but it is certainly not nearly as bad as some people make it out to be.

Some moments of inspiration but overall another wasted opportunity

[snoozejonc · 6/10 · 2 August 2020]

Set against the background of political conflict, Obi Wan investigates the source of an assassination attempt whilst Anakin and watches over Padme.

The film starts off interesting with some scenes of mystery and intrigue that hook the attention. Unfortunately it slows down in the middle with some unnecessary sequences and others with too much static dialogue. When spectacle does occur it is mostly good but nothing interesting links them together other than characters blandly talking. However, It finishes strongly with a sequence of exciting moments and big nod to what is to come.

Overall the plot is somewhat better than Episode I, but the mistakes made in the previous film hurt Episode II. Count Dooku is introduced as a new villain, but as good as Christopher Lee is you can't help but lament over the Darth Maul's absence, a missed opportunity to give his character more contribution to the overall story. Lee's presence always feels like a reaction to fill a void, particularly as his character was never referenced in Episode I.

That said, the climactic lightsaber spectacle is noted for being the one that shows Yoda in action for the first time in the franchise. It's spine-tingling as you see him limp to centre stage and then explode into action. Unfortunately (and I hate to be a killjoy again) the timing is off. It would have been better to have waited till Episode III to make his duel with the chief villain that much more special.

A big positive is the sequence of events shown on Tatooine with Anakin, his mother and the Sand People. This is a pivotal moment in his character arc and is done exceptionally well. The dialogue between he and Padme in the subsequent scene where he confesses his actions could have been better but it is thankfully lifted by another masterful John Williams composition.

The films of George Lucas have been widely criticised for bad dialogue and not without merit. The romantic scenes in Attack of the Clones are now infamous for their lack of chemistry and poor dialogue. It probably didn't help that Episode I showed Anakin as a child and Padme as a young woman. If they'd shown us a distinctly more mature and emotionally strong Anakin, perhaps we could believe there is an attraction, but he behaves like a creepy, spoilt teenager, lustfully gawping at the first girl he's ever seen. Soon they find themselves in a sequence of tranquil locations where nothing else actually happens other than bland dialogue over picturesque backdrops. This also hurts the pacing of the film as everything slows down for these scenes to play out. What Lucas should have shown was Anakin and Padme going through something interesting together, then let their love develop out of that. Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are good actors but unfortunately have poor material to work with.

Other performances are good, particularly Christopher Lee, Frank Oz, Samuel L Jackson, Anthony Daniels and Iain McDiarmid.

The special effects as you can imagine are epic and all you would have wanted the Clone Wars to be. The scenes on Coruscant are a welcome change from the type of backdrops seen in the previous four movies.

Much like The Phantom Menace there are some inspired moments, but Attack of the Clones was another wasted opportunity.

Not Bad

[risbyceonna · 7/10 · 16 June 2021]

First off the movie had some good aspects about it. For one the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin was phenomenal. They were emotional and comedic at the same time. The second thing is the action. This movie was very action packed and the choreography in the fights were very good. The conflict was nice as well I just wish they didn't have as many sub-plots. I didn't like how unnecessarily long this movie was, it felt like 3 hours. Some scenes didn't need to be included and I didn't like how they made it seem as if Anakin was obsessed over Padme but other than that their romance was believable and cute. The acting was strong although sometimes it came off as bland. The beginning tried to be serious but ended up looking like a joke. The movie was pretty good overall but could've done better.

bad dialog but love Kamino

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 27 February 2016]

The Republic is threatened as Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) agitates for a rebellion. Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) arrives at Coruscant to vote on the creation of the Army of the Republic. After an assassination attempt, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is assigned to protect Padmé. They haven't seen each other in 10 years. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) traces the attacks to bounty hunter Jango Fett and the hidden water planet Kamino.

This dialog is horribly flat. It's not simply the stilted awkward romance. The expositions are all done in tired uninteresting way. There is a lot of walking-and-talking and sitting in a circle. It is all terrible and I would suggest fast-forwarding several sections of the movie.

On the other hand, the CGI continues to be great. The best is Kamino. That world is sci-fi heaven. I love the aliens. I love Jango Fett and Anakin is nowhere to be found. McGregor gets to leave behind that dead weight. I also like the Blade-Runner-like lower levels of Coruscant although that bar should have been a lot seedier. It has too much of a sports bar feel. The coliseum is good and who doesn't love that outfit on Portman. There is plenty of fun action in this movie but it needs a better writer to punch up the dialog.

Underrated Star Wars Adventure, Full of Intrigue, Drama, and Jaw-Dropping Fun

[jaredpahl · 9/10 · 2 December 2015]

Much like its predecessor, Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones has gained a rather sour reputation on the internet. Fortunately, many of the popular complaints about this film are either highly exaggerated or downright wrong. Chapter two of the Star Wars Saga is an energized and highly enjoyable two hours at the movies.

