Opinion

Star Wars Episode 2 - Attack Of The Clones

A growing secessionist movement, led by the mysterious Count Dooku, threatens the integrity of The Republic, and the Jedi Order is overstretched attempting to keep the peace. An increasing number among the Senate favour the creation of an Army of the Republic, and Senator Padme of Naboo, a leading opponent of such a move, is the victim of several assassination attempts.

Oh my word. As has been noted by many other and better commentators than I, with AOTC, George Lucas manages to put right many of the things that were disappointing in The Phantom Menace. This is a film with action, spectacle, humour and intrigue, and all of them in large quantities.

It's also got a romance in it that, to be frank, is the single worst element in the whole film - Natalie Portman does her best, but isn't helped by the fact that Lucas's grasp of dialogue, even when helped by a co-writer as here, is still extremely weak. She's helped even less by the single second-worst element, which is the sad fact that Hayden Christensen simply can't act. Called upon to emote, he comes across like a whiney brat, and required to convince the audience that he's been deeply in love with this woman since he first saw her ten years ago, he simply fails. That the two together have absolutely no on-screen chemistry at all just makes you look back fondly to the days of Han Solo and Princess Leia bickering in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon.

But back to the good stuff: Excellent planetary vistas, great effects, the requisite number of fantastic creature designs, generally good character work, and something that's occasionally lacking in the Star Wars universe - an actual plot. The film itself moves at such breakneck speed that it's only afterwards you get a chance to think about the complexity of the intrigue. Stretching back at least ten years, the bad guys have been concocting a plan that all comes together in this film: The secessionist movement, the secret creation of a clone army, the attempts on Padme's life, the progressive subversion of the Senate, and a number of other threads, all form parts of the overall picture that is only now becoming clear.

The very best parts of the film come towards the end - with a couple of scenes that, almost unconsciously, I think we've all wanted to see for over twenty years; an entire battalion of Jedi going into action, sabres swinging, and the one that I'm going to mention even at the risk of spoiling, because I think it's been revealed enough already elsewhere: Yoda in a lightsabre battle. We-Hey! is all I can say - I had a face-achingly huge grin on my face from the second he hobbled into view. Also, I can't not mention Christopher Lee - every time he spoke, small hairs on the back of my neck stood up - the man is amazing. And pretty spry, too.

If I was being mean I could point out a few logical inconsistencies, but I won't, because they don't really detract from enjoying the film - it's only afterwards that they start to creep into your mind. The steady progression towards the inevitably dark ending to this trilogy continues too - we all know what Anakin is going to become, and although not all of the triggers for it convince - there's a scene with his mother that just screams 'plot contrivance' for instance - but the entire world must end up a darker place by the end of the next film, and that will be interesting to see.

Attack of the Clones is film as spectacle. Go into it with that viewpoint, and except for the grim romance scenes, you won't be disappointed

Overall - eight out of ten.