Rating: 
Summary: This is what I'm talking about...
Review: This is what I meant when I said THE PHANTOM MENACE is just a setup to what will be a great movie. And this is it. ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Here in the second installment to the trilogy, Obi-Wan Kenobi and apprentice Anakin Skywalker, are assigned to protect the former Queen of Naboo, now Senator Amidala from assassination. Soon to discover that a bounty hunter called Jango Fett is behind the attacks, or is he ? Obi-Wan is assigned to track down the villain and Anakin is assigned to protect Padme Amidala from danger. Anakin informs Padme about his feelings toward her and are faced with the barrier that seperates them, their occupations. Which forbids them to fall in love. Meanwhile Obi-Wan Kenobi finds the bounty hunter who is the host of the clone army, Jango Fett, who also has a son called Boba. Obi-Wan also finds out a former Jedi Knight erased confidential files from the Jedi Archives. Later, Anakin finds his mother who dies in front of him and finally see the dark side start to emerge in him. We also see how he lost his right hand, in a light saber fight with Count Dooku. Yoda also picks up a light saber and joins the battle. The spectacular battle of Geonosis is definitely a highlight. ATTACK OF THE CLONES is really an upgrade compared to THE PHANTOM MENACE which was really just a setup for this movie. ATTACK OF THE CLONES leaves us wondering what will happen in Episode III. Obviously for Yoda to be living in a rain forest in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, I predict the first planet that will be destroyed by the Death Star will be Coruscant. Also the birth of Luke and Leia and their seperation. And Anakin turning into the evil Darth Vader. And the corruption of the Republic which will bring down the galaxy. Again, this movie is great. and is a " movie ", not a setup. Though is does setup the conclusion which is Episode III but really is a movie of its own. A Definite must have on DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: What's up with one star????
Review: Why give this movie a bad review? I thought it was the best star wars film to come out yet (well, as good as the original series anyway). I loved the special effects, the big jedi fight, and Yoda fighting? brilliant! Oh, and of course the traditional star wars music. Don't give it a bad review, just because you're not a star wars fan. Keep it to yourself, OK?
Rating: 
Summary: Why did I waste my time with this dreck.
Review: I loved Star Wars through Return of the Jedi, so I couldn't help but see Episode One. After that fiasco, I vowed never to waste my time and money to see another Star Wars film in the theatre. That was painful. So how did I get tricked into seeing Episode Two? I HAVE NO IDEA!1) This film lacked the kind of laid back charm that made the original trilogy so fun. There is no Harrison Ford character (I'm not saying it has to be Ford) to smirk and say things like "who's scruffy looking?" 2) COMPUTER ANIMATION STILL LOOKS LIKE CARTOONS!! When are these people going to figure out that it's not menacing when the bad guy looks like he was drawn with a box of Crayolas. Maybe a couple of years from now that'll get better, but give me a break for now. 3) How did they get all of these great actors to do such terrible work? I've seen all of these people in other films, and most of them are damn good. Ewan McGreggor and Hayden Christiansen are outstanding actors, and Natalie Portman is usually pretty ok, but in this nightmare of a film, it was like watching the Soap Opera Rejects production of King Lear. Christ.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is much better than the horrible episode 1
Review: Put it to you this way, episode 1 put me to sleep in the theaters, I felt the movie was to long with not enough action. Episode II is much better, more action, better characters, Oh yes the mighty Yoda finally kicks but with the light saber. Well I can't wait to see the episode III it should be better than I & II combined but who knows, we shall see.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy addition to the "Star Wars" Saga...