Attack of the Clones follows Anakin Skywalker ten years after his exploits in The Phantom Menace. An older Anakin, played surprisingly well by Hayden Christiansen, is now training under the watchful eye of Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi. Searching the Internet, you won't find many fans who praise Christiansen's performance, but I found him to be very effective in the young, arrogant hotshot role he'd been given. McGregor does similarly well in the older brother, mentor role.

I enjoyed Episode I a lot, but the story is much more focused this time, with major events happening for Anakin, and an actual political conflict engulfing the Republic. The two major story lines in the film are, one, the political underpinnings that eventually lead to the start of the infamous Clone Wars, and two, the personal story of Anakin Skywalker, including the romance between him and the former Queen, Padme Amidala. The first of these story lines is wildly interesting, following the two opposing forces of the Clone Wars, The Republic and their clone army, and the Seperatists and their droid battalion, as they prepare for an imminent war. After an assassination attempt on Senetor Amidala, Obi-Wan embarks on a detective mission to a track down the people behind the plot. The political espionage and behind-the-scenes dealings make for a fascinating and focused story. The other major storyline is not as focused, but still works as a chapter in Anakin Skywalker's overall story. Anakin and Padme's love story works as a throwback to the grand, old-fashioned film romances of the 1930s and 40s (think Gone With the Wind), but for contemporary audiences, the few extended scenes of corny "love speech" dialogue might be pretty drab. However, these aren't as distracting or offensive as some claim. In fact, a couple of them actually work well, such as the meadow picnic, where Padme and Anakin discuss the futility of politics in the beautiful fields of Naboo. The actors have chemistry, and both are likable, especially Natalie Portman as Padme. Yes the love story can be a bit forced, and sometimes drab, but it fits the feel of the saga. It is a grand, sweeping, throwback to Hollywood's golden age.

If the love story might be hit or miss, it's the other facet of Anakin's character arc that Lucas gets absolutely right. Plagued by visions of his mother in pain, Anakin takes Padme to Tatooine where he tracks down his mother, only to see her die in his arms. His response is chilling and powerful. The scene between him and Padme in a garage after he brings his mom's body back is perfectly executed, unveiling a dark, angry side of Anakin, while simultaneously showing his frailty and confusion. It truly is one of the very best scenes in the saga.

Even if you didn't find the story as interesting as I did, there is no question that Episode II is an audio/visual feast for the senses. Lucas and company introduce a stunning variety of sprawling landscapes, crazy creatures, fanciful vehicles, and formidable weapons. Once again, the sheer amount of imagination contained in this world is unbelievable. While Attack of the Clones does tend to favor CGI backgrounds and creatures too much, it still looks undeniably cool. The nighttime skyline of Coruscant, the rain-drenched clone facility on Kamino, the termite mound planet of Geonosis; They all, along with the creatures that inhabit them, feel real, and look great. On these beautiful planets, we are treated to tons of terrific Star Wars action. George Lucas once again revels in directing off-the-wall fun. This film is an adventure through and through. Set-pieces range from a one-on-one battle between bounty hunter Jango Fett and Obi- Wan on the rainy platforms of Kamino to a gladiator-like fight against intergalactic monsters. The last half hour of the film particularly impresses, with a massive battle between the two giant armies, dozens of Jedis, and a helping of fantastic war machines. The whole thing ends with an epic face-off that sees Yoda battle with mind and sword against Christopher Lee's devilishly evil Count Dooku, a memorable villain with an air of gravitas. He's a classic Hollywood archetype with a Star Wars spin; an elegant villain who just happens to have a lightsaber (with an awesome curved handle) and can shoot lightning from his hands.

Needless to say, Attack of the Clones is much better than its reputation suggests. Complaints of poor story, too much politics, and "fake" looking CGI are almost completely unfounded, and the few moments of clichéd dialogue (the only complaint I can really understand) are such a small part of the film, that I barely notice them. However, for some reason that I honestly can't understand, it has become increasingly more "uncool" to like this film. Personally, I value energy and atmosphere in a blockbuster like this, and Episode II of the Star Wars Saga is packed with it. Attack of the Clones is a grand, sweeping, large-scale adventure. The story is mostly great, with only a few stretches that drag, and as with all the Star Wars movies (especially the prequels), the special effects and action are top notch. That is, after all, why you watch the Star Wars movies; to visit unknown worlds and have a ton of fun doing so. Star Wars - Episode II: Attack of the Clones isn't a world-class lesson in dialogue, but between the visual spectacle, first-rate action, and heavenly John Williams score, it is entertainment of the highest degree.

86/100

Attack of the Clones: Not as bad as people make it out to be

[Gelatart · 7/10 · 14 July 2010]

I am a huge fan of Star Wars. I am also not the best critic, so I don't usually give things low ratings unless they really were bad. But I don't believe that Attack of the Clones was that terrible. Allow me to explain.

I loved the original series. I think those movies were great. The Characters were amazing! The movies were action-packed and dramatic, yet hilarious too, and the action and comic moments didn't interfere! The Models looked so real, if you told me when I first saw it when I was 6 that they were CGI, I would have believed you! Everyone did their best. Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, etc. They were all so great!

