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USA 2002
Directed by
George Lucas
142 minutes
Rated PG

Reviewed by
Tanya Hristov
3 stars

Star Wars Episode II, Attack Of The Clones

Synopsis: Set ten years after the events of Episode 1, The Phanton Menace, we find the Republic in turmoil - as a separatist movement is gaining momentum in its quest to seize power. A clone army is being assembled to attack the republic, requiring the threatened Senator Amidala ( Natalie Portman) to be protected by the young Jedi Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who is apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).

The Star Wars juggernaut is back in town; a quarter century after the 1977 original Star Wars debut. Attack of the Clones is the first major motion picture to be shot entirely using high definition digital video camera and digital video tape, meaning no celluloid film was used in the production. And, of course there was a massive amount of post-production digital work involved. Shot mainly in Australia, Episode II, features several cameos by the likes of Temuera Morrison, Susie Porter, Rose Byrne, Jay Laga'aia, Jack Thompson and Joel Edgerton.

Tension in the relationship between Skywalker and Obi-Wan is central to the story, as Skywalker, coming of age, grapples with the authority of his mentor. In doing so, we see glimpses of the evil that is to come but also tenderness as Skywalker and Senator Amidala find themselves falling for each other. Christensen shines as a headstrong and belligerent Skywalker before his seduction by the dark side.

Lucas returns to the romance and philosophy brought to the screen by the original trilogy, which is where The Phantom Menace fell short. Better as SWE II may be in this respect, generally the film lacks emotional depth, dialogue playing more of an explanatory role, rather than creating a flow. The more dramatic and romantic scenes were featherweight and were duly perceived in a comical light by the audience. (A senator frolicking in a field with galactic dinosaurs?) Further, due to the amount of digitalisation in the movie, a certain mechanization affects some of the characters, notably Yoda, compared to their originals in the first trilogy.

For all that, dynamism shines through - Lucas' directing method included submitting the script a few days prior to shooting so that the actors were unaware of the bigger picture and were really acting "in the moment ". The story continued to evolve through the shoot and into post-production, as scenes and dialogue were fine-tuned to this technique. New sequences were added months after the principal filming had been wrapped up.

SWE II is an enjoyable outing for both fans and the uninitiated alike. It explores the conflict between good and evil, technology and humanity, youth and experience, as well as forbidden love and has stunning visual effects and there will likely be an Oscar nomination for the music (by John Williams of course) which is central to the experience.

 

 

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