Review: I must confess that I've been greatly amused by many of the posters on this board who hate "Attack of the Clones" and who seem to believe that George Lucas - who, along with Steven Spielberg, created the very idea of the "summer blockbuster" back in the seventies - has somehow lost his touch. I think it's useful to note that in many of these negative, nit-picky reviews the poster sooner or later notes that "When I was a kid and saw Star Wars for the first time...". That one sentence gives away the flaw in their reviews - they're NOT kids anymore, and are thus seeing the "Star Wars" saga as adults, not as awestruck kids or teenagers. I saw the first "Star Wars" film when I was ten, and at the time I didn't care about dialogue or "chemistry", what I cared about were things which kick-started an entire generation's imagination: the eye-popping, never-before-seen special effects, John Williams's superb musical score, and the sheer giddiness of the entire storyline. However, a few years ago I went back to the cinema to see the re-release of "Star Wars" (I have avoided watching the movie on television), and I must confess that as an adult I saw plenty of flaws which as a kid I ignored. To those who argue that "Attack of the Clones" has poor acting, I defy any objective person to view the original film and see anything that's better. If Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher are such great actors, why did they virtually disappear after the original trilogy was finished? How about the fact that Luke Skywalker - who had spent his entire life living with his aunt and uncle - finds them dead, victims of Imperial troops, and then forgets about them as if they had never existed and happily troops off to save the Galaxy with old Obi-Wan? Don't get me wrong - I still love the original films, but I do want to point out that much of the criticism Lucas has received has come from people who loved the original film as kids - and have thus ignored those film's weaknesses - but have freely turned an adult's critical eye on the new trilogy. I felt that the "Phantom Menace" was weak, but that "Attack of the Clones" was far superior - especially the action sequences. The pod chase, the duel between Jango Fett and Obi-Wan, and the final battle are as good as anything that's been done in any of the Star Wars films. The acting, while hardly overwhelming, is still competent - the actors portraying the Chancellor, Jango Fett, and Obi-Wan are especially good; and the marvelous Christopher Lee (who's as menacing as ever) provides a much-needed villainous presence that "Phantom Menace" lacked (Darth Maul was a great fighter, but not much in the social skills department). I also disagree with those who have argued that it's impossible to see a whiny, spoiled brat such as Anakin turning into Darth Vader. The truth is that great evil often develops from such petty flaws - Adolf Hitler was a homeless bum for much of his youth, and he wasted his meager earnings by arguing politics and racism with customers in Vienna cafes while eating cream cakes. Given Anakin's hot temper, lack of self-discipline, and his "spoiled, whiny" behavior, it's not too difficult to see such traits being twisted by the Emperor for his own ends. I will agree, though, that the love story in this film was awful - Hayden Christiensen and Natalie Portman do lack chemistry, and George Lucas (who must have been a dateless nerd in high school, as his utter lack of romantic writing skills indicates) only makes things worse by giving the young lovers horrible dialogue which caused open laughter in the cinema I was in. However, the audience also cheered when Yoda had his lightsaber duel with Count Dooku, and overall I felt that this version of the "Star Wars" saga was worthy of the title. Bottom line - if you see this movie as an adult who remembers the original films as being perfect in almost every respect, then you'll have such an unrealistic expectation of "Attack of the Clones" that you'll tear it apart. But if you view "Attack of the Clones" as you did when you saw the first "Star Wars" film as a kid - and simply enjoy this movie on its' own merits - then you'll find "Attack" to be a well-spent couple of hours. Recommended!
Rating:
Summary: It's good
Review: I really like this dvd as well as the movie as it is definitely better than the first one. Their are many special features relating to animatics, 3d modeling and compositing which is really good at least for me because I like that kind of stuff. But it also has some stuff on the previsualization and other things. I especially like the ILM short with all the different phases of special effects...
Rating:
Summary: HERE WE GO
Review: Now the debunkers are trying to make people not see this movie. Don't listen to them, they want you to be Lord of the Rings fans. This movie is very good, and there is character dept to these characters, if these debunkers didn't have to be spoon fed everything, they would have relized that! This is a heck of a lot better than Episode 1. My ratings for the Star Wars movies go like this.
Star Wars Episode I: 3 STARS
Star Wars Episode II: 4 STARS
Star Wars Episode III: (DON'T KNOW)
Star Wars Episode IV: 5 STARS (Of Coarse)
Star Wars Episode V: 5 STARS (Likewise)
Star Wars Episode VI: 4.5 STARS
Then they will try to poke at the love story. Yes it's clumsy but what can you expect, Anakin has been with Obi-Wan for ten years, ofcoarse his social skills suck! Stop watching these movies and try to pick out every flaw in a movie, because in reality, you can do that to every movie and not just this one. This is a great movie, so people listen only to the 4 and 5 star reviewers, because they know what they are talking about and actually wanted to enjoy the movie. Remember people this is one movie divided up into six parts. I don't expect these prequels to ever live up to the original trilogy, but then again what movie can. Buy this, and don't listen to the debunkers.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars is back...
Review: I enjoyed this movie alot more than the Phantom Menace. Even the much maligned love scenes were decent. This movie had the feel of the original Star Wars movies. Especially the battles between Obiwan and Jango Fett. After watching this one, I can't wait for Episode III.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely good, but .........