Now the new series is not nearly as good as the old series, but I believe that the prequel trilogy is SERIOUSLY underrated. They aren't as good as the old movies, but they are still amazing movies! It shows a new side of things. It brings something new to the plate. It shows how Anakin was able to turn from an innocent boy to the menacing Darth Vader. It showed how Palpatine set up the trap that destroyed the Republic and created the Empire. It dug deeper into what it meant to be a Jedi, and how we can be easily led astray if we let our guard down. It gives us 2 paths. The Path of Luke, and the Path of Anakin.

Now that I have done some explaining, it's time to do what I wrote this review for. To review Attack of the Clones. I do agree it did have many flaws. I do agree that there was a lot of CGI in this movie. However, I do not think it was just to advertise its special effects. If you want a movie that does just that, go see "2012" or "At World's End." This was one of the weaker movies, but it was still amazing.

If you look closely, you see a lot of parallelism in the trilogies. "Phantom Menace" and "A New Hope" both introduced to us the characters. A major character has a major loss (Obi- Wan/Luke). The main character destroys the ship that is causing all the trouble (Anakin/Luke). The main character comes from humble origins (Anakin/Luke). The same thing happened in "Revenge of the Sith" and "Return of the Jedi" (my 2 favorites of the series). Except there are some opposites. Anakin and Luke choose different paths. But they each fight someone close to them (Obi-Wan the mentor/Darth Vader the father). Palpatine has set his plan in order. But the results are different (Destruction of the Republic/Destruction of the Empire). In one we see great sadness (Padme's funeral and Creation of Darth Vader) and in the other we see great joy (Celebrations throughout the galaxy). We also see parallelism in "Attack of the Clones" and "Empire Strikes Back." We see the characters evolve from what they were in the first movie into what they will be in the third.

In "Attack of the Clones," we see many things. We see how Anakin struggles with the loss of his mother (Luke struggled for his friends who were in danger). We see how Palpatine sets up the plan that will slowly destroy the Republic. We see what started the Clone Wars, which Palpatine used to his advantage. We see the Jedi Order starting to crumble. It wasn't the best Star Wars, but it was still Star Wars.

People criticize its flaws. They say that Anakin acts like a selfish brat. That is exactly what a young Darth Vader would be like! Anakin's anger got the best of him, and consumed him. We see that he has always struggled between good and evil (just as Luke did, on the Second Death Star). They say that there was too many special effects. I feel like the special effects didn't detract from the story. It's not like they animated all those battle scenes for no reason. They needed to show the intensity of the fight. The plot was a little confusing at first, and I feel it could've been better, but it was still better than other major series installments (such as Kingdom of the Crystal Skull).

All in all, it wasn't as strong as the other Star Wars movies, but it was still Star Wars, and I thought it was amazing! 9/10, because it had some flaws.

The most underrated Star Wars movie

[poseyfan · 9/10 · 25 April 2022]

Let me start off by saying that i don't enjoy the love scenes between Anakin and padme, BUT... Anakin is supposed to be awkward socially. So i guess it's realistic?

Besides that... This movie rocks. The story in this one and the clone wars as a whole is my favorite in the star wars saga. This movie doesn't deserve all the hate it gets.

Whats not to like??

[Atry · 4 November 2005]

Right this is my first review, so don't slam down on me to hard! anyway... I've read a lot of comments about petty-problems with this film, but couldn't help thing'what the hell!,' this is a fun movie.

First, a plot summery, Padme Amidarla is mow a senator for Naboo who deeply believes in democracy, and i travelling to couresant to vote 'no' for a Republic army. After a failed assassination attempt, Obi and Anakin are assigned to protect her. Anakin takes her back to Naboo for safety, while Obi tries to find out who's trying to kill her.

Next, the special effects are great, all of it looks real and the detail to attention in superb. The Clone war is amazing, explosions and shooting. And the digital characters don't look fake at all.

The plot is good too,it all revolves around the beginning of the clone wars and thats all I'm going to say.

The acting is on the whole good, McGreggor, Portman and Lee are all great. Jackson's good. Christen leaves a lot to be desired but i can forgive him just this once.

Finally, ignore the haters, this movie's great!

Mostly entertaining

[tomimt · 7/10 · 22 February 2005]

If you listen to some fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, the new one is crap. This is, I've found out, true only with the Phantom Menace, which was very poorly directed and edited piece of film.

Attack of the Clones in the other hand is in comparison a superior achievement from PM. But it does contain couple of unnecessary segments, which drag the speed of the film down. And some of the acting is, even in the standard of the Star Wars, pretty horrible. But happily all those under achievers are not in any important roles and seasoned actors like Christopher Lee (Count Dooku) do deliver what you expect of them. others deserving nomination here are Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu and Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine.

So, the plot. Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are told to watch over senator Padame (Natalie Portman) because of assassination attempts towards her life. This soon leads in Obi in discovery of secretly manufactured clone army. Who is behind all this? Will Padame and Anakin fall in love? When does Anakin fall in to the dark side? Will he become a Jedi before all this? Some of these questions are partly answered in AOTC, but some are left waiting for the third installment of the new trilogy.

