From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:47 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Jon Popick Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 17:22:13 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31784 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312011 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 595 X-RT-AuthorID: 1146 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31784 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 85 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3606 rec.arts.sf.reviews:270 Planet Sick-Boy: http://www.sick-boy.com "We Put the SIN in Cinema" © Copyright 2002 Planet Sick-Boy. All Rights Reserved. A noticeable improvement over The Phantom Menace but still paling in comparison to any of the original Star Wars trilogy, Attack of the Clones is a fun film that does little but show off state-of-the-art special effects while filling in the somewhat predictable holes in the story (wait...you mean Anakin is going to be lured to the dark side?). There are a handful of big action sequences (the best coming in the last reel), as well as a few of lesser magnitude, but the rest is all quite slow and bogged down by both romance and the intricate politics that nobody enjoyed from Episode I. Clones is set about 10 years after Menace took place and deals with the possible secession of several thousand solar systems from the Federation. The overwhelmed Jedi Knights can't keep up with keeping the peace, spurring talk about the need for a massive galactic army. The action begins as the now-Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman, Where the Heart Is) flies to the capital for an important vote, only to have her ship blown to bits on the landing pad. Obviously the target of an assassination attempt, Amidala is assigned two Jedi protectors - Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, Black Hawk Down) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, Life As a House) - to keep her safe. Neither of the Jedis have seen Amidala since the events depicted in Menace, but that doesn't stop her and Anakin from getting all snuggly with each other (they literally roll around in the grass in one scene). Despite them taking a while to warm up to each other, we all know where this relationship is headed. More interesting is the rapport between Anakin and mentor Obi-Wan, which, in addition to following that whole student-becoming-the-master arc, also shows the developing chinks in Anakin's good-guy armor. Because he's the chosen one and therefore has the potential to become the greatest Jedi ever, Anakin's powers have made him an arrogant, spoiled brat who constantly needs to be reeled in by Obi-Wan. Anakin and Obi-Wan don't spend a lot of time together in Clones, which probably has a lot to do with the former beginning to lean toward the Dark Side. Instead, the two are separated, with Obi-Wan investigating Amidala's attackers and accidentally stumbling upon the creation of a clone army (which involves a young Boba Fett and his dad, Jango), while Anakin escorts Amidala to Naboo and eventually Tatooine in an attempt to protect her until the important vote takes place. The few scenes the two Jedis share at the beginning of the film fall somewhat flat, plagued by awful sequel lines featuring Obi-Wan saying things like "I hate it when he does that" and "You'll be the death of me," which isn't much better than Murtaugh grunting about being "too old for this shit" in the Lethal Weapon films. On the plus side, just about everything gets better as Clones progresses, but I'd be giving away too many plot details if I tried to describe specifically how it improves. The end is an all-out action spectacular, and aside from being the highlight of the film (other than the strange Gladiator scene and the passage that would be better served in the new Mario game), it's the only part that even begins to capture the magic we saw in the original Star Wars pictures. The character development works a little better here than in Menace, and there isn't much of Jar Jar Binks or other cutesy stuff (but still more than, say, Lord of the Rings). There are plenty of things to whine about, as well. Clones begins too slowly, and it's not nearly as dark as the pre-release buzz seemed to indicate. The dialogue is pretty weak, and when there isn't anything exploding, the story really drags. Then again, how much can you expect from a script co-written (with director George Lucas) by The Scorpion King's Jonathan Hales? There are a few unintentionally funny moments, such as near the end, when Amidala falls off a speeding ship, hits the ground and writhes around in pain like she's about to die, just before hopping to her feet as if nothing ever happened. If the first (or middle) three Star Wars films, Rings and Spider-Man didn't exist, there might be a reason to get excited by Clones. It's certainly worth a trip to the theatre, but the film is nothing more than a decent action flick with great effects and a silly story that happens to be blessed by a very good pedigree. 2:19 - PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31784 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312011 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 595 X-RT-AuthorID: 1146 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:47 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!luth.se!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!hub1.meganetnews.com!sjc-peer.news.verio.net!news.verio.net!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Susan Granger Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 17:26:07 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31786 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312014 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 8/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31786 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 35 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3614 rec.arts.sf.reviews:272 Susan Granger: "STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES" (20th Century-Fox) Just what "Star Wars" fans have been waiting for: an action-packed, fun-filled adventure. The story begins ten years after "The Phantom Menace." Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) has grown into an arrogant Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), while Amidala (Natalie Portman) is a distinguished Senator who becomes a target for assassination. While Obi-Wan investigates the threat on her life - battling a fierce bounty hunter, Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), father of Boba, and evil Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) - Anakin is made Amidala's protector, and they fall in love. That's the bare bones plot, but what's remarkable is how George Lucas interweaves their youthful passion with mythological themes of heroism, duty and honor, plus growing political unrest in the Republic under the evil Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). That's set amidst big, bold, awesome, high-tech battles - with lightsaber thrills from the incomparable Yoda and comedy relief from R2D2 and C-3PO, even Jar-Jar. While Ewan McGregor is a sensationally roguish Obi-Wan, taking on more Alec Guinness mannerisms, Natalie Portman is wooden and Hayden Christensen is labored. Their lame love-scenes are wretched. (What's lacking is the charisma of Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams.) In Episode III, Amidala will be the mother of Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, while Anakin goes to the Dark Side as Darth Vader. The foreboding psychological foundation for that pivotal transition becomes apparent here as an enraged Anakin kills Tusken Raiders, and Obi-Wan mutters, "Why do I think you're going to be the death of me?" On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" is an energetic, exciting, escapist 8. Buckle up for the thrill ride! ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31786 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312014 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 742 X-RT-AuthorID: 1274 X-RT-RatingText: 8/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:47 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Steve Rhodes Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 09 May 2002 17:30:40 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31788 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 311905 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31788 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 79 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3609 rec.arts.sf.reviews:271 STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2002 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *** Move over Spidey, George Lucas is bringing out a sci-fi movie with a little more gravitas to knock you off your perch. The much anticipated STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES is a visual stunner than makes all of the other episodes downright boring in comparison to this one's intricate lushness. Stealing the show this time is Natalie Portman in a thousand costume changes as Senator Padmé Amidala. Wearing more hats and hair buns than you'd find in an upscale boutique, she is almost as dazzling as Lucas's filming, which David Tattersall, his cinematographer, does all in digital. Her most memorable outfit is a sexy, pure white one with a bare midriff. You might think these clothing comments are slightly superfluous for a STAR WARS film, but this one is a romantic action picture. I bet you never thought you'd see a romantic moment by the fire in the world's most famous space series, but this episode has one. For those so young that love stories are still icky, the film packs plenty of action and intrigue. Youngsters who want to can close their eyes during the brief kissing scenes. The complex plot involves a Grand Army of the Republic that will fight against a separatists movement. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) have been assigned to guard Senator Amidala, since someone is trying to have her assassinated. Christensen, who was so terrific in LIFE AS A HOUSE, is quite uneven as Luke's daddy-to-be. At his best, Christensen is a convincingly impetuous and awkward youth, eager to break free of his master Obi-Wan's guardianship. At his worst, he makes slightly trite dialog sound especially stiff and stilted. Yoda, voiced by Frank Oz, is on hand and given a key part. Mainly, though, he is there for comedic effect as he states the obvious in his signature scrambled syntax. Speaking of comedians, Jar Jar Binks (voiced by Ahmed Best), who most adults last time found as grating as fingernails across a blackboard, is back again. But, this time his character finally makes sense. Yes, you read that sentence right. Periodically Jimmy Smits wanders in from some other set, realizes that he is in the wrong movie, and wanders off again. Try not to laugh. He can't help it if his agent let him be so awfully miscast as a STAR WARS senator who tries to channel a Renaissance politician. STAR WARS movies are, most of all, fun. Perhaps the best evidence of playfulness of the series this time occurs at a diner, where a droid waitress scoots over to each table on her built-in unicycle. I hope I'm not spoiling it for you by revealing that there is definitely going to be a sequel. In the spirit of the best serial cliff hangers, STAR WARS: EPISODE II ends in what is clearly a beginning. Personally, I can't wait. STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES runs a little too long at 2:21. It is rated PG for "sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence" and would be acceptable for kids around 7 and up. The film opens nationwide in the United States on Thursday, May 16, 2002. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters. Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com *********************************************************************** Want free reviews and weekly movie and video recommendations via Email? Just send me a letter with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31788 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 311905 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 703 X-RT-AuthorID: 1271 X-RT-RatingText: 3/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:47 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!62.112.0.25!newsfeed.online.be!