Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones film review

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STAR WARS EPISODE 2: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

A generation or two was sorely let down in 1999 when the most eagerly anticipated film in motion picture history turned out to be nothing short of a disappointing mess. The Phantom Menace was a meandering farrago, lacking the charm of its three predecessors and containing plotlines and characters that were often at best naïve. As a result, three years on, the same generations are no longer holding their breath but asking themselves if director George Lucas has lost the plot. Along comes the fifth movie in the series (the second chronologically), Attack of the Clones, with very little hype and much less anticipation. So should we bother even going to see it as it might tarnish collective memories ever further?

The answer is an unequivocal yes. Not only has Lucas got the series back on track, but he has made a film to rival both Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.

All of the things that were so wrong about The Phantom Menace are put right in Attack of the Clones. The plot is gripping and beautifully handled. The action sequences are simply astounding. And the acting and characterization, often the weakest point of the franchise, are better than ever.

Amidst a galaxy thrown into turmoil by threats of secession, Obi-Wan Kenobi (McGregor) and the now nineteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker (Christensen) are assigned to protect Senator Padme (Portman), after assassination attempts are made on her life. When McGregor discovers that the assassin is part of a larger plot to provoke unrest in the galaxy he splits up from his pupil in order to concentrate upon discovering as much as possible about the forthcoming 'clone' warfare that is being planned. Anakin and Padme go underground, and begin to realise that their feelings towards each other are more than that of servant and Queen.

With the Jedi numbers on the wane it is a tough time for members of the elite force. As Obi-Wan battles with bounty hunter Jango Fett, Anakin returns to Tatooine with Padme in order to discover what has happened to his mother. The three are reunited when Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), a renegade Jedi who has become disillusioned with the cause, reemerges after ten years in hiding to threaten the galaxy's stability by leading the Separatist force.