To start off with Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is an insaney long title for a movie, particularly if you have to refer back to it, hence it will be referred to as Episode II.
Secondly I will try to avoid any spoilers, but sometimes that is impossible, so read with care if you have not seen this movie.
Episode II is the Star Wars movie I have been waiting for, it is that simple. Episode I was a decent enough movie providing you took out every scene in which Jar Jar or the young Anakin had a speaking part. But Episode II delivers the goods, but there are a couple of obvious flaws.
George Lucas is a phenomenal technical director, his embracing of technology has change the film industry and put him at the forefront with ILM and Skywalker Sound. But George Lucan is not an actor’s director and like Episode I, Episode II has some obvious dialogue and acting issues. The dialogue between Anakin and Amidala transcends young romantic angst and goes straight into something on a two bit soap opera. The script could have been much tighter in this regard.
One thing that surprised me in Episode II what a lack luster performance Natalie Portman gave. Clearly she did not have great dialogue to work off of, but her acting itself seemed a little off kilter. She was one of the better actors in Episode I, so who can say if it was her dialogue, the direction or she just phoned in the part.
So you think I really did not like Episode II. You are wrong, it is one of the strongest Star Wars movies to date. There is so much that I liked, that I should not say because it may spoil your viewing.
From a technical stance Episode II is a fabulous movie. The effects are very well meshed in with the live action bits. I would say they were better than realistic, because the effects completely immersed the viewer in the setting. The last half hour of Episode II is a colossal achievement in computer animation.
From a plotting perspective Episode II was just fabulous. The plotting around the Jedi Knights is really intriguing and the machinations of the Sith are equally… Then there is the relationships between Jedi Knights and fallen Jedi Knights that really answer a great many questions (as well as put forth some new ones…).
Easily the best actor in the movie is Ewan McGreggor, it is as if he channeled the spirit of Sir Alec Guinness yet makes Obi Wan Kenobi all his own. McGreggor also has a lion’s share of the best lines and does very well with the physical part of the role. The other acting, aside from Natalie Portman, was no worse than acceptable and very surprising in some cases. Two examples that I will not detail are Yoda and Jar Jar Binks. One I will slightly detail is Anthony Daniels as C3PO. He delivers some stunningly bad, yet timely, puns to lighten the mood rather than be an irritant to the other characters as in previous movies.
Did Episode II eclipse Episode I, yes. But Episode I is a very important movie in that it sets up most of the major themes that are continued in Episode II: the machinations of the Sith, the Jedi Knights’ problems, Anakin’s weaknesses, and even romantic beginnings.
Episode II is a harbinger of things to come, it was mostly upbeat with some serious shadows in the background. It is not like we do not know what will happen in Episode III, filling in the blanks accomplishes that. Episode II telegraphs how the far Emperor (Chancellor Palpatine) will drag Anakin and the Republic down…until there is a new hope.
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