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Christopher Null Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Sat, 11 May 2002 01:34:27 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31796 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312721 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 1062 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/5 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31796 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 170 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3619 rec.arts.sf.reviews:273 STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES A film review by Christopher Null Copyright 2002 filmcritic.com Spider-Man's hype and box office may have stolen some of Episode II's thunder, but Attack of the Clones finally arrives, three years after its predecessor, The Phantom Menace, and picking up the story 10 years after that installment let off. The story is considerably more convoluted this time out. Former-Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) is now a senator in the Republic, and nefarious parties are repeatedly attempting to have her assassinated. Assigned to protect her are Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and a growing-up Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), now Obi-Wan's apprentice. Soon, Jedi bosses Yoda and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) split the two up: Obi-Wan is tasked with tracking down the bounty hunter who tried to kill Amidala (which turns out to be Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), father/clone of young Boba Fett). Anakin is tasked with serving as Amidala's bodyguard. Obi-Wan scours a "secret" watery planet (there discovering a massing clone army allegedly purchased for the Republic ten years ago), and then tracks Jango to another planet, where he finds the opposition led by (try not to snicker) Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who is amassing a droid army for war against the Republic. Meanwhile, Amidala and Anakin fall in love (awwwwwwwwwwwww), but since she's a politician and he's a Jedi (bound to supress emotion -- which just ain't takin'), they have to keep their romance a secret (just like in The Bodyguard!). Side stories galore take characters all over the galaxy far, far away… including the inevitable stop on Tatooine to help Anakin's mother and long spells on Coruscant, the 100%-urban capital planet. On to the nagging questions: Foremost, Jar-Jar is back, and his part is not insubstantial; the character is as grating as ever. But all eyes are on Christensen, and he fills the shoes of Skywalker admirably, though he has apparently been given the sole direction to act like a really bratty teenager. The use of CGI is on overload, and while many of the sets (real or digital) are quite successful, many of the backdrops are not -- notably the cheesy oceans on the clone planet and an especially flat cathedral-like hallway Yoda scoots through. When the CGI interacts with real-world elements (like when Anakin rides a fat sheep-like creature), the effect is about as believable as Barney being a real dinosaur. Also out of place is the movie's silly patriotism, with frequent pontification about loving democracy (and this from a former queen) and the Republic. One speech actually includes the earnestly corny line, "The day we stop believing in democracy is the day we lose it!" I say the day Star Wars becomes a political platform is the day we lose it. At 2 1/2 hours in length, this installment is a bit long-winded and bladder-challenging (compared to 2:13 for Episode I and a little over 2 hours for A New Hope), but the decision to go "epic" at least makes room for lots of action when Amidala and Anakin aren't busy smooching. The action starts right at the beginning, with an impressive skycar chase through Coruscant, and ends with an equally smashing "big battle scene" that easily outdoes the one in Menace. Best of all, though, is the already famous Yoda light-saber battle, which is as funny as it is thrilling. That said, the pod race in Phantom is still probably the best action sequence in the series so far. Less impressive are the talky parts, which haltingly attempt to create a romance between Amidala and Anakin. The love story just doesn't work and it's very awkward, maybe because George Lucas is simply out of touch with the realities of youthful romance, ormaybe because the leads didn't have chemistry. I don't know for sure. I do know, however, that if Anakin Skywalker is going to play the cool outcast he shouldn't act like a baby around his would-be girlfriend. And Amidala's 11th hour confession of love comes completely out of left field, a necessary plot point because we know she has to eventually bear two kids by the guy. In fact, much of Episode II feels like it's ticking off items to make sure we get to the appropriate state of the galaxy by the end of 2005's Episode III. There's still a long way to go -- Anakin has to turn evil and disfigured; Amidala has to have two kids, split them up, and have one become the princess of a planet still not introduced in the series; Yoda and Obi-Wan have to become hermits; and then there's the matter of the Death Star, which has to be built. Episode III is either going to be a complete disaster or a work of genius. Altogether, the movie is enjoyable despite its nagging script inadequacies and crummy "down" scenes. The action is fun, the acting is good enough, and the direction is capable, if not inspired. If you're a die-hard Star Wars fan, you will like this better than Episode I (though I grade them roughly equal), but it still won't hold a candle to the earlier films. But chances are when it's said and done, you aren't going to be talking about Episode II for its good things. An impromptu conversation with another filmcritic.com staffer set us off on a number of incongruities and simply baffling moments that might be pointing to Lucas's senility. For example: When did R2-D2 become able to fly? When did Obi-Wan become afraid of flying (or afraid of anything for that matter)? What's with Jimmy Smits and his Elizabethan collar? Since when does a Jedi Knight have to go to a library to figure out where a planet is? And why didn't Lucas get the hint about Jar-Jar Binks the first time around? Mysteries of the universe, I tell ya. RATING: ***1/2 [* = lowest rating / ***** = highest rating] MPAA Rating: PG-13 Director: George Lucas Producer: Rick McCallum Writer: George Lucas, Jonathan Hales Starring: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Pernilla August, Jack Thompson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, Andrew Secombe, Oliver Ford Davies, Silas Carson, Kenny Baker, Ahmed Best, Jimmy Smits, Temuera Morrison http://www.starwars.com/episode-ii/ --- filmcritic.com / http://filmcritic.com/ ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31796 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 312721 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 178 X-RT-AuthorID: 1062 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/5 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!newsfeed1.uni2.dk!news-x2.support.nl!newsfeed.equant.nl!newsfeed.equant.nl!194.168.4.91.MISMATCH!newspeer1-gui.server.ntli.net!ntli.net!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Laura Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 18:15:26 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31807 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313291 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: C+ Summary: r.a.m.r. #31807 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 103 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3626 rec.arts.sf.reviews:275 STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES ------------------------------------------- When former Queen, now Senator, Padme (Natalie Portman) arrives at Coruscant to vote on emergency powers for Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), she escapes an assassination attempt. She's put under the protection of Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his protege Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen, "Life As a House"). As the Republic is threatened by separatists, Obi-Wan travels to investigate the bounty hunter behind the attempt on Padme's life, leaving love-struck Anakin to accompany her back to her home planet Naboo in "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones." All Executive producer/writer-director George Lucas appears to be capable of these days is producing enough fireworks in his last act to elicit hope in his audience that his next installment will be better than the one they've just watched. While marginally better than Episode I, "Attack of the Clones" delivers almost two full hours of boredom before coming to life in the final 30-odd of its 143 minute running time. Kenobi has his hands full trying to train Anakin, an upstart who believes he's already more powerful than his master and that the Republic would be better served by a dictator. After dispatching the two lethal centipedes released into Padme's sleeping chamber in a second assassination attempt, Anakin and Obi-Wan give chase in a scene which resembles a low-rent "Blade Runner" crossed with "The Fifth Element." Obi-Wan is rightfully concerned when his young charge is assigned to protect Padme while he searches out Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison, "Once Were Warriors"). Old buddy Dex points Obi-Wan towards the planet of Camino, a waterlogged environment of perpetual rain and sea (and a nice change from Lucas' usual desert-scapes). He's greeted by two sylphlike aliens, who think he's come to take delivery of the clone army they've been growing for a decade per order of a Jedi Obi-Wan believes to have been dead since before that time. The soldiers have all been cloned from Jango, who in return only demanded one clone without genetic alteration - his son Boba. Leaving Boba with another father complex, Obi-Wan is captured by separatist leader and traitor Jedi, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings"). Meanwhile, Anakin is being resisted by a weakening Padme, until he rashly takes her to Tatooine to rescue his mother Schmi (Pernilla August). When she dies in his arms he slaughters her captors and returns to tell Padme of his hatred for them as John Williams' Darth Vader theme swells. Then they're off to save Obi-Wan, and, as it turns out, the film. Lucas' directs by lining up his actors and having them make monotone expository announcements. It is noteworthy that the most colorful character in Episode II is the CGI created Yoda. Even Jar Jar Binks is made somewhat interesting this time around by most amusingly being left in charge of Padme's vote when she's whisked off to Naboo. While McGregor fills out his Jedi robes with more confidence this time around, Lucas allows him no fun - even his tossed off "You'll be the death of me" to Ani is played more for portent than playfulness. All too frequently, there is an awareness that McGregor is acting to a bluescreen. Portman is a little less stiff in her second portrayal of Padme, allowed some action this time around, but is more effective fighting off creatures in a coliseum than being half of what should be the all important love match. Hayden Christensen is a huge disappointment as Ani, a role that seems to belong to James Earl Jones only. He may be handsome, but he comes off as a petulant spoiled brat. Christopher Lee proves himself once again as a mythical villain. Samuel L. Jackson is stranded once again as Mace Windu. Jimmy Smits' Senator Bail Organa is apparently a Shakespearean extra. Lucas and Jonathan Hales' screenplay is full of lame dialogue and bad jokes. Their idea of high hilarity is to have C3PO proclaim 'What a drag' as his head is towed through the dirt and their idea of wit is to name a character Liam (Liam Neeson appeared in Episode I). ILM's effects are frequently terrific, however. Although many matte shots are too pristine and fake looking, much of the CGI work is stunning. Jar Jar moves with a distinctive lope. We're given a subtle glimpse of the shapeshifting ability of Padme's assassin reflected on her ship's dome window. The fabulous coliseum sequence is an homage to Ray Harryhausen. Dooku's holographic blueprint for the Death Star recalls the original "Star Wars." The undulating folds of fabric seen as the female Caminan takes leave of Obi-Wan may be the single most fascinating element of the film. Lucas has all his elements in place for an explosive finale when Anakin goes over to the dark side. However, "Episode I" set up this film for a dark love story that is never delivered. C+ For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com laura@reelingreviews.com robin@reelingreviews.