Star Wars Retrospective #2
Released: 2002
Obi-Wan: “I was beginning to wonder if you’d got my message.”
Anakin: “I re-transmitted it just as you’d requested, Master. Then we decided to come and rescue you.”
*Obi-Wan looks up at his handcuffs, then back at Anakin*
Obi-Wan: “Good job.”
Happy Star Wars Day everyone! It was initially a coincidence that this happened to coincide with around the time I was planning to re-upload my Episode II review. But when it dawned on me that Star Wars Day (May 4th) was indeed coming up soon, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and share my review here on none other than the big day itself.
(originally posted February 10, 2021)
First off, I love the title. Attack of the Clones. It has such a cheesy “B-movie sci-fi” feel to it, even by Star Wars standards.
At the time, I liked this even better than The Phantom Menace. Although since then my opinion has reversed and I’ve come to regard that one as the better movie. I still like Attack of the Clones, but the former is more magical for me these days; it has Qui-Gon Jinn in it, it’s structurally tighter, and just has more charm and wonder and fun to it all around. Attack of the Clones, meanwhile, is much more of a set-up movie for both The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith. Which I don’t fault it for; it was a necessary set-up. But it doesn’t have the same distinct beginning, middle, and end that Phantom Menace does.
Still, I am pleased to say that I enjoyed Attack of the Clones more this time around than the last time I saw it. It’s not my favourite Star Wars film, but it does have its share of good moments. One thing I do appreciate is that this film has more of an air of mystery to it than The Phantom Menace. Anakin and Obi-Wan working to uncover the identity of Padmé’s would-be assassins, and Obi-Wan’s journey to Kamino to discover the clone factory and its purpose, is all compelling stuff. This eventually leads us to Count Dooku, who’s a fun, memorable, and charismatic villain. Although I still think I like Darth Maul a bit better, even before Maul’s expanded role in The Clone Wars.
The film’s pacing is sometimes criticized, understandably so. More than most Star Wars films, there are a lot of slow moments here, although I was fine with them personally. All the moreso since we are about to launch into a long, galaxy-wide conflict here. Begin soon, the Clone Wars will.
On the topic of slower moments, I’ve always enjoyed the politics in Star Wars. Ironic considering how disinterested I am in politics in real life. It’s a bit weird and surprising to see how Jar Jar Binks, of all people, is now a member of the senate. I guess it just shows how he’s matured and become more civilized in the ten years between Episodes I and II. (…or then again, maybe not, as we’ll see in The Clone Wars. :P)
My favourite part of the movie is the asteroid battle between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett; a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase which shows Jango to be a worthy foe, enough of a match for Obi-Wan despite Jango not being Force-sensitive. In fact, Obi-Wan isn’t even the one who takes out Jango in the end. You can also see why they brought back those seismic charges in The Mandalorian.
There’s a cute moment during the wedding at the end that I don’t know if I ever really noticed before. When C-3PO looks down at R2-D2 and rests his hand on his head. D’aww. An indicator that, despite their occasional bickering, they’ll go on to be lifelong friends.
Lastly, I can’t end this without mentioning John Williams’s majestic score, which is always a delight in any film he ever scores. Some of the scenes are elevated just from hearing the wonderful music that goes with it. I should listen to more of his music sometime; there’s still cues from the films that I’ve never fully listened to by themselves before.
Alrighty, I think that’s all for now. Until the next time in a galaxy far, far away, my fellow Cantina mates.