Review of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) by Alan H — 15 May 2014

Moderately interesting when compared to the previous instalment, part two of this trilogy still suffers under the weight of the same problems of the previous movies flaws.

AOTC has a perfect idea working for it, this is the point where that single crack appears that is going to doom the whole building and there's nothing to stop it any more. If we could have seen the proper consequences for the events in Episode 1, something like an basic armed guard on all transport, something akin to air marshals on planes in the US today, or any hint that paradise was being corrupted without anyone even batting an eyelid at it other than a few, to portray the separatists as the unfortunate scapegoats and doomed heroes trying to save the Republic from destruction rather than an evil organisation of cookie cutter bag guys who broke away from the Republic just 'cuz. Maybe a brief heated argument between a senator from planet (X) and three from planets (Y) (Z) and (0), (X) stepping forwards and claiming the reforms that Palpatine is doing is only making things worse, while the rest are portrayed as ruthless Zealots who rally most of the senate behind them with words like "Patriotism" "Loyalty" and "For the Greater Good", culminating in having (Y Z and 0) have their personal guards force (X) out of the senate at gun point, with a possible note of tension as to whether he's even alive still.

We've got the base line for that with Padme, but her involvement in the anti-war message is lost within the first minute of the movie, her ship explodes and all reference to a true anti-war message is lost among finding her attacker and learning about the clones, etc, etc.

Anakin's character was written badly wrong for what tone Lucas seemed to be shooting for. He's a prodigy whose natural talent has him getting things far quicker than the norm, who wants to rush ahead and get to the finish line without waiting. There are two ways to do this,.

To have him eager to test himself at every encounter and feel both ashamed and thrilled every time he's just done something he shouldn't.

Or he can be petulant about it, showing no concern for anything but himself.

One is meant to make you root for him, one makes you despise him and for the life of me I can't figure out why Lucas chose to write Anakin as a prissy, whiny little brat in this movie "as well".

As with the last review on this trilogy, I spoke about the sound and visual effects and I intend to do the same here.

The scene where Jango Fett is trying to kill Obi-Wann with those space mines near Kamino was ridiculously loud and offensive, even at home if that scene is on I tend to cringe with the levels that the sound editor and Lucas pushed it. Again I know that he was going for a tone here, but making the explosion sound more ear bleedingly impressive than the destruction of "both" Death Stars combined shows a mistake there. I am not taking about the visuals either, this is entirely sound related.

Bringing characters back for no reason other than to have them in the movie and to have contrived explanations as to why characters do the things they do make this a less than perfect movie in an already lacking triogy of films.

That I won't watch unless marathoning Star Wars.