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31807 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313291 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1487 X-RT-RatingText: C+ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 From: Robin Clifford Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 18:10:31 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31830 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313890 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: C Summary: r.a.m.r. #31830 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 81 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!wineasy!newsfeed1.wineasy.se!news.sto.telegate.se!TeliaNet!news-sto.telia.net!fu-berlin.de!feed.ac-versailles.fr!freenix!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3646 rec.arts.sf.reviews:279 "Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack of the Clones" It's that season once again, about every three years, when the industry that is known as George Lucas spawns another installment in the never-ending saga that is "Star Wars." This time around, former queen, now senator, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) is the subject of an assassination attempt. She is put under the protection of Jedi knight Obi-wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and knight-in-training Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and they must travel the galaxy and fight evil in "Star Wars: Episode II ? Attack of the Clones." I'm not even going to bother giving a summary of the story. Those who care know what it's about anyway. For those that don't know, pick up a magazine. Everything from Time to Entertainment to, probably, Playboy have the faces of Anakin, Padme, Yoda and the rest and copious coverage of every nuance of the making of, starring in and analysis of all aspects of "Clones." For me, I wish I had a flashlight and a good book to wile away the hours that lead up to the expected top notch F/X. Lucas, with co-scripter Jonathan Hales, has cobbled together a pretty mundane story that takes far too long to get to the obvious point. Along the way, there is the unimaginative direction, wooden dialog and misused talent that is marginally better that "Episode 1." (I can't believe I gave that turkey a B+.) Ewan McGregor does yeoman's work and tries his darnedest to inject some humor and life into Obi-wan but is hamstrung by the stilted script. Natalie Portman gets to do more action stuff but doesn't show any spark at all. Hayden Christensen, whom I liked in "Life As a House," is merely a petulant, demanding, spoiled little snot that you want to go over to the dark side ? he's certainly a stick in the mud as a good guy. Please. (Note that ever time Anakin doesn't get his way, the sinister "Darth Vader Theme" plays over the scene. Samuel L. Jackson better be getting a good pay check out of this because he is not doing anything for his acting career. Christopher Lee fares best in another perf as an evil magi, Count Dooku. The best characters are the computer generated ones, especially Yoda and the rulers of the planet Camino ? a race that is an elongated version of the well know Earthly image of an alien being. "Episode II" is really just an excuse to make more money for George before we get to the real reason for this whole prequel series ? to see Anakin become our beloved Darth Vader. Even I, not exactly a fan of Lucas or his movies, think that Vader is one of the great film villains of all times. "Episode III," I anticipate. For me, "Episode II" is superfluous and a waste of my time (mileage may differ for you) except for the spectacular effects. There are good bits to this latest bit of George Lucas hokum, but they are all on the techie side and, with a few exceptions, it takes about 110 minutes to get to most of them. The fans will have their appetites whetted with a future (past? Oh, yeah. In a galaxy far, far away and all that crap) inner city space chase that is virtually a collision of "Blade Runner" and "The 5th Element." The last half hour is a terrific presentation of special F/X magic with a bigger than "Ben Hur" gladiatorial contest that abounds with wild and mean creatures that our heroes must thwart. Then there is the spectacle of the big battle (it is, after all, the attack of the clones) that will be the reason for repeat business from the SW fanatics out there. One good thing about being a film critic is that I can get to see the blockbusters without dealing with the huge crowds, which there will be. The only question I have: Will it beat "Spider-Man's" boffo box office? One final bit of advice to Mr. Lucas: George, hire a real director and good writers for the next installment, please. I give "Episode II" a C. For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com robin@reelingreviews.com laura@reelingreviews.com ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31830 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313890 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 386 X-RT-AuthorID: 1488 X-RT-RatingText: C From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 From: Edward Johnson-Ott Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 18:20:09 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31833 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313934 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 591 X-RT-AuthorID: 1099 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31833 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 118 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!newspump.monmouth.com!newspeer.monmouth.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!hub1.nntpserver.com!telocity-west!TELOCITY!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3645 rec.arts.sf.reviews:278 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Pernilla August, Jack Thompson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, Andrew Secombe, Oliver Ford Davies, Silas Carson, Kenny Baker, Ahmed Best, Jimmy Smits, Ayesha Dharker, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Temuera Morrison, Daniel Logan. Music by John Williams. Screenplay by George Lucas, Jonathan Hales, Story by Lucas. Directed by George Lucas. 135 minutes. Rated PG. Review by Ed Johnson-Ott, NUVO Newsweekly http://www.nuvo.net E-mail: ejohnsonott@prodigy.net Archive reviews at http://reviews.imdb.com/ReviewsBy?Edward+Johnson-Ott To receive e-mail reviews, write ejohnsonott-subscribe@yahoogroups.com with the word "subscribe" in the subject line. Well, it's not as bad as the last one. Although the film suffers from many of the same problems as the leaden "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace," the latest bloated by-God-this-will-be-an-Epic from George Lucas actually has a few minutes that are fun. Remember fun? Like the fun we had during the original "Star Wars," when the guy who brought us "American Graffiti" tackled space operas? Lucas, still a young twerp, updated the old "Flash Gordon" type serials with a grand adventure pitting a wide-eyed farm boy, a cocky pilot, his furry partner and a tough-as-nails princess against one of the most hissable bad guys of all time. The fresh-faced performers' acting skills were shaky, the dialogue was cheesy and some of the creatures were less than convincing, but none of that mattered because the overall package was such a blast. Lucas followed "Star Wars" with two sequels that were more ambitious and more melodramatic. Although the trilogy contained some annoying elements (Ewoks, anyone? And how was the death of a Jedi supposed to have any impact when they kept popping up in ghost form?), they satisfied because of the immense fun factor. Sixteen years after the final film, Lucas unveiled the first in his prequel trilogy. I won't rehash "The Phantom Menace" here – the painful memories are still too fresh. Suffice to say that, aside from gorgeous special effects, the movie was a stone drag. Initially, it looks like "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones" (could these titles be any clunkier?) is headed down the same path. For well over an hour, the film hops from one breathtaking vista to the next as a parade of dull characters spouts bad dialogue. Only a zippy flying car chase scene breaks up the monotony. At long, long last, a rescue mission kicks the movie into gear and, for a few wonderful minutes, I was reminded why I enjoyed "Star Wars" in the first place. The story goes like this: The Republic is in trouble due to separatist factions. When Queen-turned-Senator Padme (Natalie Portman) arrives for an important vote in the Senate, Master Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his protege, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), are assigned to protect her from assassination. After Padme is nearly killed while Obi-wan and Anakin squabble, the plot splits in two – Obi-wan flies off to find the culprits while Anakin remains to guard Padme. On a distant world, Obi-wan discovers a clone lab cranking out warriors to fight for the Republic (though no one can remember ordering them). Meanwhile, Anakin and Padme begin the most stilted, least passionate romance in the history of film (Sample line: "I am haunted by the kiss you should not have given to me"). Ouch. Eventually, the key players are reunited as Lucas does an alien version of "Gladiator" and the flick gets a much-needed shot of adrenaline. After so much strained posturing, the movie finally turns into "Star Wars" again, or at least something very much like it. This portion includes the high point of the film: a terrific lightsaber battle where Yoda (Frank Oz) finally stops yapping and jumps into the fray. As much as I enjoyed the fight, I enjoyed what Yoda does immediately after even more. Over the course of the film's 135 minutes, we see many familiar faces along with a number of new ones. The reviled Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) returns to do his intergalactic Stephin Fetchit shtick, but thankfully, he is allotted very little screen time. Droids R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) return, with C-3PO getting the worst scene in the movie when his head is severed from his body and he delivers not one, not two, but three cringe-inducing puns. On the flesh and blood front, Samuel L. Jackson gets to do slightly more than in the last film, although his talents are still wasted. Jimmy Smits pops up briefly – presumably he and Sam will have expanded roles in the final installment of the trilogy. Horror movie giant Christopher Lee appears as a pivotal character, looking remarkably good for his age. And Temuera Morrison, the mesmerizing star of "Once Were Warriors," makes an indelible impression as little Boba Fett's fierce bounty hunter poppa. Sadly, the acting is as wooden here as in "The Phantom Menace," with the sole exception of Ewan McGregor, who humanizes Obi-wan Kenobi quite nicely in an assured performance. McGregor also draws the biggest laugh in the movie when he turns to the future Darth Vader and says, "Anakin, sometimes I think you'll be the death of me." I'm still not sure whether or not I like that line, but I am sure that "Attack of the Clones" is a better film than "The Phantom Menace." Although the ending is annoyingly abrupt, at least the movie delivers a few payoffs. Both films, however, left me with the same question: When did George Lucas forget that people, not special effects, are what make a movie work? © 2002 Ed Johnson-Ott ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31833 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 313934 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 591 X-RT-AuthorID: 1099 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.sics.se!uab.