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Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Better than Episode 1, but what movie isn't?
Review: I went into this one with low expectations and came out thinking it was better than Episode 1. However, it wasn't THAT much better. The script and dialog are still awful, and the acting is like something out of a high school play. This is especially true for Christensen and Portman who play their roles as if reading off of cue cards. The CGI is also out of control as it was in Episode 1..... a little CGI can be a good thing, but when your whole movie depends on it, you're in trouble. The actors are all easily distinguished from every fake-looking CGI background and effect.... the movie just feels artificial. The original trilogy had real sets, costumes, explosions, etc.

Here's some of my problems with this movie: (1) In ESB, Yoda told Luke that the dark side was not stronger. Then how come Dooku can overpower every Jedi including Yoda? Yoda was supposed to be the most powerful Jedi. So why does he need to use a light saber at all? (2) Anakin was supposed to be more powerful than Obi-Wan from the get-go. Yet here we see that Anakin is pretty weak and whines over and over that he could be better than Obi-Wan. (3) Since when can R2 fly? (4) If Anakin's mother were missing for that long, isn't it convenient that he shows up right during that critical moment? (5) Amidala hasn't changed in ten years...... literally! (6) Why was Anakin's new arm metal? Luke's was bionic and had fake skin around it making it look real. (7) What is Jimmy Smits in here for? Does this mean we'll see Corbin Bernsen play a young Grand Moff Tarkin in Episode 3? (8) How come one of the Jedi masters falls in the arena to his death.... yet when Anakin jumps out of the car on Coruscant (and falls for almost a minute), he can grab onto a fast moving car and not be hurt in the least? (9) Why are the ships more advanced than the original trilogy if this is supposed to take place so much earlier?

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. I guess we're just supposed to accept Lucas messing up his saga, but it's a real shame. The phrase "they don't make them like they used to" is really what I think of these prequels. Hopefully when Lucas puts all these movies out on DVD (probably in 2007), he will sell each one separately instead of this box set thing he wants to do. There's no way I'm going to buy any of these inferior prequels. As for him shooting extra scenes with Jimmy Smits and Natalie Portman to insert in the original trilogy..... he's defacing his own art! As far as Lucas is concerned, the theatrical cuts of the original trilogy don't even exist anymore. Can someone start a petition for the theatrical cuts to be released on DVD now for those of us that want our classics unaltered (and don't want to wait 5 years)?

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Over-the-top
Review: Is this boy-thing really going to grow up and be Darth Vader? This whimsical, egotistical, vain, prone-to-emotional-outburst, vengeful, and poorly acted Anakin? Where's the subtlety? Would Yoda, Obi-Wan and all of the others really have allowed this child to continue to study the jedi arts, and is it possible for him to have completed 10 years of study and still be such a little menace?

The special effects were undoubtedly great, and the final fight scene with Yoda was brilliant fun, but the characters were one dimensional (if that), and there was no real emotion anywhere in the movie. Anakin's relationship was laughable, and completely bereft of any true quality.

An entertaining movie for 10-year-old boys, but there isn't much to offer anyone else.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: wow!!!
Review: this movie was so cool!! the fight scene with yoda was worth the wait! this movie had a little of everything in it. great visual affects, awesome fight scenes, even a little romance! i think hayden christensen did an excellent job playing anakin. you see a very talented jedi apprentice so out of control. hayden does a wonderful job showing the different sides of anakin. natalie portman plays padme',of course we already know she is a great actress. ewan mcgregor is obi-wan kenobi(he is so cute!!) who has a really great fight scene with jango fett you have to see!!
you have to see this movie and judge for yourself!! even if your not a star wars person still give it a chance!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A HOLLOW SPECTACLE
Review: Coming on the heels of the tremendously engaging (and unfairly maligned) Phantom Menace, this film is a letdown. The movie has fantastic painterly backgrounds, but like most computer-generated animation they look somewhat fake. The special effects are elaborate, but Lucas was determined to cram so much on the screen during the action sequences that it almost gives you a headache. Note to Lucas: sometimes less is more. I was not so much enthralled as just worn down by the barage of digital effects.

The movie does a good job filling in the back-story to the trilogy that began with Star Wars, but the script lacks heart. The romance between Anakin and Amidala is inert, and seems even more implausible in light of the fact that he appears to have aged about 15 years since the Phantom Menace while she looks exactly the same. The scene in which Anakin's mother dies is contrived and melodramatic, and the film's disjointed narrative never fleshes things out well enough to make us care about the characters.

