Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones premiered on May 16, 2002. It focuses on the creation of the Clone troopers (later Stormtroopers) and the growing war between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists led by Christopher Lee’s Count Dooku. It jumps ten years forward to Anakin Skywalker as a 19-year-old apprentice under the tutelage of Obi-Wan.
It’s considered the weakest of the entries and it’s not hard to see why.
The Good
Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The majority of Star Wars fans are agreed that Ewan McGregor is one of the best things to come out of the Prequel Trilogy and his role in this movie helps show why. His comedic timing is on point throughout and he embodies the role.
Before Avengers: Endgame treated us to every hero against Thanos, there was every surviving Jedi against the Separatists. This is one of the only good things, in my opinion, that happens in the movie. Seeing all of those different colored lightsabers is exhilarating.
The Bad
Much like The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones heavily relies on CGI rather than practical effects. Because of this, the near entirety of the movie looks offputting. It also provides problems when the Clones and Droids are all CGI yet don’t look they have been 100% rendered.
When it comes to the acting, I have seen less wood in a forest. The dialogue alone is already cringe-inducing but adding on the delivery from certain actors it comes off as cheesy. Sadly I don’t mean cringe in a good way.
Anakin and Padme’s relationship. When they meet each other again at the beginning of the movie Padme tells Anakin she’ll always see him as the little boy she met and then they are suddenly in a relationship. From the word go their relationship is strange and could have been written better.
Not enough Christopher Lee. Count Dooku has the potential to be better than what the movie gives him. Yes, there is a series focusing on the Clone Wars but that was never to be known when the movie was released. They could have done more with Christopher Lee’s Dooku and it would have vastly improved the movie.
Anakin’s arc is forced. We know from the Original Trilogy who he becomes and it feels like George Lucas put himself in a corner with it. Where Anakin’s turn to the darkness could have been better paced, it is quickened and it relies on too much exposition.
