Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

My son enjoys the series   September 2, 2008
I ordered episodes 1 thru 3 for my son. They all arrived before the promised arrival date and with no damages.

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There is no Beating the Beginning of the Clone Wars... (2 of 3 Found this Helpful)   August 9, 2008
I've Waited long Enough, heard enough Criticism taken enough Star Wars and George Lucas Bashing. It is August of 2008 as I write this. Star Wars Is and always has been a Cultural Phenomenon. Why has the Original Trilogy Flourished, while the Prequels have been treated less then kind to. First off Episodes I-III are The story of Anakin Skywalker. Not the back story of the Exploits of Darth Vader. We have to know the Man before we Know the Monster. Episode II is how Anakin and Padme fall in Love and the fall af the Republic into Civil War. I Thought it was a Terrific Movie. Hayden C. Can act, He is a Good (Young-Future) Vader. Natalie Portman is Perfect as the Mother of Luke and Leia. And Ewan Mcgregor is Without a doubt the perfect young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda in action. Jango Fett, Young Boba Fett. The Origin of the Clones. THE JEDI IN ACTION!!!!!
as Star Wars fans We have been waiting A LONG TIME for this. It is happening in this movie. PLus we are Treated to the Start of the Clone Wars. The Battles are Unbelievable. What More do people want. So what, we have a Love story going on. Anakin and Padme are Supposed to Fall in Love!!!! They Sire Luke and Leia Don't Forget.
In My Opinion the reason the Prequels weren't as big as the Originals, I hear a Million and one reasons. The reason is clear. The Originals came out They Blew everyone away. No one EVER saw anything like that before. Since then there have been so many movies to come out with so many advances and action, effects, and blockbusters like never before. So when the 3 Prequels came, people were expecting the Second Coming. Obviously NOTHING can live up to that kind of Hype. So 3 Great movies each one better than the last get Destroyed by all the "so-Called" Fans and Critics. That is why they didn't get their Proper Status.

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Attacking the Legacy   August 5, 2008
After the overwhelmingly disappointing presentation that was "The Phantom Menace", we Star Wars fans were sure that our benefactor, the wise and creative George Lucas, had simply been dealing with a very large and lengthy brain fart that had caused some of his more questionable choices regarding what was to be the prequel to end all prequels; we were also sure that by ascending the director's chair again, he would be righting the wrongs of the first (or fourth) film and making us feel proud to be sci-fi junkies again.
However, to put it plainly, "Attack of the Clones" rights a few of it predecessor's wrongs only to replace them with faults just as great as those of the past. While the sequel is a maginally better attempt (I'd give it a 3.5 if I could), that's all that it remains: an attempt at replicating the original trilogy's greatness.

Taking place a decade after "Phantom Menace", the plot finds ex-queen and current Naboo senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) the target of an assassination attempt led by a separatist movement stirring in the Galactic Senate. Sent to protect her from further attacks are Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his maturing apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who has not relented his attraction towards the beautiful politician since the last movie. Upon the finding of a clue regarding Amidala's would-be assassin, the two Jedi part ways, with Kenobi tracking a bounty hunter and Skywalker escorting the senator into hiding on her homeworld of Naboo...where, against the vows of a Jedi, the two of them come to realize that their attraction is more than one-sided.

It's rare that I can place the majority of blame for a bad movie on a single individual, but in the case of "Attack of the Clones", a large part of what made the movie as big of a disappointment as it is was Hayden Christensen being cast as the adult Anakin Skywalker. I have no doubt that even decades from now, fans will still be debating about what state of mind George Lucas was in when he selected the then-21-year-old ex-star of TV's "Higher Ground" for what should have been one of the most defining roles in cinema history: the part of the troubled Skywalker calls for the juggling of several emotions, but even the most basic of core expressions seem lost to Christensen, who mumbles his lines like a supporting member of a school play, and sells the most humanistic of exertions as though he has something else on his mind. In truth, behind the scenes, Christensen was surprised to find out that he wouldn't yet be playing the role of Darth Vader until the third movie, and his obvious disappointment shines through in every scene, as though he's punishing Lucas for not letting him wear the enigmatic cape and helmet by performing in inexcusable monotone.
Luckily, Ewan McGregor has begun to grow into his role as the-man-who-would-be-Ben, and having Christopher Lee ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) in the cast as the villainous Count Dooku adds a sense of legitimancy to the otherwise flawed ensemble (which includes Natalie Portman resuming her poor job as Padme); he nicely fills the shoes that had been left by other acclaimed veterans performers like Alec Guiness (the elderly Obi-Wan) and Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn).