Another problem is that the script often does not make sense. For instance, who would make a massive army of clones under contract and not stay in touch with the people who placed the order for years at a time? What's the deal with Yoda, who usually goes limping breathlessly around with a cane but can spring into action as the greatest fighter of the jedi knights? Where did Senator Amidala's pin come from that enabled her to pick her handcuffs? Why is Senator Amidala, as one of over a thousand senators, so important that the dark forces keep trying to assassinate her? If Jango Fett is such a super-killer that they would want to make an entire army of his clones, then why is he killed so quickly and easily in this movie in the arena scene?

The film too often feels stale. Almost every scene seems to have come from previous sci-fi films (like the taxicab sequence in the Fifth Element) or previous epics (like the arena scenes in Spartacus). The large battle scenes involving strange, computer-generated creatures bear an unfortunate resemblance to the tedious battles in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It even seems as if Lucas is recycling his own ideas. The light-saber fights still have a certain pizzazz, but we first saw those over twenty years ago, and in any case the climactic light-saber fight with Darth Maul in the Phantom Menace was much more suspenseful. The conveyer belt scene in this movie is a rehash of the famous scene in The Temple of Doom which Lucas co-produced.

The dialog is often stilted, making it hard for the actors to breathe life into the characters. Samuel L. Jackson chewed up the scenery in Shaft, but his performance here is lifeless. Hayden Christensen is good as Anakin (although some of his lines were too bad to be effectively delivered), showing the arrogance and rage building in the young jedi knight soon to become Darth Vader, and Christopher Lee has a nice menace as Count Dooku. Natalie Portman is fine but doesn't sparkle as in the Phantom Menace. As for Yoda, he remains the most annoying character in the Star Wars universe -- an ugly little toy with the voice of Marge Simpson spouting banalities wrapped as profundities -- and unfortunately he gets plenty of screen time here.

This is not a bad film. In fact, I'd say that it is about average for a science fiction movie, but it's the worst of the Star Wars series so far. Where's the magic? Where's the thrill? Where's the fun?

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "Pain, suffering, death" Oh come on Yoda it wasn't that bad!
Review: "Star Wars Episode II" Wasn't bad, I really like all the parts with Obi-Wan, but all the "romance" got pretty boring and repetitive. Christensen can't really portray any emotions very well except anger.

Yes the special effects were a-mazing but that doesn't make a movie. The plot wasn't overly spectacular and I think Frank Dicaro described it best as "C-Span with lasers."
I really miss Luke Han and Leia, you know, characters you immediately like, that are intelligent and that you can relate to. There really aren't any characters like this in "Attack of the Clones," except maybe... no, no not him either. Of course then there was the acting, most of it was horrible (except when Anakin gets angry, like I said before Christensen does that pretty well) the only good actors were Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and of course Frank Oz the rest deserve a D+.

Now dispite some of the things I complained about before I will say the movie was pretty entertaining, despite the fact it lacked any kewl dialogue, you know like "Wars not make one great." And the villain wasn't nearly as kewl as Vader, even though it was Christopher Lee. But any way, this one was a lot closer to the original trilogy and had quite a few good scenes, I especially like the chase through Curocant (or however you spell it) even though the city seamed to be a visual copy of "Blade Runner" (which was a very good science fiction movie) The whole thing with Obi-Wan investigating the assassination attempts was pretty cool, I did like that part, as well as the parts with Jango Fett. And of course then there was the climactic battle. "Eat my Force Count Dooku!"

All in all the movie wasn't TOO shabby, it was probably worthy of purchasing once it comes out on DVD, and I have a lot of respect for Mr. Lucas, but I do miss the philosophical aspects of episodes IV-VI.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE CLONE WARS REVEALED
Review: For decades the Clone Wars, first mentioned by Princess Leia in Episode IV, have been a mythical part of the Star Wars saga, integral in some ill-defined way to the story's continuity but shrouded in mystery and rumor. At last, George Lucas has revealed how the Clone Wars began, and how perhaps they sowed the bitter seeds for the Empire itself.

