Three years ago, numerous moviegoers claimed that "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" tarnished what the "Star Wars" name meant-- good, quality entertainment. Now, with the release of "Episode II: Attack of the Clones," many are cheering the return of what "Star Wars" used to mean while others are still wishing Lucas never released the prequels.
"Attack of the Clones" takes its place next to "Phantom Menace" as a film filled with flat dialogue, underdeveloped characters and poor editing. However, what many forget is that, outside of Anakin, this new trilogy isn't supposed to be filled with character development like "A New Hope," "Empire Strikes Back" or "Return of the Jedi." Instead, the prequels are supposed to simply set up what is to come in episodes four through six, so flat dialogue can almost be excused so long as what needs to be said is said.
Unfortunately, "Attack of the Clones" fails to develop the continuing story of Anakin Skywalker (now played by Hayden Christensen) in a convincing manner, or at least as far as the forbidden romance between him and Padme (Natalie Portman) goes. While the rest of the film is acceptable, the romance between the young Jedi apprentice and the now-Senator of Naboo is only partially convincing. Although audiences will be able to buy into Anakin's undying love for the senator, it's hard to believe that Padme could fall for someone as whiny, young and unfamiliar to her (it has been 10 years) as Anakin so quickly. This results in their relationship seeming cheesy and unrealistic. The unbelievable romance isn't just to blame on the script though, but also on Portman's poor performance. While Portman did a fair job playing the young Queen of Naboo in "TPM," her acting talent seems lost in "Attack of the Clones." Portman delivers her lines like she's reading from a cue card and shows little to no emotion throughout the film. Her performance would make even the most well written love story hard to believe, and since the budding romance between her and Anakin is questionable as is, Portman's poor performance only takes away from any believability their romance might have had.
On the plus side, Ewan McGregor does a complete 180 in his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi-- losing that 'I'm about to laugh' smirk he carried with him throughout "TPM"-- and Christensen does a decent job as everyone's favorite Jedi gone bad. Although fans may be disappointed that they won't see too much of Anakin's dark nature in the film, the fact viewers finally get to see Yoda use a lightsaber makes "Attack of the Clones" worth seeing alone.
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