But as said, this is much better film than Phantom Menace. It's not best film in the Star Wars saga, but in my opinion it does deliver. It's mostly fun to watch, action sequences are good, special effects are even better and despise some bad acting and some pretty horrible dialogs, it wasn't pain in the back side to watch.

So, my advise: don't listen to roaring Star Wars fans who claim this movie to be one of the worst things ever and don't listen to those, who claim this one to be best thing since sliced bread.

Attack of the Clones is above average, but not the greatest thing ever either.

Intriguing plot, poor screenplay.

[njforget · 5/10 · 9 June 2020]

Unfortunately, Attack Of The Clones could've been a great movie if it weren't for bad acting and poor screenplay. Many parts are great, but they are overshadowed by a love story that is cringeworthy and creepy.

I loved it and I think it's getting too much criticism

[sixpack-3 · 10/10 · 26 March 2003]

I happen to be one of the folks who really has enjoyed these films in the prequel trilogy. I also can see why people would not like the films and I don't deny people the right to their opinion. What has been bothering me has been some of the reasons people are giving for hating these new films... they are childish, they have too many special-effects, the acting is bad, the writing is bad, Lucas has sold out and has lost his touch... it makes me wonder if people are actually remembering the original trilogy correctly. Don't get me wrong, I love the original trilogy, but they weren't exactly well-acted or well-written movies. We didn't love them because they were these great Shakespearian works of art; we loved them because we were little kids totally enraptured by this exciting fantastical world. It seems that those same kids that loved the films 20 years ago have grown up into stuffy old yuppies that have no idea how to have fun anymore. Our generation has grown up and it seems that we wanted Star Wars to grow up with us, to morph into some new R-rated grown up version to satisfy our more mature needs. Well, we didn't like the original trilogy because it was all grown up and serious. We liked it because it was silly and fun and awesome to look at. I am personally glad that George Lucas did not make the prequels into a new grown up version. I like the adventure and excitement and I challenge the one major complaint that says that they do not live up to the originals. Let's look at what people have complained about when comparing these to the original trilogy.

-The new movies are too childish and geared towards kids: So, somehow we're supposed to believe that the droids, aliens, spaceships swamp monsters, and warriors with mystical powers from the original trilogy were of the more mature variety.

-The new movies have too many special effects: We're forgetting that the original movies were also special effects laden. Lucas has always pushed the limits of technology, even inventing new technology all the way. He has not sold out or changed or just now relied on special effects, he has always concentrated on the effects. If he had digital technology 20 years ago, he would have done the same thing then that he has now. That's what he does; he makes up worlds that don't exist and then comes up with a way to put them on film.

-The writing has been bad on the new films: Does anybody recall Lucas ever receiving a Pulitzer Prize?

-The acting has been bad on the new films: Carrie Fisher??? Mark Hamill??? Harrison Ford??? We're not exactly talking about Academy Award winners here. Name me one of the original main actors who was actually a great actor (other than Sir Alec). Now, Harrison Ford has had a great career, but he's no Jack Nicholson. And where are Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill now?

-Anakin is just a whiny little brat: Does anybody also remember how whiny Luke was in the first two movies? I mean, he did nothing but whine and complain until Jedi. And how many times did they say that Luke was just like his father? Should anybody then be surprised that Anakin was a whiny adolescent?

I think my point here is that people from my generation have taken something they loved as a kid and put it up on a pedestal so high that they are confused as to why they liked it. They think the original movies were these serious Academy Award caliber pieces of art and that's why they liked them. In fact, we liked them because they were cool and had monsters and space battles and there were toys that we could play with and have fun. The new movies are of the same mold as the original, they are unchanged. WE have changed and we're having a hard time dealing with that fact. Some would argue that these movies are not true Star Wars movies. I say, they are exactly the same... that's why I love them. If I want a serious film, I'll go find somethings starring Daniel Day-Lewis. I like action and science fiction, so I'll stick to the childish, poorly acted stuff.

The most underrated star wars movie ever

[djjimmisgr · 7/10 · 29 January 2020]

The truth is the first time I had watched the movie I wasn't impressed. After rewatches over the years I realised this movie gets so much hate that it didn't deserve. Especially if you compare it to the new movies (episodes 7, 8,9) it is far better in script, character development and battles. Anakin is awesome in this movie and makes you feel totally familiar with yourself the way he acts following your heart instead of cold rules.

"Begun, the Clone War has...."

[JTurner82 · 4/10 · 20 May 2005]

It seems as though there is no way to dispel negative atmosphere once it has been started. George Lucas's STAR WARS trilogy was well-loved by audiences (even though critics were split) but for some reason (and I can't figure it out), the first entry in the prequels, THE PHANTOM MENACE, earned a HUGE onslaught of critically divided posts just about everywhere in the world, from the press to the internet to fans in real life. While I do agree that the original trilogy is a tough act to follow, I wasn't as grossly let down by this movie as some were.