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Homer Yen Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 18:40:29 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31837 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314070 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: B- Summary: r.a.m.r. #31837 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 99 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3656 rec.arts.sf.reviews:283 "Attack of the Clones" – A Prelude to Better Things to Come by Homer Yen (c) 2002 The original Star Wars film redefined movies for my generation (and was voted as one of the 20 best science-fiction films in a recent issue of Wired). But it seems unmistakably clear that our movie-watching tastes have evolved considerably since the Luke/Leia/Han generation. And that's the issue I have with this film. While it maintains the overall spirit of the Star Wars legacy and the sense of swashbuckling chivalry of the other films, it's like a little boy that never grows up. Meanwhile, the rest of us have grown up, and we will subsequently ask for a more-developed story, crisper action sequences, more drama, better characters, and even a darker subtext. After all, Anakin is sliding towards the Dark Side. And so am I, for while I'm not disappointed with this film, I'm not happy with it either. There are individual sequences worth noting. But, the overall feel was clunky, cluttered, and even exhausting. "Attack of the Clones" needed to be more focused while ratcheting it up a notch to be more effective. In Episode II, a separatist movement led by the mysterious Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) works to undermine the stability of the Republic. With civil war looming, the Jedi do not have enough resources to keep the peace. Meanwhile, 10 years have passed since little Anakin Skywalker (now grown up and played by Heyden Christensen) was accepted as Obi-Wan's (Ewan McGregor) young Jedi apprentice. As Anakin's strength and skills grow, so too does his arrogance. And an annoying component of this film is that these two come across blatantly as an overprotective father and a tempestuous and whiny son. Perhaps it's better that they split up for most of the film. Obi-wan is assigned to pursue an assassin that is working in league with Count Dooku. Anakin remains behind to protect Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman) while rekindling their friendship and perhaps more. Anakin is impulsive, plagued by issues of adolescence, which plant the seeds of the Dark Side of the Force. For example, his mind is bent on vengeance when somebody special in his life is taken away from him. The Darth Vader-to-be character is most effective during these sequences. The portrayal is stirring and edgy. Unfortunately, his character and much of the film is sabotaged by his romance with Amidala. You can't blame young Skywalker for taking an interest in someone who resembles a nymph. But the problem is twofold. With the amount of hype surrounding this movie, there is no way that their relationship can meet our expectations given our evolved movie-watching tastes versus the Star Wars spirit. Also, the script needed to do more with the forbidden relationship by adding more agony, yearning, or fear of loss. Yet, there certainly are enough visual sequences that make it worth watching. Imagination runs wild on the screen from the architecture to the intergalactic creatures. You'll be impressed with a chase through an overcommercialized and overindustrialized city, another chase through an asteroid field, and a climactic battle pitting Jedi forces against the forces of evil. And to see Yoda finally do something worthy of his revered status OTHER than talk in fragmented speech patterns will certainly entertain you. The next film promises more mayhem and conflict. I'm looking forward to the next movie, because in my grown up opinion, I want a bigger taste of the Dark Side. Grade: B- S: 1 out of 3 L: 0 out of 3 V: 2 out of 3 ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31837 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314070 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1370 X-RT-RatingText: B- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!TeliaNet!194.22.190.199.MISMATCH!TeliaNet!newsfeed.stueberl.de!nntp-relay.ihug.net!ihug.co.nz!news-hog.berkeley.edu!ucberkeley!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Dennis Schwartz Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 18:49:12 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31841 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314046 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 873 X-RT-AuthorID: 1315 X-RT-RatingText: B- Summary: r.a.m.r. #31841 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 91 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3654 rec.arts.sf.reviews:281 STAR WARS: EPISODE 11- ATTACK OF THE CLONES (director/writer: George Lucas; screenwriter: Jonathan Hales; cinematographer: David Tattersall; editor: Ben Burtt; music: John Williams; cast: Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Natalie Portman (Senator Padmé Amidala), Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker), Ian McDiarmid (Supreme Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious), Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Pernilla August (Shmi Skywalker), Jack Thompson (Cliegg Lars), Frank Oz (Yoda), Christopher Lee (Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO/ Lt. Dannl Faytonni), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Jimmy Smits (Senator Bail Organa), Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett), Ahmed Best (Voice of Jar Jar Binks), Silas Carson (Nute Gunray/Ki-Adi-Mundi); Runtime: 132; 20th Century Fox; 2002) "It plays like an infomercial plugging the newest in digital filmmaking." Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz It plays like an infomercial plugging the newest in digital filmmaking. The dialogue cowritten by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales (screenwriter for "The Scorpion King") is not bad, it is horrid. This 140 million dollar production is purely a special effect movie--one that is gorgeous and still the best special effect film around that money can buy (a reason enough to see the film). The true believers should enjoy what the film has to offer, which is what it always has accomplished. It therefore isn't better or worse than the overhyped Phantom Menace, just more of the same -- but with some minor improvements. The obnoxious Jar Jar Binks, now a senator, has less to say, which is its greatest improvement. This B-film action story and its ongoing myth of good versus evil is just not that interesting. Its pop culture elder wise men: Yoda, Kenobi, and Mace Windu offer very shallow teachings. In this episode Anakin will reveal his dark side and how it is a natural progression for the power hungry, arrogant, and volatile Jedi destined to become Darth Vader. He has a lousy disposition, doesn't obey his master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), disrespect his Jedi vows and favors a benovolent dictatorship over a democracy. The middle part stretches for one and half hours, as lots of inane dialogue is used to setup its plotlines. The cornball love story between the spoiled Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) and the plastic young senator of the Republic Padmé Amidala (Portman), takes center stage. Finally in the last 40 or so minutes the Jedi battle the clones to not only save the Republic but the picture from the doldrums. Episode II picks up ten years after the Phantom Menace, and Anakin Skywalker is a young man assigned for the last ten years as an apprentice to the master Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi. These two Jedis are assigned to protect the former queen of Naboo, now Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman), from recurring assassination attempts. She has arrived on the planet of Coruscant, the Republic's capital, to vote on the pressing issue of what to do with rebellious systems leaving the Republic. Kenobi finds out that a bounty hunter, Jango Fett, has been hired to bump off Senator Amidala and tracks him down by traveling to a spot on the universe that was erased from the official map. This hidden planet is known for developing clones. Anakin accompanies Amidala to Naboo as her sole guard, but due to his thoughts of his mother he disobeys the Jedi's vow of no emotional attachments and soon Anakin and Amidala leave for Tatooine. There he discovers that his mother is dead. He also falls in love with Amidala and a forbidden love blooms. Obi-Wan unravels a diabolical plot that leads to the discovery that the ex-Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is part of the insurrection. The sinister supreme chancellor is also revealed as Darth Sidious (McDiarmid) and in his position he is manipulating the war from behind the scenes. On the hidden planet the Jedis at last battle the clones and the screen is filled with computerized bloodless battles. The main purpose of episode 11 is to build a bridge to the next episode, so far unnamed, which promises to be darker. Star Wars has been around for 25 years and seems to have grown tired and less fun, but not enough to lose its box-office clout and magical appeal to its fan base. The film's two most magical scenes were: the breathtaking aerial chase through the crowded skies and the light-saber duel between the good Yoda and the evil Count Dooku. REVIEWED ON 5/20/2002 GRADE: B- Dennis Schwartz: "Ozus' World Movie Reviews" © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DENNIS SCHWARTZ http://www.sover.net/~ozus ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31841 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314046 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 873 X-RT-AuthorID: 1315 X-RT-RatingText: B- From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!TeliaNet!194.22.190.199.MISMATCH!TeliaNet!news.stealth.net!news.stealth.net!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!213.56.195.71!fr.usenet-edu.net!usenet-edu.net!freenix!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Shannon Patrick Sullivan Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 18:50:14 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31842 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314074 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31842 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 125 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3655 rec.arts.sf.reviews:282 STAR WARS: EPISODE II -- ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) / *** 1/2 Directed by George Lucas. Screenplay by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen. Running time: 142 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on May 17th, 2002. By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN Synopsis: A decade after "The Phantom Menace", Jedi knight Obi Wan Kenobi (McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) are assigned to protect their old friend, Senator Padmé Amidala (Portman). But when Kenobi discovers the existence of a massive clone army, it appears that dark forces are pushing the Galactic Republic to the brink of all-out war. Review: I was born in 1976, so the original "Star Wars" trilogy was a cornerstone of my childhood. Like many others, I played with my icy-white Hoth playset, took a spin around Cloud City, and tried to figure out what to do with a Rancor pit only two inches deep. This makes reviewing the new wave of "Star Wars" films unusually difficult. When I was six years old and went to see "Return Of The Jedi" in theatres, I was pretty much exactly the age at which the franchise is aimed. Viewing "Attack Of The Clones" at twenty-five, that's no longer the case. This leaves me to wonder whether any disappointment I might feel toward the new prequels is because they are genuinely inferior films, or simply because I'm not six years old anymore, and the magic I felt as a child in 1983 is impossible to recapture as an adult. That being said, I don't think I'm entirely off the mark in suggesting that "The Phantom Menace" was a good but deeply flawed movie which really did pale in comparison to its lauded predecessors. "Attack Of The Clones" marks a significant improvement. The story is better told and the characters more engaging, all without losing the enormous sense of breathtaking excitement which was the best part of "The Phantom Menace". There are two major exceptions to this, so let me discuss them up front. The biggest problem with "Attack Of The Clones" is Hayden Christensen. Handed the pivotal role of Anakin Skywalker, Christensen displays no subtlety, seeming capable only of extremes of emotion. When Anakin is angry, he is furious. When he is tender toward Padmé, he is absolutely swooning. And much of the rest of the time, his approach is simply to make Anakin as bland as possible; to describe him as wooden would be an insult to the logging industry. Christensen's performance is not helped by some truly dreadful dialogue. Lucas and co-writer Jonathan Hales do a reasonable job on most of the script, but they really drop the ball when it comes to Anakin's romantic overtures toward Amidala. Anakin is made to spout lines so corny that they're not even worthy of a daytime soap opera. His pronouncements are certainly designed to stir something up inside Padmé; unfortunately, in real