The arrival of a new Star Wars film always prompts expectations of the perfect action adventure epic, with state of the art effects, all crammed into 120 minutes. Somehow people always seem to forget that the original films consisted of little more than great action sequences strung together with absurd dialogue, perfunctory acting and tenuous plots. However the fact that everyone is getting hot and bothered over the fifth instalment shows that not even a conscious effort to derail the series, as Jar Jar Binks surely must have been, can stop this behemoth now.
Attack Of The Clones opens with Obi Wan Kenobi and trainee Jedi Anakin Skywalker being assigned to protect Senator Padme Amedala, and soon finds the master chasing across the galaxy to find an assassin whilst the apprentice struggles with his feelings for the senator. Fitted in amongst the scenes which show the rise of the evil empire are the usual assortment of light-sabre fights and space-craft duels.
The film has a darkness to it that few other family films posses, only avoiding a 12 certificate by removing a second from one of the fight sequences. There is genuine torture and pain shown on screen, possibly as a reaction to the inanities of The Phantom Menace. Unfortunately this darkness, typified by Hayden Christensen's broodingly wooden performance as the future Darth Vader (think of a big gnarly tree on a dark stormy night), seems to come at the expense of the charisma that characters such as Han Solo and Princess Leia exuded.
This is compounded by a wayward middle section where the film threatens to grind to a halt. The scenes of Padme and Anakin picnicking in grassy mountains looks worryingly like a homage to The Sound Of Music, whilst Obi-Wan's attempts to become an intergalactic Philip Marlowe are as pedestrian as a zebra crossing, with Ewan Macgregor's most mature performance to date being frustrated by having hold his conversations with an incomprehensible up-turned dustbin. The dialogue of the original films may have been clunky but at least it was distinctive and delivered with panache, here the only memorable lines are in-jokes about the later films.
The film is stolen by an old hand in new clothes. Yoda, now freed from the indignities of having Frank Oz's hand up his backside, thanks to some of the most remarkable CGI ever seen, rejoices in being able to wander freely into battle. His jumbled up dialogue is as eccentric and enjoyable as ever. However Yoda's greatest moment in the film comes when he finally draws a lightsaber and engages in battle, a scene which will be played out to the sound of the jaws of entire audiences hitting the floor in unison the world over. The fact that a 3 front tall old-codger can convincing be portrayed as the most powerful warrior in the universe is testament to the power of Lucas' fantasy worlds, and it is here that the viewer is reminded why Star Wars became so successful.
The general character and plot limitations are not as bad as Titanic or Pearl Harbour (though you'll feel only a concerted effort could produce scripts that inept) and the effects are superior to both. The opening scenes, based in a over-crowded metropolis are highly reminiscent of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and have a depth and richness to them that out-does most real location shooting. However whilst the set-pieces are well constructed throughout, some of them seem like they were designed as Playstation games, a feeling which the computer generated effects only reinforce.
These quibbles are all forgotten in a finale which withstands comparison with anything committed to film (or high definition digital video). More than anything the appeal of the Star Wars films lies in their celebration to the classic swashbuckling films of Errol Flynn and the Zorro serials and the last 20 minutes serves up giant size portions of Jedi whoop-ass. The adrenalin rush of seeing such cinematic luminaries as Samuel L Jackson and Christopher Lee throwing themselves into gravity defying battles that make The Matrix look like it had crashed are complemented by the almost balletic choreography and beautifully abstract visuals. Even the addition of hundreds of Jedi fighting doesn't saturate the senses, with each duel more exciting than anything in the series to date.
When it is at it's best Attack Of The Clones not only looks truly amazing, it feels truly amazing too. It has moments where it totally immerses you in another world. However these successes are punctuated by a mundane teenage love story that makes Dawson's Creek seem racy and an unsatisfying ending designed to lead into the sequel. The rabble-rousing action-scenes will satisfy viewers who came for the thrill-ride experience and as part of the series Attack Of The Clones is an excellent linking episode, but viewed in isolation this is merely a slightly superior blockbuster.