..Movie Reviews..

The love scenes are beyond weak. Watching Anakin fall in love with Padme is like watching an episode of Saved by the Bell. Lucas' dialogue has never been brilliant, but it's far from the terse exchanges between Han Solo and Princess Leia in Empire Strikes Back that quietly but effectively build their relationship. This time Lucas just slaps you over the head with romance.

Like Phantom, this one also feels like a video game, especially with the droid factory scene that seems like it was added specifically to hock video games. Again, the movie also suffers from excessive technology. It's missing the realism of the originals. And of course, there's annoying teenager of Anakin Skywalker. Christensen is a decent actor, but Lucas forces him to be stiff and awkward, more so than any real teenager ever could be.

On the plus side, we do finally get to see mass Jedi fighting, as well as full blown galactic warfare when the clone troops are unleashed. It's amazing stuff, though we have little resonance for any of the characters involved in the actual battle. It's just visual effects wizardry.

Speaking of visual effects wizardry, the one shining moment is when the great Jedi master Yoda finally joins the fray. It's shining if only because it's the big surprise of the movie and something fans have been longing to see. It's still a bit goofy as we have no explanation as to why the slow, decrepit Jedi suddenly sprints to life and can leap off walls. It must be the force.

And do we really need to talk about Count Dooku? George Lucas can't seem to pick a baddie so we're continually introduced to straw bad men to be quickly dispatched. Dooku has a minimal role in the whole movie, mainly coming in near the end to provide some decent light saber duels. Lucas can't seem to pick names either.

Attack of the Clones is certainly a step up from Phantom, but it's still not near the originals, nor could it ever hope to be. I keep trying to remind myself that Lucas is trying to make a space opera, and as much as I love the originals, they're goofy in their own right. The prequels shouldn't be high brow film. But they still don't completely deliver.