Home :: DVD :: Science Fiction & Fantasy :: Cult Classics  

Alien Invasion
Aliens
Animation
Classic Sci-Fi
Comedy
Cult Classics

Fantasy
Futuristic
General
Kids & Family
Monsters & Mutants
Robots & Androids
Sci-Fi Action
Series & Sequels
Space Adventure
Star Trek
Television
Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Full Screen Edition)

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

List Price: $19.98
Your Price: $13.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 .. 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 .. 190 >>

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: McGregor shines alone among these "Stars"
Review: Episode II has already been hailed as a technological marvel, and series buffs will no doubt enjoy character-setting appearances by R2D2, C3PO and Yoda. FAns of human acting will leave disappointed, though. Annakin and the Senator/Queen are by turns wooden or whiney. Viewers who have seen the provocative "Changing Lanes" will wonder if this is the same Samuel L Jackson. But McGregor redeems himself from his sappy "Moulin Rouge" performance in this film. He plays the exasperated father figure to Annakin with just the right amount of sarcasm tinged with genuine concern. Besides Yoda, his is the most sympathetic character in the film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: He proved he CAN do it!
Review: After the extreme disappointment of the Phantom Menace, George Lucas prove's he can still make damn good movies. Sure, this one still has some poorly-written dialogue, and some cheesy scenes. But, it makes up for it with the MOST FUN ending sequence I've ever seen in a movie. I've never had more fun in a movie than in this one. Don't pay any attention to the critics that don't like it - they never liked the first 3 anyway. This is 10x better than Spiderman, and will surely stand well against the original trilogy throughout the test of time.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Better than Phantom Menace...whatever that means
Review: I just had the pleasure of seeing this movie, and while it is not as good as the original trilogy (or at least not as good as A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back) it is a far superior movie to Phantom Menace. In Attack of the Clones there are no parts where I think to myself, "That scene was just STUPID!" for two reasons: Jar Jar's character is minimal, and a decent actor has finally taken the role of Anakin.

The action sequences, also, are very well done. Yoda's fight scene could either have been really laughable or really cool, and it is luckily the latter--he is simply amazing with the lightsaber. The other action sequences are also well-done, though the action scene on Coruscant took a little longer than was probably necessary, and the scene on the Kamino landing platform didn't feel long enough. There are also a lot of nice parallels to Empire Strikes Back.

However, the reason this movie doesn't compare very well to Empire Strikes Back or A New Hope is a result of two things: lack of plot flow, and poor dialogue. When watching this movie, as in Phantom Menace, I felt that George Lucas in his mind wanted certain things to happen but wasn't sure how to have them happen. The result, unfortunately, is a movie that is somewhat difficult to get in the mood of. The same goes for the dialogue, especially most of Anakin's lines and the love scenes between Anakin and Padme. Christensen and Portman don't have a whole lot of chemistry (certainly not the chemistry of Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher), but this is probably partly a result of the poor dialogue.

Overall, like Phantom Menace, I felt there were a lot of good ideas in this movie, but that they weren't executed to their full potential. Attack of the Clones could have been fantastic, but in the end it was the essence of mediocre. I left feeling like I could have written a better movie. It's worth a watch, but don't feel like you have to rush to see it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: To put it simply, the movie surpassed all my expectations!
Review: Last night, after waiting 7 hours in line to get the primo spot in the theater (I was on the news too), I watched the film I had been waiting for ever since Episode I, three years ago. I set my expectations at a reasonable level, and I expected to be pleased with the movie.

Was I pleased? No: I WAS BLOWN AWAY

I can honestly say that AOTC has managed to surpass all the other movies I have seen in my life to provide the best film experience I've ever had.

Believe me, my expectations were starting to be lowered after reading all the bad reviews. But after seeing the movie, I can't even understand one damn complaint from the critics in those reviews!

Now I'm going to adress each aspect of the film and my opinion on it:

PLOT: One big complaint amoung the critics was that the movie was very slow in the beginning. I totally disagree. The beginning is wonderfully interesting and was done very well. George really knows how to pace his movies. He managed to fit plenty of character development in with different action sequences. The movie becomes extremely haunting once you get to Tatooine (more about the Tusken scene later) and Geonosis, very creepy environments. Of course, it leads to the huge, full blown Clone War, which basically blows every other film climax away. There is nothing I would have changed at all in the plot and pacing department.

