entertain

George Lucas’ Episode 2: Attack of the Clones was definitely better than Episode 1, but I am firm in the belief that the script should have been taken out back and shot, before being violated with sharp rusty implements. I’m surprised that someone who came up with something as good as the first three do nothing better than the pathetically trite love scenes and other overly emotional areas. Much of the dialogue seemed very badly acted, but I think that was mostly the fault of the script, rather than a lack of acting talent. Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen (Amidala and Anakin) as well as the other actors did the best they could, but with underdeveloped and contradictory characters it’s hard, no matter how good you are at acting.

That said, I thought the plot was a good one, even if it was badly executed. Count Dooku was a cool villain, totally in control, and capable of playing any situation to his, and Palatine’s, advantage. (And he wasn’t too bad with a light saber either.) The battles were fantastic, with cutting edge (or thereabouts) special effects that were very appropriate for a Science Fiction movie such as Episode 2. The gladiator-esque ring was, I thought, a real throwback to the spirit of the originals. High Chancellor Palpatine was evil, but not overtly; Anakin was quick to anger, and quick to exact revenge. And, as we know, anger and hate lead to the dark side. Some of the hints of things to come (like the emperor… ech-hem, senator Palpatine being the lord of the Sith that we all know and love, and Anakin turning into Darth Vader) were rather heavy handed, but that’s really only a minor complaint. Jango Fet and his son (that is Boba Fet, right?) were cool, and I thought the special effects, like the weird gyroscopic battle machines, were really good, and not at all out of place. Sure you can tell it’s CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery, for all you non-techs), but who cares, it’s well designed, and well implemented CGI! The droids were absolutely hilarious, and Yoda’s fight scene was worth sitting through anything. The difference between his Normal, shuffling gait and his very active fighting style (which involves jumping about on the walls) was great. After hearing so much about how Yoda is the great Jedi master it’s nice to finally see him in action.

It may seem like I’m dissing on Episode 2 unfairly. That’s not my intention. I really enjoyed the movie and look forward to getting a boxed set, once all of the movies are out on DVD. I just wish that George Lucas had worked up to the level that he did on the first three films. No matter what anyone says, the new movies will forever be judged by the originals; I just think it’s a shame that they don’t measure up.