Dan Owen reviews

• Cert:
• Running time: 142 minutes
• Year: 2002
• Released: 16th May 2002
• Widescreen Ratio: 2.35:1

Director: George Lucas

Cast:

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ewan McGregor
Senator Padme Amidala: Natalie Portman
Anakin Skywalker: Hayden Christensen
Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus: Christopher Lee
Mace Windu: Samuel L Jackson
Yoda: Frank Oz
Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious: Ian McDiarmid
Shmi Skywalker: Pernilla August
Jango Fett: Temeura Morrison
Senator Bail Organa: Jimmy Smits
Jar Jar Binks: Ahmed Best
C-3PO: Anthony Daniels
R2-D2: Kenny Baker
Boba Fett: Daniel Logan

After the disappointing return of Star Wars to cinema screens with The Phantom Menace, back in 1999, expectations were decidedly mixed for the second instalment of George Lucas new trilogy of prequels. Thankfully for fans craving the magic absent in Episode I, Attack Of The Clones generally delivers the goods.

Episode II is set ten years after the events of "The Phantom Menace", with Senator Amidala, now the ex-Queen of Naboo (Natalie Portman) embroiled in an assassination plot against her. Two Jedi Knights are assigned to protect Padme - Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (a now bearded Ewan MacGregor) and his young protege Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen).

The plot is more satisfying than Episode I's, with the political machinations kept to a minimum and the emphasis finally returned to action, adventure and romance. Freed from having to introduce every character to the audience, Lucas and co-writer Jonathan Hales' screenplay rattles along with far more gusto than the meandering "Menace". It also helps that the screenplay has definite subplots to break up the narrative with MacGregor engaged in a "Star Wars"-styled investigation, while Christensen and Portman act out the romance that underlines this instalment's modus operandi.

Of course, the romance is pure fairytale and idyllic, although "Star Wars" has always worked with pure emotions. In Lucas' tales the universe is black and white, with few shades of grey. Some may criticise the romance for being soppy, or unrealistic, but that's to undermine the very basis of "Star Wars" and its take on the universe. "Star Wars" has always been a fairytale and fairytales operate on basic emotions and patterns of behaviour designed to move the plot forward in the fastest way possible.

The acting is the familiar "Star Wars" brand of half-wooden acting and stilted dialogue, still lacking the comparative spark of the original trilogy. However, despite Lucas' insistence on recreating the thespian style of 1930's sci-fi serial adventures (at least that's his official excuse for the acting techniques) the actors give far more satisfying performances than in Episode I.

Ewan MacGregor is perhaps the most notable actor, bringing a far more believable rendition of a younger Alec Guiness to the role of Obi Wan. The beard must have helped, because MacGregor is perhaps the most enjoyable person to watch in "Clones" as he's clearly enjoying himself immensely and gets a lot of the best lines.

Hayden Christensen makes a likeable double-act with MacGregor, with their sparring one-upmanship instantly adding twice the character chemistry there was in Episode I. Of course, Christensen is playing a teenaged Anakin Skywalker, who will one day (in Episode III, actually) become the villainous Darth Vader. To highlight this, Christensen plays Anakin as a well-meaning but arrogant youth, already harbouring a belief in dictatorships and unable to control his vicious temperament.

Natalie Portman is charming throughout as Padme, thankfully able to actually play a character instead of just a monotone-voiced fashion accessory she endured throughout the previous instalment. Here, Padme takes on the plucky heroine role - unseen since Carrie Fisher played Princess Leia - while also being the embodiment of feminine charm and beauty the rest of the time. Sadly, all the actors are cursed with bad dialogue and inane moments in "Star Wars", but Christensen and Portman keep the romance just about believable - for a fairytale, anyway.

Samuel L. Jackson makes a welcome return as Mace Windu - and gets to make more of an impact this time around thanks to greater screen time and some real action to take part in. However, Jackson's presence remains unfulfilling, with his signature hard-assed attitude only showing fleetingly at the end. Let's hope Episode III finally unleashes the level of coolness he was undoubtedly employed to deliver.

Ian McDiarmid is sadly sidelined this time around, with the head villain role going instead to Christopher Lee as Count Dooku - an ex-Jedi who has turned to the Dark Side. Lee is as impressive as ever, bringing quiet bravado to his role and a seething intelligence. Lee is already a cinematic legend in such roles, and physically holds up well against his younger opponents. The climactic lightsabre duel lacks the gymnastic energy of Darth Maul's three-way bout in "Menace", but is still impressive.

As with "The Phantom Menace" the special effects remains the most extraordinary aspect to the movie. Episode II excels in all areas, managing to eclipse Episode I with ease in all technical areas - difficult as that may be to imagine!

Indeed, the effects aren't a quantum leap forward (only 3 years has passed between films), but they're far more abundant and striking. Episode I had the occasionally duff moment, while there really isn't anything in Episode II to gripe about too much. Lucas has total freedom of his imagination and command of the camera here so anything is possible.

Locations are expansive, vivid and imaginative, vehicles and buildings are impressively designed, while the huge variety of CGI creatures are almost completely lifelike at times. As with "Menace" the movie is a delight to behold, and the days when an indistinguishable CGI character meanders across the screen with nobody realizing is not far away it would seem! The effects truly transport you into the "Star Wars" universe unlike any previous movie has been capable of.

Of course, an effect foremost in peoples' minds this time around is the fully computer-generated rendering of Yoda. Indeed, some of his sequences are better executed than others, but on the whole the 'CGI Yoda' is a convincing piece of work from ILM and light-years ahead of the puppet used previously.

Yoda's already notorious lightsabre duel with Count Dooku is a dazzling display of perfectly executed CGI wizardry. You'll believe a Muppet can fly! Seriously though, the Yoda/Dooku duel is over far too soon, but the build-up to it and the actual action itself is mesmerising, and you're sure to have goose bumps breaking out all over. Extremely impressive.

Likewise, the sound is beyond reproach. John Williams' score is back on firm footing after the shaky "Menace", with even a few of the classic soundtrack themes joining the sound mix. There's no denying that "Star Wars" only ever really seems like "Star Wars" when the familiar classic trilogy music kicks in across the speakers. Here's hoping Episode III will totally bridge the gap between the prequels and the original films in musical terms.

Episode II is a success, but not without its flaws. The story isn't as satisfying as it alludes to being throughout the first half, and the acting remains off-kilter. But importantly, it should appease those "Star Wars" fans that felt totally betrayed by the promise of "The Phantom Menace". Non-fans may lose the significance and foreshadowing of events set-up in this film, but nobody can deny Episode II fails to entertain and deliver a magnificent 2 hours 20 minutes of escapist fun.

Yes, the prequels still remain too serious-minded compared to the gung-ho antics of Han Solo's crew, but Episode II is a real step in the right direction. Already, plot threads are being pulled together, events are progressing (including a startling revelation for aficionados late in the film!), the characters are finding their feet, the comedy element returns quite successfully (particularly with C-3P0's mishaps), the descent of Anakin Skywalker now seems more plausible, and there's far less of Jar Jar Binks to endure!

Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones should reaffirm most peoples' love of "Star Wars" and its power to entertain and enthral with an impressive palette of effects, locations, sound, and deep-rooted mythological constants. I even quite like the title...

FILM CONTENT DIRECTION SCREENPLAY PERFORMANCES SOUND/MUSIC SPECIAL FX
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Review copyright © Dan Owen, 2002.