ROMANCE: I didn't expect much from George in this department (I thought it would be massively cheesily delivered), but I tell you, in certain scenes I felt that the love dialogue reminded me of Shakespear's Romeo and Juliet - it is that good! There was not one line of cheesy romance dialogue in that movie, it was all very poetic and you felt that the characters are really pouring their hearts out to each other. It was great!

ACTING: I can't believe that people said Hayden and Natalie's acting was bad. THEY WERE FANTASTIC! Their acting was superb through the entire movie and completely believable. Ewan McGregor is so remenicent of Alec Guiness but manages to show us a new side of Obi-Wan, this guy is such a great actor! I thought Chris Lee played Dooku well (he's very creepy) and Sam Jackson was great as well. I thought Daniel Logan (who plays Boba Fett) would be like Jake Lloyd, but surprisingly he was very good at it, and so was Temuara Morrison as Jango Fett.

DIOLOGUE: As I've said, the romance diologue was great, but so was alot of others. In particular, the words exchanged between Anakin and Obi-Wan are so expertly done, showing that they have a friendship, but they still conflict often with each other in a very strong manner. Also, the audenince cheered loudly in several places when either Dooku, Mace Windu, Yoda, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme said some great lines in the end battle.

SPECIAL EFFECTS: So many times throughout the movie I thought I was looking at something that was real instead of just CGI creation. The technology has become fantastic! The FX are the best in any movie and looked great in nearly all the scenes. The ONLY shot I'd complain about it a single shot of battle droids on a conveyor belt being moved backwards jerkily, and them a claw whipping forward and putting a head on each. For some reason, I thought that one shot looked like something out of Toy Story. But I assure you, that is the only shot that looked fake. The FX are excellent.

FAVORITE SCENES: I'd have to say that I'd like the scene of Anakin an Padme's first kiss. It was done very well because the love theme builds up and up as Anakin moves in for the kiss, staring into Padme's eyes and then the lovetheme goes full blown when he give her smooched on the lips. But then Padme pulls away and goes, "No!" and the music stops very quick and Anakin is all taken aback. Everyone in the theater thought it was great.

Another of my favorite scenes was the part where Anakin goes to find his mother. I don't want to spoil the scene for you, but I almost cried during it. It was heart-wrenching to see the entire thing. And then Hayden gives these fantastic looks of pure rage and hatred. The scene is extremely powerful and dark and was done perfectly. You can totally see the formation of Darth Vader taking place.

And then pretty much the entire end battle was great. Yoda's fight was SOOO cool! Everyone was completely insane with cheers when you see him beginning to come up behind Dooku from the hallway, they all knew what was coming. :D And the Anakin/Obi/Dooku fight was great. The lighting was very dark during their battle, making it very haunting and forboding.

FINAL WORD: This is the first movie I have ever seen that I don't have one complaint about. The movie was completely fulfilling, has fantastic character development and relationships, the acting was some of the best I've seen, the scenes were very powerful. I can't praise Lucas enough for this masterpiece. It has truely become my favorite movie I've ever scene and has risen aboove The Empire Strikes Back in my book.

Rating: *****/*****

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Review by someone who has ACTUALLY SEEN THE MOVIE!
Review: I recall that prior to Episode I, Lucasfilm released a brief teaser sheet-- mocking the over-hyped, and then much-talked about GODZILLA-- that read "Plot Does Matter".

Somewhere along the line, George Lucas has forgotten this.

Of course, anyone with any objective view of the original trilogy will see that those films didn't always have a glorious, or even above average plot. However, the stories were kept quite simple, straight-forward-- without playing down to the audience.

Episode Two, however, does.

All in all, this movie was one big foreshadowing of things we already know.

But it had, and possibly HAS the potential to be a spectacular film (we'll wait to see what deleted scenes may add to the story on the DVD). The first half certainly could have been a thrilling political drama-- but instead, we are treated to boring, often senses-tiring sequences that serve little to no purpose, and are included only to simulate the political thriller feel.

To me it seems that EPISODE II suffers from the same flaws that plagued FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (although it appears I am the only person alive to have noticed ANYTHING wrong with THAT film!); if anything, this incredibly long and drawn out story would have been better served if it were even longer.

