Movie review by Mike Clark, USA Today, May 15, 2002
Even before its pressure-backed finale of clone-factory mayhem, pug-ugly monsters and (surprise) crossed light sabers,
George Lucas’ already debated Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones manages to outduel its leaden romantic angle.
There’s an intriguing galactic yarn, hot rod (or hot pod) chases around skyscrapers and asteroids, plus some of the
thematic heft and grandeur associated with the saga’s best entries: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.
Occupying a firm middle ground in the series, the fifth outing rates ***1/2 (out of four). This splits the difference
between a 4-star rating for hard-core fans and a shaky 3 for the backlash-prone.
Lucas is bold enough to bring Jar Jar Binks back from Episode I and smart enough to minimize his role. But he can’t
enliven tentative love scenes (more “puppy” than forbidden) between Natalie Portman’s now-Senator Padme Amidala and Hayden
Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker. Both speak in monotone for doubly deadly effect, though when not burdened by his co-star,
Christensen often finds the emotion in his limited intonations the way, say, a Matt Dillon does.
The rest is much more confident, starting with a premise about a separatist political movement that leads to the
creation of a threatening clone army. There are also “a-ha!” hints of Anakin’s dark side. Even before Padme notes his
dictatorial tendencies, we see his petulantly rebellious against, but also fearfull of, his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi
(Ewan McGregor). The movie’s high point is Yoda’s transformation into an action hero, though there’s also a lot to be said
for C-3PO trying to kick some baddie behind.
Yes, I wish the leads had more fire – or even a little. But I also wish the acting were more dynamic in Ray
Harryhausen’s revered creature features of the ‘50s and ‘60s (whose influence is obvious during Clones’ climax). These
movies are never built around the Alec Guinnesses of the world.
Clones is taunting a Death Star by being that rare prequel made a quarter-century after the original. Viewers expecting
to duplicate a Carter-era screen experience are futilely trying to recapture laser lightning in a bottle. Even George
Lucas can’t do that. But his fire’s not out yet: No screen fantasy-adventure in recent memory has the showmanship of
Clones’ last 45 minutes. (Opens Thursday, with show times beginning at midnight; PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi
action violence)