The same thing has happened to the second of the STAR WARS prequels, ATTACK OF THE CLONES, released in 2002. Many predicted that this movie would satisfy those who disliked Episode I with a vengeance, but alas, such was not the case. Once again, critics damned the movie for one reason or another, and the heated debate on whether Lucas "trashed the original trilogy" or not is still going on. I find it very sad that Lucas would still receive unfair critical attack, even after making a much darker, somber, and ominous movie in ATTACK OF THE CLONES. I'm guessing that such naysayers will continue to say nay to Lucas no matter what just like rabid fans of Anime would continue to slam-dunk dubs... even if a lot of them have recently proved to be excellent.

This is not to say that ATTACK OF THE CLONES is a flawless film. It actually has its share of problems that THE PHANTOM MENACE didn't have. The dialogue, although nowhere nearly as bad as critics and some disgruntled fans say, lacks the spark of the original trilogy. My biggest gripe with the movie is that it moves at a leisurely pace, with lots of weak, unsatisfying sequences that last too long. Most of these scenes consist of a love subplot involving Anakin Skywalker and Amidala Padme. When not interacting with each other, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman are fine in their respective roles. (Christensen's monologue about his slaughtering of not only Tusken Raiders but--horrors!--women and children is frightening.) But there is a sense of awkwardness when they contribute to scenes which involve schmaltzy lines and screen kisses. I'm guessing that they both felt uncomfortable doing these scenes, hence why the chemistry between them isn't as interesting as, say, Han and Leia's from the original trilogy.

Only when the movie is in action does ATTACK OF THE CLONES become worthwhile--there's a dizzying chase through Coruscant on floating cars, maneuvering through a dangerous asteroid field near a planet, and a half-hour long showdown that showcases a lot of amazing CG work. Actually, what also make Episode II worth watching are the fantastic set designs. Every location in the movie, from the metropolis skyscrapers of Coruscant to the water planet where prototypes of Stormtroopers are being constructed literally bursts with imagination and eye candy.

Of the performers I liked Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan) the best; his acting is still a little shaky at times, but here he seems more comfortable with the role. Christopher Lee makes a surprise appearance as the new villain, Count Dooku, and once again he delivers first-rate evil with this character. And it's great to see C-3PO and R2-D2 up to their usual banter again (although sometimes some gags occur when not necessary). Ultimately, however, the film belongs to Jedi Master Yoda, played to perfection by Frank Oz. His appearances in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI featured him as a rubber puppet (and a delightful creation), but in this movie he really comes alive, thanks to first-rate CG effects. His mouth is perfectly in sync with every word he says, and the final showdown between him and Dooku is an absolute highlight.

While ATTACK OF THE CLONES is, in some ways, a lesser entry in the STAR WARS franchise, its assets outweigh its weaknesses; most of the questions I had from the first episode seem to be addressed a little bit in this chapter, and, frustratingly enough, provides more questions for Episode III. Flawless or not, this is still a STAR WARS movie, and for what it is, it's still worth a look.

An unconvincing and at times painful love story drags down an otherwise decent movie

[bh_tafe3 · 7/10 · 2 March 2015]

Well, Obi-wan Jedi mindtricks a drug dealer into reforming, we find out Bobba Fett's father is the prototype for the Imperial Clones, Jar Jar Binks destroys democracy and Anakin and Padme get it on in this good, but somewhat ham fisted, second Star Wars film.

Not a lot happens at all in this, but what does happen can be broken up into two categories: Stuff that works pretty well and Anakin and Padme's romance. I really like Hayden Christenson. I think he's a decent actor, rather unfairly blamed in this film for giving the performance his director asked for. And Anakin is painful in this one. from his misplaced arrogance towards Obi-wan to his cringe worthy attempts to get Padme into bed, and Natalie Portman isn't much better. Padme has been established as a strong character, and in this one we need to start believing that she is Leia's mother, but for 75% of this she is flirting with Anakin and then shutting it down, flirting with Anakin and shutting it down. Repeat cycle. It's left to Ewan McGregor, as Obi wan to carry the story, and he does an awesome job. If there's one actor who looks completely at home in the prequel trilogy, it's McGregor. Obi-wan is the one left to discover the clone planet and then track Jango Fett.

It's in the last act, with their love established, that Anakin and Padme come to the party and start being interesting. We can finally see some of Leia in Padme as she takes over the situation and runs headlong into battle. Anakin in the meantime has continued his journey towards the dark side by slaughtering a tribe of sand people. And we can see a bit of Luke in Anakin as well. And not just the annoying whining. He's basically being faced with the same choices as Luke in the original trilogy and either making the opposite decisions to Luke (getting involved in a romance, slaughtering a tribe out of vengeance) or making the same bad decisions (running off here with Padme is as bad as Luke running off to Cloud City in Empire), so Lucas isn't doing it well, but he is establishing some sort of parallel path between the parents and their children.

Anyway Windu and Yoda get to kick some ass, and Christopher Lee gets to run around as Palpatine's apprentice and act like an Evil Sith, which looks like a lot of fun for him, while Palpatine manipulates Jar Jar into giving him executive powers (Senator Amidala showed very questionable judgment by making Jar Jar her replacement, and here he is, destroying democracy). This is kind of clever as it turns the much maligned Binks into a tragic character, but it isn't that clever.

We end with Anakin and Padme having a forbidden marriage and the clones flying off into the stars in early versions of star destroyers. The Republic is taking shape and the Jedis, while knowing there is a fight coming, are oblivious to Palpatine's duplicity.

You can see what Lucas was trying to do here, and he's made a good movie, albeit with a painful love story and some disgraceful dialogue. Attack of the clones is not a bad film, just one that could have been far better. At least Lucas now had all the characters where he wanted them for Part 3, which was a film so good, it completely justified the prequel trilogy.

A definite improvement over "The Phantom Menace" but still not up to the level of the original trilogy

[sme_no_densetsu · 7/10 · 18 December 2015]

Episode II of the Star Wars saga, "Attack of the Clones" had the misfortune of following the poorly received first instalment. The good news is that it corrected most of the problems that plagued the first movie. While still not in the same league as the original trilogy, it was nevertheless a step in the right direction.

Several cast members from the first movie returned and, thankfully, stars Ewan McGregor & Natalie Portman fared much better this time around. Additionally, Christopher Lee provided a strong villainous presence that was sorely lacking from the first movie. Hayden Christensen stepped into the role of Anakin Skywalker and he at least did better than Jake Lloyd, though that's a case of damning with faint praise. Admittedly, though, his character wasn't written especially well, so it wasn't all his fault.

Speaking of writing, this time around George Lucas had the good sense to work with someone else on the screenplay. While the dialogue is still a bit stilted at times, the improvement is noticeable. Lucas also occupied the director's chair once again, with satisfactory results.

From a technical standpoint, the movie is highly accomplished, even though some of the profuse CGI is overly ambitious. In any case, the visual effects ended up being the source of the film's sole Oscar nomination. As usual, John Williams's score was also a highlight.

However, perhaps the most important difference this time around is that story is much more engaging as it really begins to set the stage for Anakin's inevitable transformation into Darth Vader. The movie's romantic elements may be awkward at times but, overall, the script does a pretty good job of balancing action and laying the foundation for the events to come.

Ultimately, I think that "Attack of the Clones" is underrated. It does have some problems but it managed to set the trilogy back on the right track. Thankfully, the concluding chapter would continue this upward trend.

It was very good, unlike what I had heard

[dim-tripakis · 9/10 · 4 January 2015]

It is now 2014 and I finally got to watch both Episode I and Episode II, during a weekend visit to some friends. Since the 3 prequels were released (I believe Episode III was in 2005) I have heard a lot of bad comments for the movies and Lucas specifically. That all he is after is money and franchising, bad director, bad writer and the like.

When you expect less, you get more out of it. That is a rule of life. And perhaps this is the reason I enjoyed Episode II so much. Or, more precise, one of the reasons.

The other reasons are that it fully immerses you into another world. This is imperative for a movie. I would go as far as saying that movies *are* immersion, above all other things. So this one, in my book, is a successful movie. You do get the feeling of watching a world similar to ours, but orders of magnitude bigger, were countries have been replaced by planets and nations by species. And they, too, have their problems. Politics, war, greed. The political and social references of the movie are not to be taken lightly. They were well thought out and make this movie enjoyable to watch by adults as well.

Technically the movie looks fantastic, the plot feels realistic and the dialogs are good. The dialogs have seldom something smart in them, but they work. I would expect a little more humor and punchlines, but anyway, I suppose dialogs are not the strong part of the movie.

I could go on for hours but its late. All I want to end up with is that the movie is immersive, has good plot, decent dialogs and does not stall much, at least much less than Episode I.

The one thing I did not like and God I don't know how they allowed it to happen, is that Anakin simply can not act.

Terrible script & poor editing make this a poor clone

[xteve · 26 November 2002]

I just watched this on DVD last night, having seen it in the theatre. I was very disappointed when I watched the scenes that had been cut, as they fleshed out the story a lot more than the final cut. You learned more about the wasp creatures near the end of the film and why Dooku enlisted their help. Padme's character was a lot more established as well in visits to her parents house and in a confrontation with Dooku.

Many people have commented on the wooden acting of the two leads, which I somewhat agree with, but Christensen is not that bad an actor, and neither is Portman.

The problem with both this film and Phantom Menace is Lucas' dialogue. He writes lines which no actor, even in a fantasy movie, can say without sounding like they're reading them off of cue cards. This can be excused when the line is SF technobabble, but when it's supposed to be intimate romance it comes off as clumsy, forced, and utterly unbelievable. Considering that we KNOW the ultimate fate of each of these characters, these make scenes where they are put in peril uninteresting, since you already know they'll survive. Lucas really blew the chance at creating highly developed, memorable characters in my opinion.