life, it would probably be her dinner. Still, even these sequences are salvaged by the performance of Natalie Portman. Portman continues to possess a remarkable ability to electrify even the most pedestrian of scenes. Although the original "Star Wars" trilogy included a prominent female role in the form of Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia, she was often overshadowed by her male counterparts. Not so Portman, whose Padmé is perhaps the single most proactive character in "Attack", demonstrating tremendous courage, tenacity and ingenuity. And although Amidala is no longer a queen in this movie, Portman nonetheless carries herself with a regal air; this is obviously an older, more mature Padmé than we saw in "The Phantom Menace", but she is still clearly the same character. (The same cannot be said for Anakin, who really bears no resemblance to his "Phantom Menace" counterpart. Given the lengthy gap between the events of the two films, though, this is probably forgivable.) McGregor appears much more sure of himself this time around, no doubt benefitting from emerging from the shadows of Liam Neeson's "Phantom Menace" character. McGregor continues to do a splendid job of recalling Sir Alec Guinness' version of Obi Wan Kenobi from the original "Star Wars" trilogy without aping it. Here he successfully portrays an Obi Wan who is effectively the hero of the piece, rather than the aging mentor or dithering apprentice. Also great to see this time around is the (chronological) debut of the famous double act that is C-3PO and R2-D2. Although they really have no particular function here besides comic relief, they carry out that role admirably. Amongst the supporting characters, Christopher Lee is delectably evil as the conniving Count Dooku. In spite of a slow and meandering start, the plot of "Attack" holds together well, depicting a genuinely intelligent scheme by the followers of the Dark Side to topple the peaceful Republic. "Star Wars" aficionados will also be pleased to see that this installment is far more closely connected to the original trilogy than was its predecessor, featuring the return of several familiar characters and unveiling the origins of several concepts key to the "Star Wars" mythos. And then there are the special effects and action sequences which are, quite simply, dazzling. Lucas appears set to trump himself with every movie, and "Attack" does not disappoint. The only thing missing is a truly wondrous image, such as the underwater city in "The Phantom Menace" -- much of the territory explored in "Attack" has been gone over before, albeit never with such sophistication. I also continue to mourn Lucas' near-complete abandonment of costumes and make-up for his aliens in favour of computer animation. Yoda, for example, certainly exhibits greater mobility here than ever before, but he still feels a lot less real than he did in "The Empire Strikes Back". I fully expect that, like "The Phantom Menace" before it, "Attack Of The Clones" will be assailed by critics and fans alike and, true, I don't think it's as good as "Star Wars" or "Empire". But more than once during the movie, I found myself feeling a lot like I did when I first saw the original trilogy in the theatre nineteen years ago. "Attack Of The Clones" might not be able to recreate the magic of my youth, but it does a fine job of reminding me of it. Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/ ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31842 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314074 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 886 X-RT-AuthorID: 1699 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.net.uni-c.dk!logbridge.uoregon.edu!xmission!news-out.spamkiller.net!propagator2-maxim!propagator-maxim!news-in.spamkiller.net!out.nntp.be!propagator2-SanJose!propagator-SanJose!in.nntp.be!easynews!peer1-sjc1.usenetserver.com!usenetserver.com!sn-xit-04!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Bob Bloom Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 18:52:18 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31844 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314076 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31844 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 133 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3652 rec.arts.sf.reviews:280 STAR WARS: EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Temuera Morrison, Pernilla August and Ahmed Best. Story by George Lucas. Screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales. Music by John Williams. Directed by George Lucas. Rated PG. Approx. 2 hours, 20 minutes. A sense of dread and tragedy orbits Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones like a death star preparing to fire. Perhaps it is because we know what fate lies in wait for the now young-adult Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and we are powerless to turn the course of cinematic history. This second of George Lucas’ prequel trilogy is emotionally dark and foreboding, very akin to the second film in the original trilogy, The Empire Strikes Back. As an audience we watch as the young Jedi apprentice Anakin slowly and totally unaware begins his fatal journey to the Dark Side. The power of Attack of the Clones rests in the emotional residue the movie stirs in your subconscious. You know that this young man becomes Darth Vader, one of the most famous villains in the history of film, yet you are attracted to the youthful Anakin, his boyishness, his impulsiveness. Like a car accident you see coming, you want to warn him of his peril, but are unable to do so. Christensen is the heart and soul of Attack of the Clones. His Anakin is daring, arrogant, impatient, at times childish. He also is a young man in love, with the beautiful senator, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), the former queen of Naboo. Anakin has been in love with her since childhood. The two are reunited when the young apprentice and his master, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), are assigned to protect the young champion of the Republic. Slowly, against their respective principles, Anakin and Padame do fall in love. It is this weakness in Anakin that the evil Sith lord Darth Sidious slyly exploits to begin luring the young Jedi to the Dark Side. Attack of the Clones is more than a love story. It’s a tale of intrigue and adventure, featuring many spectacular set pieces, most of them computer-generated. This is a special effects extravaganza, and you may want to remain through the 10-plus minutes of end credits to admire the hundreds of names credited with creating this galaxy, far, far away. The list goes on and on, making it difficult to understand how the nation could be flirting with a recession with so many people employed by Lucas’s Industrial Light and Magic and its various offshoots and subcontractors. Lucas took a hint after the mixed — sometime hostile — reception to Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace. He hired someone to help him write the script — and the improvement is quite noticeable. The screenplay by Lucas and Jonathan Hales is more mature, more layered than the first movie. The dialogue also rises above the elementary-school line readings of Phantom Menace. The performances in Attack of the Clones are solid. McGregor is wiser and more deliberate as the older Obi-Wan. Portman displays maturity and conflict as the spirited, but idealistic Padme, torn between duty and love. An added attraction is the legendary Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, a former Jedi who has embraced the Dark Side and is a powerful ally of Darth Sidious. Lee’s Dooku relishes is villainy, and it is so satisfying to see this former Hammer Film icon again playing meaty roles he can sink his teeth into. A highlight of Clones — one that will definitely have the audience cheering — is a rousing light saber duel between Dooku and Jedi master Yoda. It is an intoxicating technologically masterful sequence. The cast also includes Samuel L. Jackson as Jedi Knight Mace Windu, and Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and Frank Oz, reprising their characters of C-3PO, R2-D2 and Yoda, respectively. At about two hours and 20 minutes, Clones does drag a bit, especially when dealing with the political aspects that are dividing the Republic. But you won’t mind these minor irritations. Attack of the Clones resonates with all kinds of references to events and people we’ve heard about and met through the first trilogy. For example, Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, his foster parents from the first film, are introduced as a young couple not yet married. We meet the deadly bounty hunter Jango Fett and his young son, Boba, who grows up to become the enemy of Han Solo. And we see the creation of the Army of the Republic, whom we later realize will be transformed in the evil Empire’s storm troopers. The contribution of John Williams’ music cannot be over emphasized. More than any other factor, it is the composer’s score, with its cues to themes from the first trilogy, that helps awaken our memories of the original movies and helps bind Clones to those features. The finale is a fine example. It has an almost fairy tale quality to it, but Williams’ ominous musical cue serves as an unsettling counterpoint. Attack of the Clones is very colorful, despite its darker aspects. It offers some spectacular vistas filmed around the world, exciting battle sequences, most of which were created via computer, and characters whom we can embrace. But most of all Clones is a journey of discovery. It’s about a young man flexing his muscles and trying to determine along what path his future lies. In the Star Wars pantheon, Attack of the Clones ranks near the top. Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at bloom@journal-courier.com or at bobbloom@iquest.net. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on golafayette. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31844 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314076 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 872 X-RT-AuthorID: 1363 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 From: Mark R. Leeper Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 18:40:59 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31847 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314741 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1309 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31847 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 126 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!surfnet.nl!news-x2.support.nl!colt.net!newsfeed00.sul.t-online.de!newsfeed01.sul.t-online.de!t-online.de!newspeer1-gui.server.ntli.net!ntli.net!sn-xit-01!sn-post-02!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3666 rec.arts.sf.reviews:284 STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES (a film review by Mark R. Leeper) CAPSULE: What must be the most complexly plotted of any film series gets a new chapter. SW-II seems to be the most complex STAR WARS film so far. It busily knits up loose ends preparing the way for the last piece to neatly fit in place. Many things are happening at once as Obi-wan goes in one direction uncovering conspiracies to control the future and Anakin completes unfinished business from his past. Certainly the film is a mixed bag, but there is ample that is rewarding to make this film worth seeing. