Episode II picks up ten years after the Naboo incident. A former Jedi Master named Count Dooku (Sir Christopher Lee--his third-best villain behind Dracula (likely the inspiration for this character) and Saruman) stirs things up by convincing entire worlds to leave the senate. In the midst of this schism, somebody is out to assassinate Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman). Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) team up to protect the senator, and eventually uncover a secret separatist conspiracy to wage war against the republic. To counter the threat, the republic may need an army of its own--it just so happens that a clone army was created in secret, ready to fight when needed.
The Clone Wars is a major event referenced in the 1977 film, and it's brief mention always elicited speculation on what this could have looked like (and now we have many cartoon shows and video games to explore every nuance of this sprawling conflict). Attack of the Clones slowly builds to an epic climax that shows the outbreak of war in the most spectacular fashion. It begins in the spirit of older adventures like Flash Gordon, where the heroes are trapped in an arena and must fight for their lives. This escalates into an immense brawl between hundreds of Jedi and hundreds of battle droids--there are just blasters and lightsabers everywhere. Just when you think it's big enough, the battle overflows across the planet, where airships, walking machines, missiles, and immense armies fill up the screen. It just builds and builds--the Battle of Geonosis is a facemelter of a finale.
The path to get there is a slow burner though--one that understandably must take the time to chronicle Anakin Skywalker's emotional turmoil, which inevitably foreshadows his turn to the Dark Side. The story echoes the plot structure of The Empire Strikes Back, in the sense that romance is a focus, and the hero is challenged to the point of change. While the film hits up important points in Anakin's backstory that contribute to his fall arc, they are rather predictable checkboxes. The film's least-exciting moments occur with the romance between him and Padme--cringe-worthy dialogue, lackluster chemistry, and limp acting makes their exchange unconvincing, cheesy, and at its worst, droll. It's a shame, because Christensen looks the part (I'm quite certain his hair and attitude was meant to mirror James Dean to some degree), Portman pulls her weight just fine, and they're both presented in front of some extremely lush and beautiful scenery (courtesy of lovely location shooting from Italy and Spain). Their subplot becomes much more engaging when Anakin revisits his old stomping grounds, but it's hard to relate to his journey when he complains, rages out, and acts creepy.
A second narrative thread is followed through Obi-Wan's investigation, which is the more interesting and exciting plotline--it is from this that we see some really fun sequences involving a fight with a bounty hunter, a chase through an asteroid field, and encounters with shady characters. On closer scrutiny, I can't help but to scratch my head at the leads he finds (one of which is given from an owner of a diner--lol, wut?) and how they connect (Sifo Diyas? A bounty hunter becomes a template for a million clones? And they're connected to...who now? Dooku? Sidious? Both? How though? Why did Jango flee like he did? Why was he even on Kamino in the first place? What is going on here?).
This episode suffers quite a bit of drag in its opening acts, despite an eye-popping chase scene across Coruscant. Once again, I can't help but to regard the script the source of the prequel's problems--we're still given many scenes where exposition is flatly delivered, and characters go through the motions without exercising their own agency or showing motivation. Attack of the Clones does improve on some of the issues The Phantom Menace showed, in the sense that the film makes an effort to show characters in motion and show more of the world around them. Comedy and camp are toned down, to the point where there's improved gravitas (but also at the expense of spirit, which is one reason why I'd lean heavier on Episode I).
As one of the first-ever films shot on digital cameras, the film has a slick veneer that hasn't necessarily aged well. Special effects are as abundant as ever--they look a grade more polished than The Phantom Menace, but creature effects continue to look garish at times, and many backdrops and character models look rather cartoony. Fortunately, the film boasts a plethora of wonderful-looking ship designs, robots, aliens, weapons, vehicles, planetscapes--it's as broad and imaginative as ever. The supporting cast helps populate the side characters with admirable dedication--Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Temuera Morrison, Anthony Daniels, are all a pleasure to watch. the soundscape is punchy and unique (and it's especially notable how they created an entire alien language that can never be recreated by the human tongue. Also, those seismic charges will blow you away). John Williams' music score is on-point. The Love Theme in particular stands out as capturing the very tone and mood that the film aims for--that of a sweeping romantic epic. The music succeeds--not sure the film does though.
If this is meant to capture the same scope and feeling as classic epics like Doctor Zhivago (and there are some clear parallels), the film falls short. At its worst, Attack of the Clones feels like a slapdash effort held together with a script that leaves more to be desired (specifically, more answers, more refinement, and more reasoning behind the characters would have gone far). Some of the editing feels a little sloppy this way too (especially considering certain edits and the impromptu way the droid factory scene was shot and added to the film). Fortunately, the film boasts some marvelous action setpieces that will satisfy fans. It's still quite the adventure, and once revealed, the actual clones are an awe-inspiring sight.
7/10
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