Adam Sayovitz's Rating & Review:

Directed and Written by George Lucas
Starring Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Daniels, Frank Oz, Kenny Baker and Christopher Lee
USA, 2002, 124 minutes

After assassination attempts on Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), two Jedi, Obi-Won Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen) are assigned to protect her. Another attempt is made, and through it a much larger plan is unraveled. Obi-Won is sent to the distant planet of Camino to find out more about the bounty hunter, Jango Fett (Silas Carson), who is being cloned in order to produce an army for the senate. Meanwhile, Anakin is left to defend Padme. His true feelings for Padme are expressed, and he must decide if he wants to keep his commitment to the Jedi Council, or lead a rebellious life. The three eventually end up on the desert planet Geonosis, caught in a political entanglement concerning the fate of the Republic.

For most of my life I have been a dedicated fan to the Star Wars trilogy. After "The Phantom Menace", my expectations were low for "Attack of the Clones". Much to my surprise, I enjoyed this recent episode of Star Wars more than I could've ever imagined. I found AOTC to have striking similarities with the old trilogy. An intoxicating romantic subplot, one that hasn't been seen since "The Empire Strikes Back". The relationship that Anakin and Padme share had me constantly torn between the decisions they make about being romantically involved. What would it mean for a commited Jedi, to go against the wishes of the Council? Aside from the computer effects, I found the interaction between Anakin and Padme to be one of the stronger points of AOTC. The scenes they share together, accompanied by John Williams' beautiful theme, are nothing short of magical.

The afformentioned computer wizardry, from the folks over at ILM, provided AOTC with not only exhilerating, grin inducing action sequences, but a tone that has a real heart. Seeing hundreds of Jedi wielding lightsabers amidst countless foes could not have been more fully realized. Along with the lightsaber duels, R2D2 and C3PO are back in their rightful places. They serve as a further reminder to how similar AOTC is to "The Empire Strikes Back". What keeps Clones from being as good as past Star Wars movies is the occasionally poor dialogue and weak character given to Anakin. Christiansen could have done more with his role to bring it up to par with other members of the cast who performed quite well. Both Portman and McGregor improve their characters this time around. Added to the cast is the always excellent Christopher Lee as Count Duku.

Synopsis: Star Wars is back with an involving story, the same great music, and more awe-inspiring special effects. See it and enjoy.