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), +2 (-4 to +4) Perhaps the biggest fault of the George Lucas's STAR WARS series is what once was its greatest virtue. Every new episode has to demonstrate how much the art of graphics has improved. Some of the images that he creates in this film are so complex they could never have been accomplished three years ago when the last episode was released. It could well be that he is pushing the art farther than it really should go. In STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, he now has so many elements combined in a single frame that the eye has trouble taking them all in. Some of his images are needlessly complex and confusing because he is demonstrating as much as he can, not as much as he should. The intricate hugely layered views of Coruscant at night make one long for the simple images of one or two dinosaurs one would find in an old Ray Harryhausen film. Nevertheless, for better or worse, the technology has far surpassed the Harryhausen level. George Lucas did not invent digital graphics, but his films certainly opened up the field. His STAR WARS series is taking so long to come out that now the use of the digital graphics that he pioneered is already considered cheap artificial effects that have a bad reputation. Still, every new film he makes in the series breaks new ground, and by now it may be more ground than was needed to be broken. That is not the only way Lucas has been experimental by any means. He has convinced the world that to do a major series like STAR WARS out of chronological order is actually possible. But he has not shown that it is a good idea. In his Indiana Jones series he found he could not keep making Harrison Ford a younger man each successive film. In the STAR WARS series he faces different problems. Everyone--at least every fan--knows how the series is going to end and that the second half of the story is less spectacular than the first half. Will Obi-wan die in this fight? No, we have already seen that he lives to be an old man. By examining ATTACK OF THE CLONES and A NEW HOPE we already know a great deal of what has to happen in the one remaining film. There are far more plot requirements on the next STAR WARS film than on, say, the next James Bond film. All that is required of the next Bond film is that it has to be reasonably entertaining. Lucas has set himself more stringent goals and surprisingly he generally is able to achieve those goals. So what is the current story? It begins with an attempt on the life of formerly Princess but now Senator Amidala (again played by Natalie Portman). Obi-wan (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin (now played by Hayden Christensen) try to guard her, but a second assassination attempt ends in an incredible (but not necessarily good) mid-air chase high, high above the BLADERUNNER-inspired streets of Coruscant. A clue left at the scene sends Obi-wan off looking for planet that no longer seems to exist to find a very real conspiracy that is quite literally hatching. In his absence Anakin goes off to Tatooine to tie up the largest remaining loose end in his short screen life. Along the way several pieces fall into place from other stories. We learn more about how Luke Skywalker will come to be on his moisture farm. We see why the schism is forming between Anakin and the Jedi. There is even some explanation of why go from robotic troopers to what might seem like lower-tech humans that we see in the 1977 film. This is a film that might not stand well on its own, but it offers plenty to followers of the series. While George Lucas, who once again wrote and directed, is a visionary filmmaker, he is not necessarily a great director. He does not always seem to know the difference between a good line- reading and a bad one. While there are instances of some very good acting in the films, they generally are there because he has actors like Liam Neeson, Samuel L. Jackson, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, and Christopher Lee. These are actors who are well-known because they can provide a good performance. Frequently a lesser character delivers a line that gets by with a terrible and flat delivery. The director should have caught it, but has not. Of course, it is not clear that any actor could give lines like "You are in my very soul tormenting me" a believable delivery. But the actors who are really professionals manage to compensate for the over-tolerant director. In order for a love relationship like the one in this film to work, the viewer must understand what each person sees in the other. The chemistry is just not there between Padme and Anakin. Natalie Portman is attractive, as I suppose is Hayden Christensen, but their love scenes come off stilted and cold. There just is no chemistry between them. On the other hand, a little more reserve in the Jar-Jar Binks character in this film is more than welcome. I give Lucas credit that he did not simply read the fans' opinions and decide to eliminate Jar-Jar. He even has a return of Watto the junk dealer. The Empire should be a democracy, but a film production needs to be a dictatorship. Visually much more of this film is more dark and murky than previous films have been. This may be to cover loss of resolution Lucas expected transferring from a film shot digitally to a film print. Much of the effects of the film, like the circus of images in the complex cityscapes, are covered by a curtain of night. The darkness only serves to make the complex images more confusing. John Williams musical score has a lot of retread to it, but he has written a very nice love theme. Like many very talented people, George Lucas does not always recognize his limitations. This tends to make films of mixed quality. Still, there is always enough that is excellent to make them worth seeing. There is enough here that I thought was good to give the film a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale. Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2002 Mark R. Leeper ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31847 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314741 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1309 X-RT-RatingText: 7/10 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 From: Jerry Saravia Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 18:44:42 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31848 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314742 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31848 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 119 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.Update.UU.SE!puffinus.its.uu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.sics.se!uab.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!newsfeed.online.be!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3669 rec.arts.sf.reviews:285 STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia May 17th, 2002 RATING: Three stars and a half Just to show you the evils of the Internet, the naysayers began their proverbial attacks on George Lucas's anticipated second chapter in the first "Star Wars" trilogy long before he shot a roll of film. Questions abounded like "What kind of title is 'Attack of the Clones'? Are we watching killer tomatoes again? Why bring back Jar-Jar Binks, if ever so briefly? A 'Star Wars' love story? George Lucas has the temerity to write and direct it again after failing miserably with 'The Phantom Menace'?" Forget the naysayers. Forget the hype. If you love "Star Wars" at all, you could care less what anyone else thinks about it or Lucas. I'll say this: "Attack of the Clones" is the best damn "Star Wars" picture since "The Empire Strikes Back," though not nearly as explosive or as entertaining. It is, however, more souped-up, dazzling and character-oriented than "The Phantom Menace" and far more inv olving in every way. The future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), is now older than his youthful counterpart in "Phantom Menace." He has been under the tutelage of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), a Jedi Knight who is teaching Anakin to be patient before learning the more mature ways of the Force. Anakin does have a way with his lightsaber. He finally meets with former Queen of Naboo, Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a Senator, who is still negotiating peace with other galaxy systems. No sooner is an attempt made on her life that we learn peace is not under advisement at the moment. A separatist movement has begun, notably under the leadership of an evil Jedi, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who is building an army of clones for an apparent war. Nevertheless, Anakin is asked to protect Amidala from danger, while Obi-Wan is in hot pursuit of an assassin, Jango Fett (Temeura Morrison), which leads to the planet where the clones are being assembled by the thousands. "Attack of the Clones" eschews the cutesy theatrics of "Return of the Jedi" and "Phantom Menace" for a far more serious and sinister tone. It makes sense since Anakin is slowly developing feelings of hate, not to mention unduly love for Amidala. Love, fear and hate - a Jedi craves not these things. When Anakin finds his mother, Shimi (an underused Perilla August, returning from the original), dead by the Tuscan Raiders (Sand People to the rest of you), this Jedi begins a rampage and the seething anger and roots of violence begin to take shape (even Amidala is shaken when she hears of his exploits). We are talking about a man who will eventually cause the death of many Rebels in the future, and it is a sometimes grim experience witnessing Anakin's slow transformation. As Lucas has mentioned, "Episode III" will not have a happy ending. If writer-director and creator George Lucas is still deficient in any department, it is in the romance angle. Han Solo and Princess Leia always had great chemistry, but that was largely due to Lawrence Kasdan's witty writing in "The Empire Strikes Back." In this film, a romance slowly develops between Anakin and Amidala and, though it is bittersweet, it is not half as romantic or as juicy as any scenes between Solo or Leia. Anakin gives Amidala those beatific smiles and looks but it is too sour to really evoke fireworks (there must be more than a gleam in the eye and cascading waterfalls in the background to elicit any romantic interest. One must remember these are the parents of the future Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia). Yet Hayden Christensen is a charismatic performer, alluding to an edge that is bringing him closer to Darth Vader's character. And Natalie Portman is at least not too stately as in the last film, showing a little more liveliness and some athleticism. She seems to actually move about more, rather than sitting like a zombie in her throne. Yes, there are some lulls in the pacing. Yes, Lucas doesn't always trust his visual eye completely and cuts away a little too quickly from his beautifully crafted images of landscapes and cityscapes. Yes, the dialogue is often clumsily written (as it always has been). Yes, the annoying Jar-Jar Binks makes a guest appearance, and almost ruins the momentum. However, never has a "Star Wars" movie had such a sonic sweep. This movie swishes and swooshes before our eyes in a way not seen since "Empire." There are so many marvelous sequences, particularly the 40-minute finale, that are guaranteed to give the audience the thrills they have been longing for all along. We are talking multitudes of dueling lightsabers (even the crafty Yoda handles one), spaceships with strange, sonic motor sounds, fantastically grotesque creatures in a gladiator-style tournament, cavernous castles, a rainy city where creatures with enlongated necks (reminding one of "A.I." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind") talk about the clones, bounty hunters with rocket packs, the bantering of old favorites like C-3PO and R2-D2 (both still played by Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker), droid factories with lots of furnaces and smoke, "Metropolis" cities with thousands of ships in the skies, Samuel's Jackson's Mace Windu actually sporting a purple lightsaber, asteroid fields, and so on. No one will walk away from "Attack of the Clones" without the look of astonishment from these incredible visuals. Yet Lucas is not entirely interested in visual candy. All of the technical mastery of special-effects and CGI effects in the world mean nothing unless it is in the service of a story. They certainly are. The most striking image is of Anakin, hot on his tail for revenge, on a speeder traveling at super speeds across the desert of Tatooine. Anger is leading closer to the Dark Side of the Force, and by the end of the film, you will certainly feel the darkness settling in. This "Star Wars" is not a festive walk in the park - it is as somber as one expects with occasional flashes of humor. An ambiguous, open-ended finale (essential as a lead-in to "Episode III") and some of the most stunning visuals in eons, "Attack of the Clones" is damn good fun, if overlong and cluttered with one too many speeches on the Republic. Yes, it is necessary exposition but I'd just as soon learn more about Anakin and his relationship with Padme Amidala and Obi Wan Kenobi. Nothing quite beats the chemistry of the Han Solo-Princess Leia-Luke Skywalker camaraderie of the initial trilogy, but this film has enough appeal and an ominous tone that will leave viewers breathless for more. Post any comments, complaints or general questions at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/forum.shtml or e-mail me at Faust668@aol.com For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://moviething.com/members/movies/faust/JATMindex.shtml ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31848 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 314742 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 875 X-RT-AuthorID: 1314 X-RT-RatingText: 3.5/4 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news-peer-europe.sprintlink.net!news.stupi.se!netnews.