Episode II: Attack of the Clones is near-flawless escapist moviemaking. Perhaps the most breathtaking SFX extravaganza ever (highlights include Obi-Wan's rain-cloaked duel with Jango Fett; the whole Jedi Order hopelessly surrounded and outgunned by a relentless droid army, but fighting on anyway; and a series of brilliant lightsaber duels between Darth Tyrannus, Obi-Wan, Ankakin Skywalker, and Yoda himself), Attack of the Clones is reinforced by capable performances from a solid cast. Hayden Christensen conveys exactly the right touches of conflicting emotions as the confused and frustrated Anakin inching ever more slowly toward the Dark Side, and Natalie Portman handles the role of a sober politician turned inside-out by unexpected love with cool aplomb. The sudden affair the two find themselves drawn into is made believable by the actors' commendable sincerity. But the two stand-out performers are Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and grizzled Christopher Lee as Darth Tyrannus. McGregor clearly has a firm awareness of Alec Guiness's earlier performance and knows how to match it, while Lee's Tyrannus is perhaps the most diabolical Dark Jedi yet. The evil he brought to the climactic lightsaber clash was nearly palpable even through the movie screen.

Long-time Star Wars devotees should have no trouble enjoying this latest entry in the great space opera, while newcomers to the ways of the Force should only find their appetites whetted for more. A non-stop intergalactic joyride of the highest caliber, Attack of the Clones is everything anyone could have asked for...and more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: it's worth it.
Review: This was a good movie. It's that simple. I don't watch a lot of movies, and I am not a Star Wars geek, (or at least, I've never owned a Vader mask) but thanks to my older brother I've been hooked on the good-over-evil-ness and almost spirituality of the Star Wars movies since the first trilogy. Anybody who's not a demanding hard-core fan but appreciates the kind of escape and innocent appeal of the first few movies should see this one. As for its criticisms, the love story to me was satisfying, and honestly was fitting with the fairytale quality of all the Star Wars' movies. The chase scenes were cool, the fight scenes were as good as ever, the scenery badly made me want to be there, and Yoda was freaking awesome. If you don't buy it, at least rent it - believe me it's worth at least five bucks.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ATOTC
Review: Im not a critic like some of these reviews I just know what I like and this movie was great. Although you might have a hard time tring to follow the movie if you dont already have a jist of star wars. Anyway it is really great though it has something in it for everyone mystery, action , love, even a tiny bit of comedy. The actors did an excellent job and George Lucas did a wonderfull job making the worlds that they vist look real.
(And on a more personal note some ... critics say that Obi One has developed a fake british accent in this movie than in episode on well I have to say that he had an accent in eposoide one and he had one in episode four ,five ,and six so they dont know what there talking about)
I recomend this movie to anyone and everyone and in my hummble opinion i think it is the best star wars episode yet.
God Bless

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Anikan is going nuts!!
Review: Great, great movie.(even Yoda) Impressive mind blowing visual effects with a decent story....some of the romantic dialogues
could use a little work, ok make that alot of work.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Attack of the CGI
Review: As a Star Wars fan who saw the original when it first screened in the cinema, I like many others, have always been captivated by the concept of The Force. Lucas' use of mythology and the battle between good and evil, provides a brilliant background for a ripping good yarn.
OK, so what's good about it? The action. I have been waiting to see a serious jedi battle for many years and AOTC delivers, more or less. Personally, if I were making a film with jedi in it, I'd get a good Hong Kong martial arts action director to choreograph the action sequences, but that's just a personal preference.
Seeing Yoda wield a light-sabre is one of those things we've all longed to see. And yet, like the 'miticlorians' in The Phantom Menace, it somehow detracts from his mystique.
Unfortunately, as an adult I am no longer captivated by the poor script and the apparent inability of the Star Wars series to grow and challenge it's adult fans. There are many examples of films that have the ability to appeal to adults and children alike. Attack of the Clones, like The Phantom Menace is not one of those films. And if you can't think of any films that do meet this criterion, then try Shrek.

The dialogue is what let's this film down. But then I guess Lucas is pitching it at kids, so I won't harp on that point. However, Attack of the Clones is a great example of consistency in film-making style. At least now we can see Luke gets his whiney attitude, genetics is a great contributor of personality.

To be fair, I don't think George Lucas is in an easy position. No matter what he does, there are going to be people who don't like what he does with these movies. But what happened to the simple concept of getting a good screenplay? Create a good, simple story, with a good script and good actors and you can work wonders, and the CGI can add just that extra depth and polish.
AOTC is two hours, chock-filled with CGI, with a few real people thrown in with poor lines to join the scenes. Frankly, I'd rather see a couple of good actors sitting, drinking coffee and talking about Bozo, the mad dog down the road. But then, they'd need a good script to work with as well.

On the good side, I'm one of those people who tends to laugh at inappropriate scenes in movies. While watching Attack of the Clones, I felt for the first time, that I was just one of the crowd.

If you're a fan and you're not on a budget, it defintiely worth a look. If you're not, buy lots of popcorn....


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