Review: I have to admit; when this came out in the theater I was simply blown away, yet when I bought it on DVD last week and watched it again, I just didn't enjoy it as much. All the things I loved about this movie were still there, but something was missing all the same. To be fair, we really won't be able to pass full judgment on this movie until Episode III comes out in 2005 because only then will the double trilogy be complete, with all the loose ends tied up. OK, what did I like about Episode II? Well, the action scenes and the visuals were simply stunning, and the acting was, overall, quite good. The story's not bad, what we have here is Anakin Skywalker in a transition phase, going from the likeable, innocent tyke of Episode I to a troubled teenage Jedi prodigy in this film who eventually becomes a monster by the start of Episode 4. George Lucas did not exactly take on an enviable task in creating a central character that his audience will grow to increasingly dislike, in fact, I heard him quoted as stating that Episode III will be so dark that even diehard fans will be shocked. At any rate, I thought Hayden Christensen did a fine job in this complex role; he is quite believable as a young Jedi fully aware of both his unique skills and his lack of maturity and wisdom. Of course, what makes him vulnerable to the Dark Side are exactly these qualities along with an excess of psychological baggage from a childhood spent with his mother in slavery. Her fate, and his reaction to it, make for the most powerful scenes in this film. Also, Ewan McGregor is solid as mentor Obi Wan Kenobi, and the two have great screen chemistry. Anakin both respects and resents Obi Wan who can be by turns helpful and proud yet also domineering and overcritical. And the supporting characters are good as well, especially those played by Christopher Lee and Samuel L Jackson. What else works? Well, it certainly is thrilling. I bet Lucas got a lot of complaints about the slow pace of The Phantom Menace, so he made sure this film was much more energized. In addition to the climactic final battle scene that runs for a full half hour, there's a extended chase at the beginning on the galactic capital planet through a metropolis so vast it makes Manhattan look like a one horse cow town, a visit to a mysterious waterworld whose even more mysterious inhabitants are breeding a secret clone army, another visit to a desert planet inhabited by strange insect people who also are building an army, only of droids, and Obi Wan meets Jango Fett and his young son, Boba. In due time, Jango gets in not one, not two, but three separate fights with the Jedi, including a spectacular dogfight set in an asteroid belt. For the first time we get to see Jedi knights fighting in force instead of just single combat, in fact, by the end even Yoda gets to strut his stuff with a light saber. All this sounds like a recipe for great entertainment and, for the most part it is. So, why did I find myself not quite as impressed as I did at first? Well, for starters, there's a few irritating details. Jar Jar is back, and as dumb and annoying as ever. Lucas did have the good sense to give him a much smaller role, but personally I think he missed a golden opportunity to win the gratitude of Star Wars fans everywhere by not simply including Jar Jar in the group of people killed in that opening blast. Just imagine the waves of cheering and applause that would have generated in theaters around the world! That aside, there's also the matter of the star-crossed lovers, Anakin and Padme. I'm probably in the minority on this, but I actually liked Christensen's performance. He really did act like a "real" teenager in love, which is to say, exactly like most of us were at that age, awkward and hopelessly tongue-tied. But Natalie Portman (whose performance I loved in Episode I) just seemed flat, like she was just reading from the script and not emotionally involved in the story. Finally, there's the musical score. For whatever reason, I just didn't like it nearly as much as in other Star Wars movies. But those are nitpicks, my real problem is, to mangle an old metaphor; this film is a case of the parts being greater than their sum. Each of the scenes, planets, battles, etc., are individually great, but added together, does it make for a great film? I'm just not sure. One problem is that, with all the fast paced action scenes hogging the screen there's just not enough room for telling the story itself. Too many issues are glossed over, crucial questions such as why are so many planets wanting to secede from the Republic or where did the powerful Count Dooku come from and what motivates him. I wanted to learn more about the Sith and their vendetta against the Jedi, and, while it was nice to see Boba Fett's origins, I would have much preferred to have seen Han Solo's and Chewbacca's instead. And, finally, this film lacks the "epic" quality of the others, I think Lucas overcompensated by making it too fast paced, so that, instead of feeling like a true "Star Wars' movie it comes off more as a good action thriller like, say, "The Rock" or "Independence Day". At least, that's how it seems to me now, like I said earlier, we'll have to wait until the series is complete to pass final judgment.
Rating:
Summary: Special Effects Wizardry Or Has Star Wars Been Dumbed Down?
Review: After seeing Episode 2 in the theater, I thought to my self this movie is the best. The reason that I thought that is because all of the Special Effects wizardry. After getting the DVD I took a closer look at the dialogue and the plot. It seems to be a little shallow. Did Lucas say "forget plot, lets just focus on special effects," or did he dumb it down because he thought nobody would understand. You decide.
|