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!sn-xit-01!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Eugene Novikov Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:06:45 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31908 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 315508 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 610 X-RT-AuthorID: 1577 X-RT-RatingText: D+ Summary: r.a.m.r. #31908 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 120 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3726 rec.arts.sf.reviews:287 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/ "Begun, this Clone War has." Starring Hayden Christiansen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Pernilla August, Christopher Lee. Directed by George Lucas. Rated PG. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones betrayed me both as a Star Wars fan and as a moviegoer. The franchise has become so enamored with its own unremarkable mythology that it has lost sight of what it's supposed to be first and foremost: a great story, dazzling entertainment that wraps us up in its universe of good and evil, heroes and villains, quests and journeys. The much maligned Episode I, for all its flaws, at least knew the meaning of Star Wars. This installment is all set-up and no pay-off. The story picks up ten years after Episode I leaves off, and the Star Wars universe is in more or less of a holding pattern. Anakin Skywalker, played like a whiny little bastard by Hayden Christiansen, is in training to be a Jedi under the expert guideship of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Queen Amidala (Natalie Portman) nobly fights for piece while fending off assasination attempts with the help of her faithful Jedi bodyguards. Chancelor Palpatine a.k.a. the Sith Lord Sidius (Ian McDiarmid) is plotting to control the universe even more obviously (and less interestingly) than in Phantom Menace. We know the Big Events that have to happen in Episode II. We have to see hints of Anakin starting to turn to the Dark Side. We must see a romance begin to develop between Skywalker and Amidala. The door has to be opened for Chancellor Palpatine to become Emperor. And, if you were attentive during the original three movies, you know that Jango Fett, Boba Fett's father, has to die; the manner in which he does so is obvious and completely unsatisfying. The movie attends to these plot points with a checklist mentality. Lucas gives us the usual franchise archetypes, but his heart isn't in it. It's all here -- the Yoda-speak, the Jedi posturing, the deadpan "Patience, young Padawan" delivery that we are all so familiar with -- but something is distinctly missing. All the digital effects in the world can't make up for the runaway innocence, the simple joy of filmmaking that permeated every Star Wars movie until now. Lucas has never been known as a master screenwriter, but the dialogue is impossibly dull, with a few lines sure to go down in the hall of fame as the worst writing in cinema history. (How's this for a pick-up line: "I hate sand. It's so coarse. Not like here. Everything here is smooth.") Worse, Attack of the Clones doesn't tell a story. Nothing happens during the course of its two-plus hours. Everything is set-up for Episode III, which I am sure will be monumental, and as a buttress for the franchise's mythological base, this installment serves, though it reduces that grand myth to leaden pronouncements and perfuctory confrontatins. But while it's gratifying to see a blockbuster so intimately concerned with plot, I wanted to see a movie. I wanted to be entertained on more than simply a geek level. I wanted apocalyptic excitement, I wanted a hero quest, I wanted something to make my pulse quicken the way "No! I am your father," or even "Yousa people gonna die?" did. The plot of Phantom Menace, though it did curiously center on trade disputes, had an idea of what Star Wars was all about, and as little Anakin won his pod race, I felt like cheering. Here, the climax consists of the already notorious gimmick of Yoda picking up a lightsaber and kicking ass, and while the idea is nifty, does it really belong in the same league with, say, the duel between Luke and Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi, or Obi-Wan and Darth Maul in Menace? Where is the justice for the characters? Why does Yoda get the glory? To be fair, Attack of the Clones does do a good job of setting up the as yet unnamed Episode III, and my heart started to race at the images that flashed across the screen in the film's final 45 seconds. And if the entire franchise has been leading up to this supposedly final movie due in 2005, then I suppose this treatment is fitting. But no, I refuse to believe that this is Star Wars. I don't acknowledge that the legacy of the films that enchanted me as a tween has deteriorated to that of a Saturday-morning serial. With all of the new technology at Lucas's disposal, he has gained the ability to show us some truly amazing things; in many ways, this is an animated film, if a spectacular one. But as he gained expensive digital wizardry, he seems to have lost something infinitely more important: the power of myth, the draw of character, the appeal of a simple, riveting story. Grade: D+ Up Next: High Crimes ©2002 Eugene Novikov ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31908 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 315508 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-SourceID: 610 X-RT-AuthorID: 1577 X-RT-RatingText: D+ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:48 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!logbridge.uoregon.edu!xmission!news-out.spamkiller.net!propagator2-maxim!propagator-maxim!news-in.spamkiller.net!telocity-west!TELOCITY!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Greg Novak Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Wed, 05 Jun 2002 20:24:37 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 31917 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 316118 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 5624 Summary: r.a.m.r. #31917 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 204 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3728 rec.arts.sf.reviews:288 Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones A Review by Greg Novak "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…." Those words sent shivers down my spine as I sat in my local theatre waiting for the beginning of "Episode II: Attack of the Clones," the latest installment in the pre-trilogy, trilogy. I'm what you would call a true fan of the "Star Wars" phenomena. I often have to explain to people what that means. They don't understand that I could hate other movies in the series such as "The Phantom Menace" and "Return of the Jedi," yet still call myself a "Star Wars" fan. It's simple really. "Star Wars" fans don't follow the Standard English lexicon. When a Star Wars fan says he hates "The Phantom Menace" or "Return of the Jedi," it means he'll only see those films six or seven times, instead of the fifteen to twenty times for the ones he really likes. Ok, back to "Episode II: Attack of the Clones." My expectations were significantly reduced as I sat down to watch "Episode II." Viewing "The Phantom Menace" had significantly lowered those expectations. I hated the character of Jar Jar, the silly cartoonish Trade Federation Robot army, and the stupid underwater Nabooians. (Translation-I only saw "Phantom Menace" six times, and I hated every second of each of those six times!!) Perhaps, my reduced expectations are what made "Episode II" so enjoyable. Or perhaps George Lucas still has some of that magic left in him. For those living in another universe, "Attack of the Clones" is the second installment in Lucas' trilogy about the Clone Wars, alluded to in the first trilogy. The film takes place decades before the events in the first trilogy and about ten years after the events in "The Phantom Menace." The story follows further attempts by the Trade Federation to undermine the Republic, a collection of thousands of worlds rule by a democratically elected senate. Behind all these attempts at galactic chaos is the covert work of a Sith Lord to bring about the fall of the Republic and replace it with himself as Emperor. The Senates' complete inability to deal with local emergencies, and its spiraling bureaucracy, only fuels these conspiracies, and a latent secessionist movement within the Republic gains momentum, as one planet after another threatens to leave the union. The Jedi Knights, the peacekeeping super-heroes of the Republic, are outnumbered and overwhelmed. Ultimately, the Senate itself willingly relinquishes its powers to the president, as it issues him emergency powers to deal with the current crisis. Bad move. It's easy to give someone ultimate power, but it's a bit more difficult to take that power away after the emergency subsides. (Historians will see shades of the fall of the Roman Republic in this) The events that bring about this unprecedented relinquishing of senatorial control begins with an assassination attempt on a minor senator from the planet Naboo. Senator Padmé Amidala is the unlikely target, and in investigating her assassination attempt, a Jedi knight and his student are assigned to the case. The Jedi Knight happens to be Obi-Wan Kenobi; his student is none other than Anakin Skywalker. Hayden Christensen gives wonderful performance as the arrogant, teen-age, angst ridden Anakin, now ten years older than the boy he was in the first film. (And, yes, they did have teen-angst a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away) I think I was the only person in America who actually heard of Hayden Christensen when the media announced that he had been cast for the new "Star Wars" film. I had already known him from his character in a short-lived drama, "Higher Ground," about troubled teens in an Outward Bound program. Hayden gave stunningly emotional performances in that show, and Lucas obviously thought Hayden could bring those same emotions to Anakin. Hayden Christensen does just that. Anakin has a natural talent for the force, but it serves only to increase his arrogance, rather than cradle his humility. At one point Anakin even dares to insinuate that he is a better swordsman than Yoda himself! Dare to dream. As a result, this Anakin has shades of darkness in him, an all too important ingredient for the future Darth Vader. Fans get to see those fateful first steps that drive Anakin to the dark side, as he completely looses his Jedi calm after rescuing his mother from a tribe of Tuscan Raiders. His mom dies soon thereafter, and Hayden reacts with the cold-hearted vengeance of a Hitler, rather than the collected and compassionate mold of a Jedi. We also see how Anakin ultimately blames his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, played wonderfully by Ewan McGregor, for holding back the development of his powers. (Powers that he could have used to save his mother) The tension between Obi-Wan and the young Anakin adds great depth and drama to the two characters, and will, no doubt, lead to their split in the next "Star Wars" film. While Hayden deserves credit for bringing dimension to Anakin, critics have been less than kind to many of the performances in this film, as well as to those in "The Phantom Menace." For evidence, these critics cite the characters as un-lively cardboard cut-outs and fault Lucas' inability to direct his actors. A certain amount of that criticism is justified. Lucas is at his worst when trying to get good performances from his actors. Of course, he makes up for this by getting tremendous actors that don't need directing, as with Harrison Ford in the first trilogy. However, to some extent the critique demonstrates a lack of understanding of these characters, most of whom are Jedi knights. A Jedi's signifying characteristic is the ability to control his or her emotions. The actors playing Jedi's are stoic, not because they can't act, but because they are supposed to be stoic!! Still the non-Jedi characters are mostly awful. Senator Padmé Amidala, Anakin's love interest played by Natalie Portman, is so wooden you'd think she was a droid. Yet, the droid characters display much more