If we can forget the fact that the romance angle of the plot resembles "Dawson's Creek" to an embarassing extent, we can look at "Attack" for what it's best left considered as: a powerhouse of CGI magic and action galore. While "Phantom Menace" was no slouch when it came to delivering the thrills, its sequel dutifully puts it (and just about everything else) to shame by showcasing what are, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring visuals ever: the Obi-Wan/Jango Fett battle, the chase in the asteroid field (this one in particular is amazing), the droid/Clone battle, the climatic lightsaber duel, and roughly a dozen other scenes will remind anybody who's forgotten of what George Lucas and his team can do with special effects and that they really know how to shoot a fight scene, be it in space on the ground.
In addition, the environment has been refined to give it a more tangible feel: not unlike Mos Eisley in the original film, the characters actually traverse deeply into the locales they visit (Kamino, Geonosis, etc.). This is a great step upwards, when remembering the indifferent atmosphere surrounding the locations of the previous film: absolutely no expense has been spared to detail these vistas to an amazing degree, and I'm sure that a viewer could occupy himself throughout the movie by just paying attention to the backgrounds, the sound effects, and the texture of Lama Su's face.

Alas, we Star Wars fans would have to wait until Episode III until we would receive general satisfaction in the prequel trilogy, and for this, Episode II is a disappointment - not as a sci-fi or action movie, but as a part of the Star Wars legacy. No doubt fans will already own it, but anybody who hasn't seen it yet shouldn't be afraid of giving it a rent on a Saturday night.

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"This Party is Over!" (2 of 2 Found this Helpful)   August 2, 2008
Firstly, a word to the admirably persistent complainers--you've been at it for how many years now? All you do is whine and moan; whine and moan; whine and moan. If you must keep whining and moaning, the least you can do is whine and moan some alternatives; sincere, honest,and RATIONAL suggestions about what you would have done with these films, and what you think George Lucas should have done, to make them better. One of my cardinal rules is: don't complain that something's broken if you don't have any idea how to fix it yourself; it really impacts the validity of your review, and its usefulness, if you complain that something is wrong, but do not explain how you feel it should have been done. It removes a level of depth and believability from your words when all you are apparently doing is complaining and ranting that the picture went horribly wrong (and ruined your childhood memories, depending on who you are), and not showing any signs of having an intelligent and logical perspective on how the films should have been done.

While I am at it, here are a few other points to consider:
A) If the Pod Race from Ep. 1 was purely designed to sell a video game, then so was the scene in 'New Hope' where Luke, in his X-wing during his first desperate battle as part of the Rebel Alliance, charges down an exterior trench on the Death Star to find the area that, if fired on, will result in the destruction of the Empire's lethal space station. So is the speeder bike sequence from 'Jedi.' Remember the image of Luke streaking down that perfectly straight, claustrophobically narrow trench, with the graphic showing him what he was aiming for on his "targeting computer". The stuff modern video games are made of, no? Video games may not have been that advanced in '77, but believe me, today that's exactly what people would take it as.

B) If Anakin whined a lot in Ep. II, so did Luke in 'New Hope' (i.e. "I was going to...pick up those power converters" (whatever the EXACT line was...), or the whole bit with 3PO about speeding up time to get him off of Tatoine and on his way to the academy.)

C) If a movie (or even multiple movies) can bring your treasured childhood memories--the mementos of times past stored up in your head--to nothingness, what mental state are you in, anyhow? To dislike a movie is one thing; to claim it ruined things in your head and your life is entirely another. If you are really that direly affected by a film you didn't like, I'd be interested to hear a detailed synopsis of the mental process and emotional process that brought you to this conclusion. Persuade me that it is actually possible to feel this way about a piece of entertainment.

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Alright, to actually talk about this film--contrary to the beliefs of some, it is important in several ways to the saga as a whole. What can be more important in the Star Wars legend than seeing Anakin and Padme become romantically entwined and, eventually, marry secretly? What can be more vital to the creation of the Empire shown in Eps. 4-6 than the beginning of the Clone Wars, mentioned so cryptically in 'New Hope', and Palpatine getting "emergency powers" beyond the reach of the chancellorship under normal circumstances? To be honest-- little that I can think of. It might seem to be about politcal conniving and petty string-pulling at this stage, but logically speaking, this is how one achieves grand ends. You start low down; you work your way up; you gradually push all these buttons and pull all those strings, and through a slow process that's probably as painful to you as it is to some of the viewers of these films, you get where you always wanted to be in the first place. To put it plainly, it would be illogical for Sideous to just swoop down and beseige Coruscant. Do you think the whole Galactic Republic wouldn't put up a humungous fight? Of course they would; ergo, Sideous has to slowly work his way to total power, step by step, and do it in such a stealthy and orchestrated manner that no one will realize what has happened until it is too late.