There are portions of the movie that would have almost certainly enhanced the movie had they been explored further. The scene in the Jedi archives comes to mind:

According to the EPISODE II GUIDE, there have only been 20 Jedi to ever leave the Order. Dooku is the most recent. The jedi keep statues of "The Lost 20" in the Archive chambers to remind themselves of these fallen jedi (how biblical!). In fact, when the librarian first meets Obi-Wan, a bronze bust of Count Dooku himself can be seen directly behind her!

Other parts of the film are simply unnecessary, like the chase through the Droid Factory, or even the albeit exciting chase through Coruscant.

And what could have, SHOULD have been a very important, monumental turning point in the story--the rescue of Shmi Skywalker-- is turned into an anti-climactic footnote. Again, it seems that much like LOTR, George Lucas is trying to cram far too much into one single story. Of course no one complains about LOTR because it is adapted from a book...

The inclusion of the Death Star, Uncle Owen, the Tusken Raiders, heck, even Boba Fett, are included for the sole purpose of connecting this movie to the original three. I've heard numerous reviews that applaud Boba's scenes, but I have to admit they did nothing for me. So what if he becomes the bounty hunter we all know and love? Ooooh, the origin of Boba Fett-- how banal it actually was.

Don't get me wrong, the movie is exciting, thrilling and sometimes, SOMETIMES very enjoyable. But at times, only on a "coolness" level. The last half or so was plenty entertaining, as were intermitant parts of the first. The scenes on Kamino were especially enjoyable. Not because of the clones, but because of Obi Wan and the Kaminoans. Again, like LOTR, the first and second halves of the film could have been two separate movies, and perhaps would have been better off if they were.

And the performances? The highlights are Ewan MacGregor and Chris Lee. Unfortunately, the usually great Sam Jackson is only good when NOT acting (ie: fighting).

Hayden Christensen is only slightly better than Jake Lloyd. Nothing against either of them-- certainly Lloyd is just a kid, and kid actors ALWAYS [stink] (I don't care what u say about Sixth Sense). But Christiansen is simply unorganized and unable to portray such a complex character. His performance made me wonder how this Amidala character could ever be attracted to him (or at least his personality-- but is Luke's mother that shallow?). His tantrums, which should have been very disturbing and emotionally draining, made me laugh out loud. They seemed to come COMPLETELY out of left field, with almost no explanation or motivation. I was under the impression that Vader/Anakin was a tormented soul, halfway between dark and light. Only a little of that came through. And when it did, it was not all that interested. A good drama should make the viewer care; Yes, even if we know that he becomes Vader. After all, everyone knew how Apollo 13 would end, yet it still kept you on the edge of your seat. If they had tried doing anything even remotely similar, the viewer would have, SHOULD HAVE thought "no anakin! Don't give in to hate!" even though you KNOW he eventually does. So many "would have/should have's".

And Natalie Portman, a fine, possibly over-qualified actress has very little to do here. She is convincing as the love interest, but not at all as the military leader/diplomat. And she is FAR too pretty for this role.

One could argue that EPISODE III just HAS to be good, because now all the little stuff is out of the way, and they can focus on Anakin's turn to the dark side. But there is still a lot to cover in addition to the debut of the universe's baddest baddy: the decay of the Republic/Rise of the Empire, which surprisingly was only partially touched on here, the emergence of the Rebel Alliance (the only reason for including Jimmy Smits was as a foreshadowing), the birth & hiding of the twins, the slaughter of the Jedi, the Clone Wars (Yoda mentions that this is just the beginning)-- not all of the aforementioned can be covered in the opening scroll of part III!

I sincerely hope that George Lucas actually READS the negative reviews, so he can work harder on the next one. But I consider my hopes dashed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Get Ready To See Yoda Kick Some....!!!
Review: Attack of the Clones in my opinion is the best of all four movies in the Star Wars saga.

Many questions are answered that we all had from seeing episode IV, V, and VI. Attack of the Clones, unlike Phantom Menace, is not bright and cheerful, but a great preview of the dark side and what is to come in Episode III. Episode II is also more adult oriented unlike Phantom Menace was. You see Anakin grow ALOT during this one movie and understand what makes him go to the dark side.