In addition, both this and Phantom Menace sorely miss a solid supporting cast to the two cardboard character leads. Where is the Han Solo/Chewbacca/Lando of these movies? Watching the original trilogy, the chemistry between Han and Chewie gives the movies a much broader appeal than the soap opera Skywalker saga. Imagine the original trilogy with only Luke and Leia as the two main characters -- it'd be far less interesting!!!

Ewan McGregor is given a lot more to do in this film as Obi-Wan, and he acquits himself very well, although I think the scenes on the clone world would have been much better if he had been accompanied by Mace Windu. We almost always see Jedis travel in pairs, until Kenobi's solo visit. Christopher Lee does well in the limited screen time he's given. Samuel L. Jackson gives a one note performance as Mace Windu ... we're never convinced that he's as powerful a warrior as he's said to be. And when a CGI Yoda is the most expressive character in the film, you know something's just not right.

Lucas has really painted himself into a corner to deliver the goods in Episode III. In my opinion, to tie up all the loose ends he's created between Phantom Menace and this film, Episode III might have to be 4 hours long.

In summary, this is a decent film for fans of the Star Wars saga, and certainly better than Phantom Menace, but it still doesn't break much new ground. Compared to the colorful entertaining space opera of the first trilogy it's rather dull and predictable. Hopefully Episode III will give Star Wars fans a movie that can be held up to the high standards of the originals.

The weakest Star Wars movie, but not a total disaster

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 1 November 2009]

I do agree that this is the weakest of the six Star Wars movies, but it wasn't by all means a terrible movie. I will admit the dialogue is weak and gets nowhere at times, the plot isn't as well thought out and felt convoluted at best, Haydn Christensen does give a truly abysmal performance as Anakin and although the presence of Jar Jar Binks was toned down here his presence anywhere seemed jarring. Still despite the major flaws, it is a marvel to look at with stunning sets and impeccable CGI. The battle sequences are well choreographed, the pace is somewhat brisker than in Phantom Menace and the performances with the exception of Christensen are very good.

Natalie Portman is quite captivating as Queen Padma, and displays a lot of emotional depth. Frank Oz is excellent as always as Yoda, and Ewen MacGregor is more at home here than he was in Phantom Menace. There is no doubt though that the acting honours go to Christopher Lee as the villainous Count Dooku. Then again, Lee is an exceptional actor who can act anything you throw at him. Plus John Williams' music was outstanding. Overall, a decent movie while the weakest of the Star Wars franchise. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

[zachwv09 · 10/10 · 18 May 2014]

I know most Star Wars fans were thoroughly disappointed with episodes 1-3, but I found the back up of the Trilogy to be great. Sure they weren't exactly the Trilogy, but I don't think I'd love Star Wars as much had the prequels not been made. They provided background and depth to the Trilogy, and they enable the Old Republic Era the evolve. I definitely understand why Lucas made these movies and appreciate them for what they have done for the Star Wars Universe.

Attack of the Clones is by far the best of the Prequels. I believe it to have the best action and intensity of all three of the Prequels. Of the Prequels, I believe it to have some of the best acting and story line. I would advise this movie to anyone.

It's pretty good, but...

[rld-68875 · 7/10 · 28 June 2022]

The acting and dialogue is the weakest part of this film. The top cast speak 90% of their parts with no vocal inflection and show little emotion as well. This film is still worth watching to gain all the information I think we need to understand important things, such as Darth Vader's past.

Movie for the fans (and no one else)

[bigstonemonkey · 1/10 · 6 July 2002]

First off, don't blame the actors or the special effects. It's not their fault. Whenever someone knocks a bad movie, which Episode II qualifies as, they immediately raise the pitchforks towards the actors. If your going to lay some blame, lay it at the feet of George Lucas. It was his puerile script that brought the actors to their knees, and his lack of direction that made them stay there. It was George's unholy fascination with all things digital that massacred the screen with billions of wasted pixilated images, making the flesh and blood actors seem like they stepped into the Twilight Zone.

This movie serves one purpose and one purpose only...to manually pleasure George Lucas' fanbase. The only things that seperate this wheelbarrow full of fertilizer from the average sci-fi schlock are the overinflated budget for Lucas' digital toys and the useless insertion of previous Star Wars characters.

(SPOILERS ABOUND BELOW)

The movie flows like a frozen sewage runoff. It goes from high speed, high altitude car chases, to boring, forced angst by the fireplace. To say that Christensen and Portman have no chemistry is to say that the Middle East might be facing some political problems. Their romance is about as believable as grass growing on the moon. Maybe they could have done better if the script hadn't been written with crayons.

I thought these prequels were about Anakin's spiral downward from the path of balance into the Darkside. Is that ever going to happen or are we going to be forced to watch a third episode of video game previews for the Game Cube? We were given a lackluster hint with the slaughter of the Sand People but that barely cuts it. It wasn't even shown, thereby castrating the power of the scene. We just have to hear Anakin whine about it for about three seconds. Usually, when someone butchers a whole village of men, women, and children there's a whole lot more soul searching going on afterward. Of course, Lucas goes the pansy route and glosses over the whole thing. Most people I've talked to didn't even remember the scene until it was brought up to them.

