Revisitng Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens on December 20. It is meant to be an end to the saga we've known for more than 40 years, and that includes 10 previous movies (eight in series and two stand alone tales in the world). In the run up to that release, I'll be revisiting all 10 of the released Star Wars films and sharing thoughts as we prepare for the final chapter.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Starring: Ewan McGreggor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, and Ian McDiarmid
About: For as much as the prequels failed us, they were the "Star Wars" movies for my generation, the ones that were delivered during our formative years. "A New Hope" was released four years before I was born, "Empire" came out a year prior and "Jedi" came out when I was two years old. It wasn't until the prequels that I was able to experience them for the first time in the theaters. I remember seeing "The Phantom Menace" the summer I graduated from high school. I was in college when "Attack of the Clones" was released. It came during a time when you had to go to the theater to buy tickets, you had to stand in line to get a seat, and having a movie open at midnight on the day of its releases was reserved for only the rare and most exclusive debuts. So it was with "Attack of the Clones." I remember buying tickets more than a month prior and I remember going to standing in line at 2 p.m. for the midnight show. And we were hardly the first in line. It was long waits, but we were sure it would be worth it. How times have changed. I have my "Rise of Skywalker" tickets now, and my seat is reserved, so I can slid in at the last minute and know I'll be where I want to be. While I love the ease of that, there was something special about the experience of being in line and waiting to see "Attack of the Clones." So the experience is probably something I'll always remember. But the movie, well it wasn't that great. Ironically, one of the other things I remember about that experience is that before "Attack of the Clones" was a trailer for the anticipated sequel "Matrix: Re-Loaded." Talk about two anticipated movies that were let downs being tied together forever... Anyway, "The Phantom Menace" has always bourn a lot of criticism, which is understandable. But is it the worst of the "Star Wars" films? It's possible that it's not. If you've listened to Binge Mode: Star Wars, you'd know that those popular hosts think "Attack of the Clones" is the nadir. And it's possible. I'll have my own rankings after each of these individual capsules. But "Attack of the Clones" isn't a good movie. Still, there are a few fun things. I thought the lightsaber battle at the end was interesting, especially the dark lighting when Anakin (Christensen) faces Count Dooku (Lee), and then seeing Yoda fight was pretty awesome. But, yeah, that's about it. I kind of liked the diner/detective noir feel of some of Obi-Wan's (McGreggor) investigation, too. But in terms of great and memorable content, this one's a little light. Well, great content anyway. There are plenty of memorable moments, but not for the right reason. The second chapter in a trilogy is often the best, or one of the best. It's not burdened with introducing the characters and setting up the story, and it's not charged with providing a conclusion. It's about deepening the world and expanding the story. And that is probably the greatest failure of this film. While McGreggor has some nice moments, a bulk of this narrative has to be carried by a love story between Anakin and Padme (Portman). It's essential to the story, and it's a failure here. Portman is a great actress, but this is not a good performance. And I don't know what Christensen was going for (though I will say he's markedly better in Episode III). The dialogue isn't great, the chemistry between them isn't great, and the production and story feels forced. George Lucas is a great and visionary world builder and story-teller. But we've, at times, seen his limitations as a specific writer and director. And that's certainly at play here. There was great potential with this story, but it comes down to execution. The execution here isn't good, and given the potential and its place in the story, that makes it more disappointing.
Rating: PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence.