Attack of the Clones is set 10 years after the events in The Phantom Menace and focuses on the growing restlessness in the galaxy between the Galactic Republic and a group of Separatists. It also shows the progressing and forbidden relationship between Jedi Padawan, Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo. The movie was released in 2002 and was the first film in cinematic history to be shot completely on a digital system, it also received better reviews than its predecessor (probably due to the lack of Jar Jar Binks). Although it was a box office success, it still drives a divide between Star Wars fans. Again like I mentioned in my review of Episode I, I enjoyed this movie when it first came out because I was a kid, now I've grown out of it and especially the romantic storyline.
The general idea of the movie isn't so much a bad one, a group of Separatists wanting to leave the Republic and for the majority of the Star Wars saga we see the good guys (rebels) going against a large government. For this feature they flipped that conflict and the Government are the protagonists in the story and the rebels are the villains. The main issue with the Separatists is that they weren't portrayed the best, they are rather one-dimensional. We know they are being manipulated by Darth Sidious however that should only be part of the reason they want to rebel, there should be more motivation from them.
We do clearly see the points of view of each side, from those who strongly support the Republic (such as Anakin) and those who are beginning to see it for what it really is (Obi-Wan and Senator Organa). This also sets up for the downfall of Obi-Wan's and Anakin's relationship, Obi-Wan believes the Separatists represent the ideals of the Old Republic and being a Jedi, he believes he should fight them, and Anakin believes in bringing order and balance to the galaxy through a large, powerful authority.
The main story arc for this part of the saga is Anakins rise and fall and his forbidden relationship with Padme. Don't get me wrong this was essential to the story as we needed a relationship between the two in order for Luke and Leia to even exist, but for me there is zero chemistry between the two. Anakin idolized Padme as a kid and we do get a clear picture of his feelings for her. However when we first see the two after meeting again, she treats him like the kid he was on Tatooine which to me is kinda creepy that she goes for him in the first place. She sees him whining a lot throughout the movie and even tells him that he makes her feel awkward so why does she even feel attracted to him. Not to mention, on Tatooine after he admits to slaughtering an entire camp of Tuskan Raiders, she should have ran for the hills but she seems even more infatuated by him?
The visual effects is where the movie truly lost me. At least in Episode I there was more practical effects, however in this movie where they could have used practical they made it all CGI. Fans feels more connected to battle sequences from the 1980s than to this movie as your mind can tell it's not real, entire sequences were made on the computer and in front of green screens and it really disconnects the audience. To be fair it was 2002 so the CGI hadn't caught up with George Lucas' vision for the film, but they should have reined it in a bit.
I couldn't connect much to the action sequences either, there is far too much going on in each scene to get invested in the battles. The Battle of Geonosis had no heart to it either, no emotional back bone, the production team focused on the fast and flashy instead of making it tense and gripping. Yes we see Anakin lose a frigging arm but when Luke lost his hand we were at least interested in the scene, the fight between Dooku and the two Jedi is not carried out as well as it should have been. When the movie was first released I thought the fact that we got to see Yoda duel with Dooku was awesome. Now though I just think of it like a gimmick, it was clearly thrown in to 'look awesome', it dampens my impression of the character (no not too much he's still Yoda). Yoda was always more of a spiritual leader than a warrior and George Lucas even stated in an interview that Yoda was a teacher, not a Jedi so why even include the entire sequence?
My final opinion on the movie is that, it is just bad, simple as that. There are few redeeming moments, the characters motivations are unclear and declines in quality from Episode I which is saying a lot since that wasn't a great movie either.
Easter Eggs
#1 Pod Racing video game
When Obi-Wan and Anakin are chasing the bounty hunter through Coruscant they head into the Outlander Club, there are many forms of recreation that can be seen but perhaps the most interesting is the screens at the back. One is showing a pod-racing video game, this might not be a big easter egg to some but it is the only reference to pod-racing outside of The Phantom Menace.
#2 The Matrix
During the same bar scene, Obi-Wan swats away a dodgy dealer using mind tricks who was trying to sell him death sticks. The dealer is played by Matt Doran, who was also in The Matrix as Mouse, a crew member on the Nebuchadnezzar who designed programs to test out Neo's abilities. his masterpiece however was The Woman In The Red Dress, a blonde woman designed to show Neo how easily he can be distracted. Just seconds after Obi-Wan shoos him away, the actress who played The Woman In The Red Dress, Fiona Johnson appears briefly giving Anakin a seductive look.
#3 No costumes here
The club scene is filled with little easter eggs and one includes one to the actors. There are two Coruscant security officers who can feel the Jedi's presence. These officers are none other than Ahmed Best, who played Jar-Jar Binks and Anthony Daniels who plays C-3PO.
#4 George Lucas' kids
George Lucas' daughter appears in the same bar scene that Ahmed Best appears in, she is the woman with two tendrils on the back of her head that watches Anakin pass. His son appears in the scene in the Jedi library as the boy that talks to the librarian after she is done helping Obi-Wan.
#5 Dark fore-shadow-ing
Just before Anakin leaves the Lar's home to go look for his mother, he stands next to the entrance of their home. Padme calls after him and as he turns, his shadow on the wall is actually that of Darth vader. Moments later we see his first slip into the dark side as he slaughters the entire tribe of Tusken Raiders.
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