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Domsez Youtube |
w/e 09.09.08 |
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Aug 07 2008
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Dom Robinson reviewsStar Wars Episode II:
UCI, Trafford Centre |
Director:
Producers:
Screenplay:
Original Score :
Cast :
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 |
I was prepared to wait for the eventual DVD release for Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones given my disappointment of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, but a suggestion to see this installment on the big screen was made and while it disappointed, it also didn't disappoint, because I was expecting the disappointment, if you see what I mean.
The democratic Republic is on the verge of becoming the evil Empire we know and love in episodes 4-6 and it's all courtesy of Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), the main baddie this time round and making a decent job of his performance, but you get the feeling that it's not particularly taxing for such an established actor and you yearn for a return to the Dracula films.
Back to the plot though and Dooku wants to start up a war against the good guys, who are awaiting the completion of a clone army apparently ordered by someone on their side who Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) isn't sure whether they died before or after the order was placed.
Also, Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), formerly Queen Amidala, starts the film heading to see the Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Jedi Master Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackson), Yoda (Frank Oz) and others to place a vote on what to do next, but security is tighter than September 11th and Padme is escorted back to Naboo with the grown-up Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is the only actor to have changed since the last film since this one is set ten years on, yet all the rest look identical to the last time round, except for McGregor attempting to look more and more like Kenneth Branagh with each scene.
In Attack of the Clones we're introduced to Jango Fett (Temeura Morrison) and his soon-to-be-bounty hunter son Boba Fett (Daniel Logan), the former zipping around on a cool jet-pack in order to make a monkey out of Obi-Wan.
Still with me?
An overly-complex plot is made worse by the inclusion of an endless romantic plot between Padme and Anakin which just adds to the tedium during the first 90 minutes, because very little happens to keep you interested, even though it is possible to follow the plot if you're an adult. Children, on the other hand, will have no chance and for them there's a lot less of Jar Jar Binks (hooray, say the adults!) so it's less of a kiddie film and the increased violence has garnered the movie the first ever PG-certificate in the series.
On the plus side, there's more of C-3PO and R2-D2 this time round, with a few good one-liners that I won't spoil as they're deftly dropped in. I also spotted an early classic from Obi-Wan to Anakin as the former quips "you'll be the death of me".
However, quite often the film does feel like a lot of unlinked set pieces as they lurch from one location with a long and complex name to another one, with a couple of decent action scenes in the last hour, during which Samuel L Jackson finally gets to wield a lightsaber around, as do Dooku and Yoda in a fight between those two. Given that Yoda immediately before was hobbling around on a stick, how come he can leap about straight after? That just doesn't ring true compared to how we've seen him in the rest of the series to date.
There's some dodgy dialogue along the way, a lot to do with the blossoming romance between the two young lovebirds, plus a few scenes that make for entirely predictable outcomes. I won't divulge who pops their clogs in one particular scene, but they've been gone for a long time and when someone they know goes over in an attempt to rescue them, it's an age-old case of the near-corpse staying barely alive just a few moments more to utter a few words to their potential rescuer just before they shuffle off their mortal coil. I mean, come on George Lucas, just how ridiculous is that?
The film also climaxes with a very unsatisfying feeling because it's gearing up for a major war and... that'll come next time. It's like the story in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back coming to a close, but going the same way because you know the rest of the storyline will continue and the audience must be kept waiting.
To close this review, the question begs to be asked - is it worth going to see? Well, no. The first 90 minutes drags like there's no tomorrow and the last hour is average and goes a short way to restore the balance from the initial disappointment, despite containing a complete lack of suspense, but as soon as it gets going, it ends.
However, for most of the paying audience, this will be the fifth Star Wars outing they've seen on the big screen and so they'll make the trip one way or another if only to see how the story progresses, or rather stagnates for a time on its way to Episode III.
It really didn't need to be 2½ hours long though. Did George think it was his turn to do a James Cameron ?
The following is a list of all the Star Wars reviews online to date :
1997 Star Wars Trilogy (PAL Laserdisc) 2001 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (DVD) 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Cinema - Dan) 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (Cinema - Dom) 2002 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (DVD)
DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TXW32R4 32" widescreen TV connected to either a Creative Dxr2 DVD-ROM player or Microsoft Xbox and played through a Sony STR-DB930 amplifier.
PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
