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UCFC Movie Reviews Star Wars: Attack of the Clones Year: 2002 Director: George Lucas Stunt Coordinator/Sword Master: Rick Gillard Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz Review by V. Bjerreskov (02 07 09) The dynamite rating above means that this movie isn't worth seeing, but I hesitated to give it to this film. Not because it didn't deserve it, but because I know that people will see it anyway. Just like I will throw good money after bad to go see the finale of this hopeless trilogy when it comes out in 2005. George Lucas has convinced himself that he can write, and I somehow doubt we'll be able to convince him that he can't in time to save the last film. It's always dangerous when your audience can recognise pieces you've lifted from a previous work, and AOTC is fraught with recycled plots, costumes, and even entire lines of dialogue. And Lucas doesn't stop at robbing himself; at one point, I recognised a scene from Crocodile Dundee. A second viewing would allow me to be more specific. I am not denying that the story wasn't chock full of potential. In fact, it was so full of potential that it pains me to say that this movie is bad. The story, sketched out in general sentences and plot points, is wonderful. But Lucas and his co-writer, Jonathan Hales, write dialogue with no thought to flow and believability, write scenes with the express purpose of putting poor Padme Amidala into another skimpy outfit and have her fight off Anakin Skywalker's advances, give the Jedi Masters vague lines that don't convey the important points they need to get across, and basically write a juvenile script. My heart goes out to R. A. Salvatore, who has the thankless task of taking the script and making it into an enjoyable novelisation. I hate to comment on the acting, because it is generally a reflection of how good or bad the writing is. I can honestly say that the actors did the best they could with what they were given. Ewan McGregor stood out above the crowd in this respect, infusing his Obi-Wan Kenobi (now sporting an Alec Guinness-type beard) with more depth, humour and actual character than any other player in the film. Hayden Christensen does an admirable job with the dodos of lines he's saddled with (heck, if someone tried to seduce me with lines like that, I'd run screaming the other way, not roll around in the grass with him, no matter how cute he is!). Natalie Portman tried her best, but since her character's reactions in some situations are not the slightest bit believable, she struggled to decide who Padme Amidala should be. The swordplay was up to Star Wars standards, though. Despite the heavy choreography involved, the fight scenes were believable and interesting to watch. Yoda with a lightsabre was amusing, although it seems a little backwards to say that, since he and the Sith can't kill each other with metaphysical, Force-power bolts, they have to resort to lightsabres. After all, any Jedi can wield a lightsabre... But enough. I'm depressing myself this way. It was bad. So was The Phantom Menace. So, likely, will be the final film. And we'll still go out and see them. Because it's Star Wars. Back to Movie Reviews Home  |  About Us   |  About Fencing   |  Links  |  Photo Gallery Image Bank  |  Reviews   |  Fencing Fun  |  Contact Us