The acting is superb, there is great chemistry between Amadala and Anakin which makes the movie more believable, although the love story between them does not interfere with the main idea of the movie. You have to remember that if there was no love story, there would be no A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, or Return Of The Jedi. The best part of the whole movie is seeing the great warrior Yoda finally kick some tail and show off his supreme jedi skills in an out-and-out battle with one of the main "dark-side" characters.

Contrary to the many negative reviews out that have been given about Attack of the Clones, I saw no proof of anything they brought against the movie as being true. There was good acting, memorable quotes, and the computer graphics were necessary to make the story seem real. Many scenes did not look CG'd when they were because of George's access to great software. It seems to me that so many critics automatically have a grudge against Star Wars simply because they are made by George Lucas, who doesn't care what the media thinks. He doesn't take many suggestions because these are his stories that he's bringing to life for us. In my opinion that makes his movies better! If you remember, there have never been raving reviews for any of the Star Wars movies, and that didn't stop them from making history. DO NOT let the negative reviews keep you from seeing Attack of the Clones, if you do, you will be missing out on the best movie of the year 2002.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Extremely Awesome!
Review: I'll have to admit that after seeing Episode I, I didn't expect that much from this addition - what a surprise I was in for! This is a totally awesome, very artistically-made episode for the Star Wars saga.

I won't go on about how much better it is than Episode I, but there is more drama, more action, and a great love story. Hayden Christensen is a GREAT actor. He amazed me, as did Natalie Portman (but I already expected a stellar performance from her).

George Lucas has once again outdone himself on the greatest series of all time. I feel that this is the greatest music that John Williams has ever composed. The special effects actually seem real this time, and is not overdone as it is in Episode I.

Take my words for it folks - do not miss a single minute of Episode II, and you will be anxiously awaiting Episode III. Thanks, George!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The wait is over!!!
Review: I would just like to say that i have never been what you could call a rabid star wars fan.
I have just seen attack of the clones and what can i say, after the very good but ultimately flawed part one Lucas has returned big time.
Gone are the childish elements to be replaced with a rapidly darkening plot and a welcome return to the epic scale of previous outings.
Im not going to spoil the plot but the last half hour of the film is simply awesome,and you will never see Yoda in the same light again.
Thankfully the two droids we all know and love take over from jar jar bink as the comical focus,much i`m sure to most peoples relief.
Many people bamoaned the gaping holes in the plot of PM but im glad to report that many holes are well and truelly filled by the end of part 2.
I have just read that Lucas plans to make the third part for the fans and all commercialism will go out the window-I cant wait.
To sum up a truely epic series of films just got better.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Yoda is the man!
Review: I was lucky to see this movie Wednesday midnight. I thought this movie was excellent. This one is up there with being the best star wars movie yet. Some critics didnt give it the best reviews, but if they had been at the same theatre i was in they would have definately rated it differently. The crowd was cheering and going crazy at some parts of the movie. Not to give too much away, but Anakin going crazy after his mother's death showing the dark-side within, and Yoda's opening up a whole barrel of whoop-... on Count Dooku, completely made everyone in the theatre go insane. The last hour of this movie is just too intense, with a "Gladiator" type fighting scene, then an all out war with the Jedi, droids, and an army of clone soldiers, and then followed by Yoda showing why he is the head Jedi. This movie just has everything, you gotta go out and see this movie, it's just incredible, oh yeah they also kept Jar Jar out of almost all the scenes, who could ask for anything more.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great addition to the Star Wars Saga!
Review: Attack Of The Clones(my rating-8/10 stars)is loads of fun to watch.After one viewing(and I promise there'll be more!)it has jumped into third place on my list behind "Empire"(10/10) and "A New Hope"(9.5/10),and before "Jedi"(7.5/10) and "Phantom Menace"(6/10).
I won't give any major plot details away,but the movie hooked me from the very beginning.There's loads of action,and a lot of fun new characters.The story is very interesting,and leaves one excited for Episode III.No,the cast won't win any oscars,but who cares,I thought they were just fine.Some may disagree,but I thought the chemistry between Natalie Portman(She is incredibly beautiful!),and Hayden Christensen(the chicks ought to dig him)was great.
Of course the special effects are amazing(what do you expect from ILM!),and the John Williams musical score is fantastic,his best in years in my opinion.
Overall,if you're a Star Wars fan or just enjoy an old fashioned good time at the movies,"Attack Of The Clones" is great!


<< 1 .. 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 .. 190 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates