Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
THE SCOOPDirector: George Lucas
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee
Plot: Ten years later, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé, while Obi-Wan investigates an assassination attempt on the Princess and discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.
Genre: Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi/Romance
Awards: Nom. for 1 Oscar - Best Visual Effects
Runtime: 142min
Rating: PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence.
TRAILER:
OST:
IN RETROSPECT
“Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin. They'll betray you.”
This
film marks the first time we see Master Yoda, that green fur ball thing, in
light-sabre action. He battles Count
Dooku (Christopher Lee) in a short-lived fight sequence in the film’s climax. However, Master Yoda is rendered digitally
here using CG animation, a far cry from the authenticity of modelling and
puppetry work in the ‘Old Trilogy’.
This
brings into focus the CG-laden ‘Prequel Trilogy’ and its questionable ability
to thrill and entertain the older generation of fans. Is it all just style and fancy imagery, devoid
of narrative substance? Or does it contribute
to the totality of George Lucas’ grand vision for the Star Wars universe?
Crucially,
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the
Clones is an improvement over the massive disappointment that was The Phantom Menace (1999). The latter was not exactly the worst
blockbuster ever made, though it continues to be rightly regarded as the lowest
point of the entire franchise.
Attack of the
Clones relegates
the annoying Jar Jar Binks to a few lines, centers on the blossoming romance
between Anakin Skywalker (played by a wooden Hayden Christensen) and Padme
Amidala (Natalie Portman), and sets the stage for ‘convergence’ in the third
film Revenge of the Sith (2005). By ‘convergence’ I refer to the epic
transformation of key characters in the Star Wars mythology, and how their
character arcs coincide with the inevitable trajectory of its narrative.
Attack of the
Clones does
just that, though sometimes it does so too explicitly with no shades of
grey. A scene that illustrates this occurs
about two-thirds into the film, during an interaction between Anakin and Padme
in the aftermath of a massacre when the rather obvious musical motif of Darth
Vader underscores Anakin’s rage.
The
problem I have with Lucas is his condescending treatment of his audience. He fears that our unsophisticated minds might
not be able to catch implicit cues. He
forbids us to make assumptions. This is
most appallingly (and boringly) manifested in a chunk of narrative that sees
the tepid intercutting between two threads: the romance between Anakin and
Padme, and Obi-Wan’s (Ewan McGregor) trip to an obscure planet.
This
goes on for about thirty minutes with no signs of variation and too little plot
advancement. This inert form of storytelling
causes pacing problems which bloat up the running length to almost 2.5
hours.
However,
at least the visual effects and the action sequences are more spectacular and
enjoyable (read: less cartoony) than that of The Phantom Menace, which somehow makes this second installment
more bearable, though it still remains firmly in the shadow of the excellent Revenge of the Sith and the undoubted greatness
of the ‘Old Trilogy’.
Verdict:
An improvement over The Phantom Menace,
but not without its fair share of pacing problems caused by inert storytelling.
GRADE: C+ (6.5/10 or 3 stars)
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