personality than Portman's character. Her character is as dull and flat as in the first film. This trilogy desperately needs another Princess Leila character, and another Han Solo. The actors also fail to create any suspense in this film. This is not necessarily Lucas's fault. Inherent in a prequel trilogy is the knowledge of what ultimately happens. We know these characters won't be harmed, because we've already seen their future. This film takes place before the first trilogy. So when Anakin and Obi- Wan, C3PO and R2D2, Yoda and the future Emperor, face terrifying certain-death type situations that would normally generate high levels of suspense, the scenes fall flat. Even when Anakin jumps from his floater, falling hundreds of feet, I found myself more taken in by the visually stunning details of the city itself, than by the attempted action sequence. We know that none of these characters get killed. Lucas needs to find a way to bring back some of the suspense that was such a fundamental part of the first trilogy. Few fans of the "Star Wars" phenomena, however, go to these movies to see brilliant performances from their favorite actors. Ultimately, they go for the fantasy. And what Lucas lacks in his directing abilities with actors, he more than makes up for in bringing his own stunning vision to life. This film is 100 percent eye-candy!! Lucas pays fastidious attention to details, and this pays off. He delivers highly imaginative and breath-taking landscapes on wildly different planets. For fans of the planet Tatooine, (Yes, "Star Wars" people have their favorite planets) Lucas delivers some absolutely stunning sequences involving Anakin riding a speeder at dusk. The Tatooine desert at nightfall is one of the most breath-taking scenes I've seen in film. We also see an interesting sea planet. (Has anyone else noticed Lucas' fascination with creating planets based on Earth biomes? We have the jungle planet of Degaba, the desert planet of Tatooine, the ice-planet Hoth, and now a sea planet.) Ultimately, "Episode II" is a visual treat with characters we care about, if only because we've come to love and hate their future versions. I can't say I hated "Episode II," as I did "The Phantom Menace." But, I can't say I loved "Episode II" either. In "Star Wars" language that means it'll probably be at least another week before I see it again. Note: Fans of "Attack of the Clones" will want to read Allen Dean Foster's, "Star Wars: The Approaching Storm." This novel, released in time for the movie, immediate precedes the events of Attack of the Clones, and offers some wonderful insights into the mind of Anakin, and the politics of the Republic. The movie refers to some of the events in the book during its first 5 minutes. ========== X-RAMR-ID: 31917 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 316118 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 5624 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:49 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!erinews.ericsson.se!erix.ericsson.se!luth.se!sunqbc.risq.qc.ca!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Christian Pyle Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 18:26:50 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32066 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 728586 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1057 X-RT-RatingText: B+ Summary: r.a.m.r. #32066 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 83 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3880 rec.arts.sf.reviews:291 Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Reviewed by Christian Pyle Directed by George Lucas Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, and Samuel L. Jackson Grade: B+ "Attack of the Clones" takes place ten years after "The Phantom Menace." Between movies, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) has grown into a surly and horny teenager and become the apprentice to Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) is no longer queen of Naboo; she's now a senator. The Republic faces a crisis from a separatist movement led by a former Jedi, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), and there are not enough Jedi to defend the Republic if war erupts. An attempt on Amidala's life brings Anakin and Obi-Wan back to her side. The threat soon leads the two Jedi in different directions: Obi-Wan follows leads to discover an army of clones, and Anakin takes Amidala back to Naboo. Meanwhile, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) pushes the Senate to give him imperial powers, and Jedi leaders Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) fret over the growing threat from the Dark Side of the Force. I had a good feeling about "Episode II" because "The Empire Strikes Back" was the best entry in the original trilogy and I figured that was a good omen. The middle film in a "Star Wars" trilogy doesn't have to worry about exposition or resolution; it can just be non-stop action and plot twists. With several parallel plot lines (something else it shares with "Empire"), "Attack of the Clones" develops at a brisk pace. There were a few things I wanted from "Clones," and I got them: 1. MORE OBI-WAN. I thought that Ewan McGregor's performance was the best thing about "Phantom Menace" and was disappointed that his part in that episode was so small. However, "Clones" gives Obi-Wan his own storyline and several fight scenes. 2. LESS JAR JAR. Nobody besides George Lucas liked the Stepin Fetchit of the 21st Century. Despite rumors that Lucas was sticking with the character, Jar Jar Binks only appears briefly in "Clones." 3. ANSWERS TO NAGGING QUESTIONS. The news flash that Luke and Leia were twins was offered in "Return of the Jedi" with little explanation about how and why they ended up being raised with very different families on very different planets. "Phantom Menace" had no answers and even more questions: if Anakin is an only child, who the heck were Luke's Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru? if Leia's mother is queen of Naboo, how does she end up a princess on Alderaan? I'm happy to report that "Clones" begins to clear up those mysteries, introducing Owen, Beru, and a senator with the same last name as Leia (Jimmy Smits' character, Senator Bail Organa). In addition to those items from my wish list, I got a few more treats from "Clones": 1. YODA KICKS BUTT. Everyone gets to see plenty of action in this one. While Yoda, Mace Windu, and Amidala mostly sat around in "Phantom Menace," they are in the thick of battle in "Clones." The excitement in the theater was palpable as Yoda fired up his light saber to take part in the climactic duel. (In "Clones," Yoda is entirely computer-animated, so he has more moves than he did as a muppet.) 2. EYE CANDY. The special effects are stunning -- better than those in any previous "Star Wars" outing -- and the settings are diverse, taking us from a crowded cityscape to a gladiator arena on a barren world. The weaknesses of "Clones" are shared by every entry in the series: lame dialogue, wooden performances, and campy death scenes. Make one movie with these qualities, and it's a bad movie; make five in a row, and they become trademarks. While Portman and Christensen are performing love scenes without a trace of passion, just keep in mind that they're supposed to be the parents of Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher. That way, it kind of makes sense. © 2002 Christian L. Pyle ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32066 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 728586 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 1057 X-RT-RatingText: B+ From rec.arts.sf.reviews Wed Jun 19 14:24:49 2002 Path: news.island.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news-peer-europe.sprintlink.net!news.stupi.se!news.algonet.se!algonet!news.maxwell.syr.edu!sn-xit-03!sn-post-01!supernews.com!news.supernews.com!not-for-mail From: Ronald O. Christian Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) Approved: ramr@rottentomatoes.com Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.current-films Date: Mon, 17 Jun 2002 18:50:52 -0000 Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com Message-ID: X-RAMR-ID: 32072 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 728597 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 2596 X-RT-RatingText: 3/5 Summary: r.a.m.r. #32072 X-Questions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Submissions-to: ramr@rottentomatoes.com X-Complaints-To: newsabuse@supernews.com Lines: 86 Xref: news.island.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:3890 rec.arts.sf.reviews:293 Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) Three stars of five I have to say that Attack of the Clones was better than I expected. Oh, the dialog was sometimes *worse* than The Scorpion King (the previous winner of Worst Dialog of the Year award) -- Every ten minutes or so I would say "that's got to be the worst line" and then get proven wrong a few minutes later -- But despite a plethora of cringe-worthy moments, I'm forced to say that the film as a whole held together fairly well. That is to say, the concept and framework were interesting, even though the implementation often fell short. It was an interesting test of movie savvy to separate the actors who can't act from the actors who can but probably weren't allowed to. I've seen Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor and Sam Jackson all deliver excellent work, so their generally lackluster and sometimes painful performances in Attack of the Clones must be due to other factors. The script is definitely one, (see dialog, above) and the direction is probably another. We saw a film projection at a theater chain in Roseburg, OR. It was a regular size theater, not one of those giant-tv-multiplexes. The theater was about 2/3 full. The local newspaper had articles about a few fans who had lined up weeks ahead of time for the first midnight showing, and then the showing had not sold out. Apparently none of them have. I guess Roseburg just isn't a Star Wars kinda town. Visually, the film did seem to be washed out, but not consistently. Some parts were sharp and saturated, others were soft and lacking in saturation and contrast. There seemed to be a direct relationship between the quality of the visuals and the number of special effects onscreen. I wonder if this is an artifact of the current digital effect state of the art, as transparency and visible mattes were artifacts of the previous generation of f/x. One thing I *did* notice was that pans didn't smear nearly as badly as I'm used to seeing. I wonder if this is a benefit of digital capture. During the battle scenes the sound would occasionally go POP!! and cut out for a quarter second or so. I guess the transients were too much for the local sound system. Note, I'm not talking about the moment of silence as the bounty hunter's mines detonated, which I understand was intentional. Parenthetically, Derek is absolutely right; they do sound exactly like El Kabong, amplified to ear-splitting volume. I don't agree with complaints that the film dragged in parts. I found the pacing perfectly reasonable, with the quiet parts giving much-needed plot advancement (such as it was) and a breather from the action. Without the quiet parts, there wouldn't have been much difference between watching the film and looking over someone's shoulder while they played a really advanced video game. The problem was not that the romance parts dragged; the problem was that the dialog was so astoundingly bad and the delivery so stilted that it kept drawing you out of the movie. Fortunately, you can always turn your ears off and spend the time just watching Natalie Portman. [1] Natalie has never looked better. I only wish she had been given less off-putting things to say. If you're not ADD or can go two hours without touching a gamepad, you ought to be able to make it through Attack of the Clones without being bored. Troubled, aghast, annoyed, unintentionally amused, but not bored. This has been a jarjar-free article. My current theory is that if I ignore him, he'll go away. [1] But just once this year, I'd really like instead to be able to turn my eyes off and listen to expertly written, well-delivered dialog. Oh well. Ron http://roc85.home.attbi.com "Protesters against the wearing of animal skins by humans unaccountably fail to throw paint over Hell's Angels." -- Terry Pratchett ========== X-RAMR-ID: 32072 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 728597 X-RT-TitleID: 1112314 X-RT-AuthorID: 2596 X-RT-RatingText: 3/5