Beyond issues of storyline, I'd argue that this one isn't quite as strong as 'Phantom Menace'. As usual the story is strong and in-line with series continuity; Obi-Wan's detective subplot is particularly well done. On this note Ewan McGregor is excellent as Obi-Wan, a noble and skilled Jedi Knight who trains his protege, angst-filled 19-year-old Anakin Skywalker. McGregor exudes his character's wry sense of humor at some points, but at others seems genuinely like a no-nonsense Jedi, and someone to be wary of when he gets down to "business." But the character of Kenobi is that of more-or-less a supporting character in this story. The detective plot intriguing, exciting and ties into the eventual dominance of The Empire, but Anakin and Senator Amidala are the collective centerpiece of this story.

Hayden Christensen, in his first expedition as the Chosen One, has taken more than a fair beating from both professional critics and overzealous fans. My own feeling is that, while he only improves in Ep. 3, he actually does quite well here. He is outstanding particularly in his thunderous outbursts: the former is when he confronts Padme with his pent up love for her, and the second is when, following the death of his mother (portrayed excellently by a very convincing Pernilla August), he confesses to slaughtering the Tuskan Raiders responsible for her end. These are powerful and well-acted scenes that breed a foreboding, not only about the paths on which destiny will take these characters, but also about Anakin's inevitable turn to the Dark Side. Natalie Portman plays the other half of this set of star-crossed lovers, and she continues to be the strong female persona she was in the previous film, but at the same time lets her hair down, so to speak, and is even developed a bit further. Personally I have always felt that Portman was something of a weak link in the prequel cast, at least from Ep. II onward-- not exactly bad, just not as involved in the material at times as other cast members appear to be. She is as good as ever here, and there are as ever some great moments in her reactions to Anakin's fits of rage and desperation.

The remainder of the cast--including Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson, who gives his Mace Windu character a new battle-ready slant at the film's climax, Christopher Lee, and Temura Morrison--are reliable as they ever were, while a colorful array of background characters adds to the wonder and entertainment value of Lucas' universe.

While the screenplay is, as with most things, not nearly as terrible as some of have suggested--even in the romance area, which really improves after a couple viewings and a little thought--two elements of the film captured my interest and attention in particular. Firstly, Jango Fett (aforementioned Morrison)is a brilliant bad guy. I can't say Boba Fett ever interested me that much compared to other Star Wars characters, but Jango--and his silver suit--are every bit as neat and engaging as was Darth Maul in the previous films; in my opinion, silver suits Jango better than blue and grey ever did Boba! The other interesting element of the film is the clarification of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's connection to all this. Jack Thompson was, frankly, riviting as Clieg Lars, the missing link in the family tree and the man Anakin's mother married. It is fascinating to think of different generations of Lars running this homestead down through the years. I generally find geneologies and family histories fascinating and this saga as a whole is filled with that sort of thing; the Lars family is particularly good example of this facet of the series.

As usual with any Star Wars film, all this intrigue, mystery, romance, character drama, and thrilling adventure eventually melds into a rollercoaster of action, excitment, suspense, and special effects. If you thought Lucas and ILM couldn't top Darth Maul, boy were you wrong. There is an imaginative speeder chase as Anakin and Obi-Wan go after a bounty hunert in a rampage through the late night activity of Coruscant, a fist fight (another big first for Star Wars) between Obi-Wan and Jango, and, most incredibly, a massive Jedi attack on Geonosis, as Obi, Amidala, and Anakin are about to be devowered alive by exotic creatures in an exection aren during what has to be one of Lucas' most orignal and imaginative action sequence. Of course there is the lightsaber duel with Dooku, but it almost takes a back seat to the other action scenes. It's great to see Yoda fight (both Yoda and ultra-cool Mace really get a new shake after the restraint and meditation of the council room scene), but the most one gets out of the scene is that Dooku has escaped and the Clone War (the first battle of which acts as the film's finale) is underway as the hunt to capture Dooku (in fact Darth Tyrannus, in league with Sideous, unbeknownst to the heroes) and prevent him from succeeding with his Seperatist movement is on. And that is imporant; and Christopher Lee, make no mistake about it, is excellent in his villain role, but like most improves in the next film.


