Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones
January 2003 Reviewed by: Anthony Di Marco Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

I’m at a loss. Much as I try to find something positive to say about Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones, I’m reminded of how little I cared about the film’s story and characters. It has more action than Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace, but falls prey to bad acting and a lifeless script.

Attack of the Clones takes place 10 years after Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi discover the Force in a young boy named Anakin Skywalker. Over those years, Anakin has grown into a gifted but self-absorbed Jedi under the tutelage of Obi-Wan. When an attempt is made on Princess Padmé Amidala’s life, the love-struck Anakin is conveniently asked to protect her, while Obi-Wan investigates the assemblage of a clone army and corruption within the Jedi ranks.

Like all Star Wars films, this one starts with a bang, but then quickly loses momentum. It is apparent early on that Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker and Natalie Portman’s Princess Padmé Amidala have no chemistry. In my opinion the romance that eventually gives birth to Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia feels forced and devoid of any genuine love. The script only compounds the embarrassment by offering cliché, soap opera sentimentality.

Like the impassive Jake Lloyd, who played the younger Anakin in The Phantom Menace, Christensen walks through his scenes with a perpetual scowl that seems to be caused by a stomach ailment rather than an internal struggle with demons. Sadly, there is no sign of the strong but tragic soul that will ultimately don the voice of James Earl Jones. Even when Anakin takes revenge on those who kidnap his mother, we are given a character whose grief lacks convincing weight or impact. Like Keanu Reeves’ Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin does not have the charisma or conviction to make his character effective.

Originally shot on high-definition video, the DVD image of Attack of the Clones is very good, but not up to the standards of a vivid and rich filmed image. Compared to reference films like The X-Files: Fight the Future and From Hell, the shadows in Attack of the Clones appear muddy, while images look periodically flat, lacking snap in colors. The seamless integration of digital effects is impressive, however -- especially Yoda’s transformation from Muppet to digital entity. The CGI Yoda not only looks real but also moves with grace. I was so impressed by the green-skinned Jedi Master that I watched his climactic light saber battle several times over.

As one should expect from Lucas, the father of THX, the soundtrack is well produced. The Dolby Digital mix is dynamic and enveloping. John Williams’ score not only incorporates the familiar Star Wars theme, but also includes some new, original themes that are arguably too good for the mediocre story. Williams also uses elements of Episode I’s "Duel of the Fates" in the mix, as well as his memorable theme from The Empire Strikes Back.

"From Puppets to Pixels: Digital Characters in Episode II" and "State of the Art: The Previsualization of Episode II" are the most impressive extra features on this two-disc set. The attention to detail that Lucas and his animators paid to the CGI characters was remarkable, but it made me even more disappointed in the finished product. Was it possible that so much time and energy was spent on digital creatures that the film’s human performers were neglected? If so, all those rumors about Lucas striving to make movies with only digitally fabricated characters may be more fact than fiction.

Some deleted scenes did offer some additional insights into Anakin and Padmé’s romance and for a moment I thought that including them might have improved the story. Unfortunately these scenes only confirmed the duo’s lack of chemistry.

I’ve always considered the Star Wars films mediocre stories at best. But I do believe the earlier films succeeded through the fine performances and charisma of their leads. Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and James Earl Jones took average material and elevated it to a level of compelling, classic cinema. I will never forget the concluding scene in The Empire Strikes Back, when Luke loses his hand and finds out the truth about Darth Vader. Hamill trod the line between melodrama and assured acting in a way that gave me chills and allowed me to sympathize with Luke Skywalker’s plight.

By comparison, I felt nothing for Anakin Skywalker’s fate at the end of Attack of the Clones. Did you?

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