Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

With the loud and shocking sound of an explosion, Episode II in the Star Wars saga begins. And with the sudden look of solemn desperation that appears upon Padme's face, we're exposed to the new world that George Lucas has envisioned. From those opening seconds we realize that this second movie in film history's most storied franchise is taking a different route. Those opening reels are shrouded in fog, an unquiet darkness enveloping the proceedings. Loss, whether through an unexpected death or the impending absence of good, becomes a prevalent theme in this sequel to the much-maligned Episode I: The Phantom Menace. And since basically every audience member knows the ultimate result of the prequel trilogy (Anakin's fall towards the Dark Side and his eventual transformation into Darth Vader, all surrounded by the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire), George Lucas' freedom of character arcs is somewhat limited. It makes for an impossibly difficult task and Lucas tries his best to accomplish it, with mixed results that are oh-so-close to greatness that you can virtually taste it.

Even before the first prequel was released it was known that the most difficult element of the story would be portraying the growing feelings of love between Anakin and Padme. They would, at some point, get together and have two children. And, of course, their children would be named Luke and Leia. Starting with a child of barely 10 years old, the entire childhood, pubescent years, and young adulthood of Darth Vader would have to be explored. I didn't envy the position Lucas was in (and I still don't), what with rabid fans expecting the second coming of Christ and the enormous restrictions placed (by himself) upon his storytelling. Lucas, in reality, has done almost as good of a job as possible. Sure, the first film when viewed individually lacks any semblance of heart. But his second attempts wholeheartedly to make up for it. And, like I said earlier, the results are decidedly mixed but ultimately intriguing.

Just as in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, still the best film in the franchise, more questions are asked than answered. It's great fun to watch Clones and spot correlations to the later films such as the appearance of Luke's aunt and uncle and to see, for the first time, where Luke eventually grows up. We see the beginnings of Anakin's fall towards the Dark Side, and the primary event that leads to his descent. And, as the title dictates, we see multitudes of clones peppering the battlefields with lasers, assuming a large role in the conflict between The Republic and the still-mysterious enemy that clouds the visions of the Jedi. And, most excitingly, we have a short, green-tinged hero that assumes a bigger, fiestier role than we ever thought possible.

And this is why I dearly love Attack of the Clones. George Lucas, while not getting the best performances from his actors and for the most part failing to write dialogue that resembles anything close to wit, manages to entertain and suprise us even though we know the final result. Lucas is a visual director, one that perhaps might be suited to bring in some heavy duty dialogue help, has crafted his film with astounding visual flair. Even the midsection, where the tempo slightly drags but not to a point where it comes to a standstill, is nothing less than visually amazing. One is constantly in awe, so much that you wish certain shots would pause for a moment so you can absorb the surroundings. Adding to the grandeur of the film is the fantastic score by the indelible John Williams. His work here ranks as some of his best ever, and his love theme might be one of his best individual pieces.

And this doesn't even bring us to the clear highlight of the film: the incredibly action-packed, special effects-inundated forty minute climax. Before Attack of the Clones, the previously most visually sophisticated film was The Phantom Menace (yes, believe it). And now, Clones is another quantum leap forward. What we have is a film that is nothing less than the most visually advanced film ever made. Industrial Light and Magic's special effects are easily the best ever, oustripping the comparatively awful Pearl Harbor, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The special effects are not just good, they're everywhere. The Star Wars series is clearly ILM's pride-and-joy, and the animators produce results that are virtually impenetrable to criticism. Clones' climax is a lightsaber-riddled monument of filmmaking that is relentless in pure energy. This extended sequence is destined to become a classic scene in the Star Wars universe, one that culminates in perhaps the single most exciting moment in any of the Star Wars films. And no, I will not tell you what this scene is.

Where this film ranks in the series is of little consequence. What is important is that George Lucas has restored hope to a franchise that lost plenty of steam in the last two entries. Attack of the Clones will amaze fanboys across the globe and should please virtually everyone. Star Wars is all about creating a different place, one that you can be transported to and feel at home. It's about seeing people with powers that you longingly desire and cheering as they use those powers for good. With Attack of the Clones, George Lucas has brought us back to these quintessential movie-going feelings of nostalgia. And for that, we're thankful.

The Star Wars films are judged on an entirely different level than most films. They're expected the be the most visually entrancing films ever produced, and the flaws that are excusable in non-Star Wars films are never forgiven when in the context of the legendary Star Wars mythology. It's entirely too bad. It is with much regret that I heard gripings from other critics about sappy dialogue, bad delivery of lines, and an uneventful first half. These critics, who seem to enjoy their own pessimism, are flat-out wrong and are missing the point. And you, if you listen to them, are being ignorant. Let's be honest here, hearing a critic give a negative review to a crowd-pleasing film is like hearing the grim reaper give death threats. It happens all the time. It's up to the film-going audience to ignore these journalists and listen to the comments of your peers. I suspect, then, that you'll hear something positive for a change. And optimism is always a good thing, especially when it's about that galaxy far, far, away.

Bring on Episode III.

On a scale of 1 to 10 backward droids : 8

In Retrospect... One month later...

[Personal Note: This film is an anniversary of sort for me. The first film I reviewed for this site was its predecessor, The Phantom Menace. That was slightly more than three years ago...]