At the end of the day, Ep. II, while not quite as enjoyable as its chronological predecessor in some ways, is a fun and, at times, dramatic and elaborate film. It was bound to be shot down half way by one-sided and embittered old-school fans and critics, but it ultimately achieves its objectives, these being: bring Anakin and Padme together, further Sideous' grip on the Republic, show the creation of the storm troopers, and... come off as a fun and engaging space fantasy/action film! Personally, I think it succeeds with flying colors in all of these areas.

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What WAS Lucas thinking??? (2 of 5 Found this Helpful)   June 18, 2008
The Clone Wars rewrite.

I originally did a very snarky original review.
I have decided to redo this one.
Hopefully this will clarify things.

When The Clone Wars came out I wasn't exactly looking forward to it.
Why?
Darth Maul is the main reason.
I know, I know, everyone says......get over it.
Nope, not going to happen.
When The Phantom Menace came out, Maul was HEAVILY publicized.
You couldn't go anywhere without seeing his red and black mug everywhere.
The books, the magazine covers, etc..........
All of my excitement over the new trilogy was, like many other people centered on Maul.
I was looking forward to the best super villain since Vader being in all three movies.
Needless to say he gets killed at the end of Menace and I felt like a rug had been cruelly yanked right out from under me.
How could Lucas hype one character so much then give him practically no lines, no screen time and then kill him at the end?
Another tragic waste of what could have been and should have been a central character.

So with a chip on my shoulder I went in the theater completely expecting to hate this movie.
I did.
I had heard early rumors about Hayden's acting and all I could do was wince during some of his emotional scenes.
The scene where his mom dies, the scenes with Padme.
I don't think it's fair to put all the blame on Hayden or Portman.
Their ok actors, I blame Lucas for writing dialog that was so juvenile I'm surprised either actor was able to say their "love scene" lines without laughing.
And the way Padme turns to him during the love scene with the music swelling, then she turns away having second thoughts about a potential relationship with Anakin, and the music stops..........embarrassing and corny.

I realize it's Lucas' franchise and he can do whatever he want's with it.
However, just because you can, doesn't mean you should!
I remember reading an old interview with Harrison Ford when they were filming the original trilogy.
Lucas was writing the same corny love lines for him and Carrie Fischer and both Ford and Fischer changed the lines.
Lucas called them on it, and Ford replied, "You can write this garbage all you want, but I'm not going to say it".
Oh, if only Christenson and Portman would have shown us the same courage, we could have had some genuinely interesting moments between them.
Instead, we are left with Anakin the mannequin and Padme with her, "I'd rather be anywhere but here" look on her face.

Now we can move on to Darth Tyrannus.
Would that be Tyrannus as in T-Rex???
Give me a break.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christopher Lee as much as everyone else.
His acting skills are legendary and he brings excellence to any movie he is a part of.
That said his character was not necessary for the new trilogy. It just felt like Lucas had to throw a new apprentice at us and Count Dooku was something he just thought up at the last minute.

Another complaint I have to raise is the "comic" relief from C3PO.
UUGH!!!
Not funny, not genuine, just forced one liners that positively GRATE!!!!

And my final big gripe is the final saber battle.
The two handed attack from Anakin was awesome but WAY too short.
Then we get to see Yoda do his thing.
Sorry but I wasn't impressed.
His fight was way too short and not very realistic.
Its great Lucas has all this computer power but during the Yoda, Dooku fight it felt like Lucas was just abusing that power.
He did seem to get it right during the Emperor / Yoda fight on Revenge of the Sith.
But this fight in particular left a very bad taste in my mouth.

So, what did I like about the movie?
The special FX are amazing but for a Star Wars movie, that's just expected.
And the FX are really the only thing Clone has going for it.
The story itself is boring and drags.
The dialog in places is so bad it borders on offensive.
All in all, it may be a tad darker than Menace but it lacked the one thing I really wanted. Maul.
Get over it???
Maybe by the time Lucas gets around to doing a new trilogy I'll be able to forgive and forget.



Lastly, being a Wars fanatic since I was little I naturally bought this when it came out.
Yes I gave it one star and still bought it.
Why?
Out of loyalty to the franchise?
I don't know exactly but after multiple viewings my opinion hasn't changed.
It's a beautiful movie to look at but not very much fun to listen to.
Great FX with dreadful forced comedy from C3PO, horrid dialog in places, corny acting here and there, and a final fight that was anything but memorable.
I have given all the other Wars movies very high scores but I can't in good conscience recommend this movie except to the die hards that have already seen it.

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