I'm probably one of the few people completely disgusted witht the Yoda fight at the end with the unimpressive Darth Sarumon (Lee plays the exact same character in LOTR: former wizard turned evil lackey=former jedi turned evil lackey). It's almost as if instead of a hand being up Yoda's posterior they've inserted a heroin suppository. Lucas has, in a brief half-minute, meaningless fight scene, destroyed the mystery of Yoda. The entire fight was unwarranted. If Yoda can raise ships from swamps and hold big chunks of pillar in the air, why can't he just pick up Count Poopoo and bang him against the wall a few times, soften him up a little, so to speak. Why? Because Lucas has toys he must abuse, that's why.

The real star of this movie is the CGI. And CGI doesn't make good film. CGI is a support for a movie, that's it.

There were far too many real world references, as well. Death sticks=cigarettes. Lame. Fifties diner in a galaxy far, far away, complete with sassy robo-waitress. Lame. This is supposed to be far removed from our world in the aforementioned galaxy far away. All I missed was the Fonz. Where the Hell was he? It might have been an improvement.

In closing..Lucas needs to stop writing, directing and editing. Let a grown up handle these things. All that crap about these movies being for kids is a lark. These movies are for the nerds of the late seventies and early eighties who can't seem to move on in the world. The charm of Star Wars was gone before Lucas unveiled his uber-deluxe, special treatment of the films for the third time. And now he's doing it again. Maybe he'll go the Spielburg route and replace all the blasters with peace symbols.

Rating 1 out of 10. I'd rate it lower, but I was never good with fractions.

Slow at times, but the story and action make up for the flaws

[danielloe · 9/10 · 19 June 2015]

*WARNING MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS* If you remember, I was one of the few who did not hate The Phantom Menace, in fact, I gave it a positive rating. If you'd like to get a different opinion on the prequels, please be sure and check that review out as well, but now, let's talk about The Attack of The Clones. This movie has a few rough spots, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman don't have very good chemistry together, despite both of them giving decent performances in the rest of the movie. No, Hayden Christensen isn't that bad, he's a bit wooden, but I think he plays a believable confused young man who has been isolated all his life. In fact, I think that most of the hate surrounding Christensen is less about how he plays his role, and more about what role he's playing. People don't want Vader to be a bitter and over- reacting teenager, but in the scenes where Christensen is able to show who he'll become, he's great. Besides, this is all about how Anakin becomes Vader, he can't start out as Vader in Episode II. The movie also gets heat for other stuff, too boring, too much CGI, etc. The CGI effects look great, it makes it look like a more advanced culture, by having surroundings that we can't yet physically create. Now, maybe a few practical effects wouldn't have been amiss, but I think the use of CGI is a relatively minor complaint, and one that doesn't really effect the over-all quality of the film. The plot may be slow at times, but don't forget, we have lots of action in here as well. A full scale battle at the end, a high speed chase through Courscant, a duel between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett, etc. Yes there are slow stretches, but there are also plenty of scenes that are really fun. I know Yoda fighting with a light-saber, you know, a Jedi's weapon, is supposed to be just like heresy or something, but I can't take that complaint seriously. How else would Yoda have fought? With a stick? It's not like he doesn't use the force or anything! But enough with the negatives, let's talk about why this movie is genuinely good. Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan is great! He brings the right level of sophistication and intelligence to the character, while still managing to seem like a less experienced version of the character in A New Hope. Jango Fett is a really good villain, he brings in great action and is just over all a really cool character. I already said I like Hayden Christensen, who I think accurately displays youth, and provides a relate-able character for everyone who's ever been a teenager ever. The action is top-notch as well. The speeder chase on Courscant is a great start to the movie; humor, good effects, and very fast-paced. The finale is very well done also, and it's a blast to see the first full scale battle in a Star Wars movie (the gungans don't count). The story, thought admittedly a bit muddled, is interesting enough (let's be honest, Star Wars isn't story based, it is driven by characters and action). I understand very few will agree with this review, but I wanted to give my own opinion on the Star Wars movies, so, I started reviewing them. I'll try to have my Revenge of the Sith review up soon!

And I thought the prequells were weak

[hanscarstenstenzel · 7/10 · 7 May 2022]

In retrospect the prequells were not the worst part of the saga, even though I thought so at the time. But now... sequells and tons of unnecessary tv-shows prove that it is getting worst . Rise of... sorry, I had to ...reverse eating.

The finale saves the film

[D4V1D2411 · 5/10 · 16 April 2022]

I found most of the film to be boring, the interactions between Pádme and Anakin feel very weird and unconfortable, the cgI looks really bad in this one and the mistery that Obi Wan tries to solve is uninteresting. More than half of the movie is boring because of this problems but they are solved in the third act, which happends to be actually interesting and exciting. Also I actually liked the politics in this movie, you can understand them more easily and they actually have really strong consequences. Still, not the worst Star Wars movie.