Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Starring Hayden Christiansen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Frank Oz and Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by George Lucas.

The second installment in the overall Star Wars saga is finally here, and guess what? It’s a movie, not a film. Too many were expecting the latter and are writing off this flick as a disappointment. Too many feel it will never live up to the original trilogy, and they are right. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, and try to remember that these ARE KIDS MOVIES! There are laser swords and aliens in them fer Pete’s sake. So, bear with George and rememebr he’s trying to do the near impossible, which is create a fully formed myth in the modern world.

All that said, this movie scores well in lots of areas. George Lucas had help writing the screenplay this time, and it shows in the dialogue particularly. As we meet the older but not yet quite grown up Anakin Skywalker, we’re confronted with an actor (Christiansen) trying to play a character so deep in scope and steeped in pop culture reverance it would be difficult for anyone to live up to. Is he Darth vader? No, not yet, and the young actor may not have the chops to pull this off completley. More than anyone else, his dialogue seems stunted and forced. His face is a bit too blank as we watch him fall in love all over again with Padme Amidala, whom Portman has portrayed here with a deep grace that belies her own youth. I buy her being in love with him and afraid of him at the same time, all of which should lead to his eventual downfall. Of that fall we see only hints, and the real story may be yet to come for him. This movie does set up the political backdrop of war (combined with a thinly veiled denouncement of terrorism in the opening scene) and provides us with what makes for a summer movie blockbuster that everyone can love: Jedi Knights. They ARE EVERYWHERE, and they kick some butt. The climactic battle scenes are vivid and detailed, with great effects that we all expect from Lucas. Sam Jackson’s role is cool as ice (though it could have been fleshed out a bit more) McGregor’s Obi-wan is interesting as a lone hero rather than a teacher to Anakin, which may impart some of the blame for things to come in his direction. Speaking of blame, thank the maker for the limited appeances of Jar Jar Binks, and that he is the scapegoat of all scapegoats here. Finally, get ready for Yoda to steal the show. He is the Jedi Master folks, and you’ll never forget it after this.

Ok, so did you follow all that? Great effects, lots of fun action adventure, a somewhat stunted love story that’s only believable from one side, and don’t make too much over it. Remember summer movies are about fun! After all, it’s not Empires Strikes Back, people. 3 cell phones.