Attack of the Clones
 

I saw the first screening, the 12:01am, last night.

Seeing the film with geeks was quite nice. The atmosphere was dense and anticipatory beyong what I would have expected.

The lights dimmed, and we were treated to a film that was, quite frankly, so many times better than The Phantom Menace. Full of memorable scenes (Anakin and his mother and the scene that ensues, the Gladiator-esque colluseum, the droid factory, and of course, Yoda weilding a mean lightsabre) and at least one strangely ironic lines (in the bar, you'll know it when you hear it...)

The performances are all good. Ewan McGregor is a strong point (especially considering he reacts to a blue screen more than anyone else in the film). Hayden Christensen is also fairly good. There are so many points where he just stares ahead and you think, "This boy is no good." Which of course, makes sense. Natalie Portman, for me, was the only weak spot. There were so many times were she just seemed so lifeless and weak. Christopher Lee gave a creepy air of sophistication to the dark side and Yoda was very well animated (I was pleased to find that the animators didn't try at all to match his mouth movements with words he said, just general movement) and Mace Windu was Samuel L. Jackson for crying out loud.

I need not mention the special effects. But let me tell you, it's a great film. Dark and really enjoyable. Well worth staying up until three in the morning on a school night to catch early.

The reason I find it ironic that I saw it before Americans is because of Chris. For weeks Chris has been telling me, in hushed silence and fearfully excited anticipation, "Yoda's going to fight!"

And fight he does. Fought he did. The most awed and dead silent pin-drop moment of the film. But I'll stand by my guns. Yoda is simply agile, swift, well-spoken, full of the force, and wise.

But Mace Windu is the coolest mutherf*cker in the galaxy...

Correction:
For some of us, he already has...

:rotfl:

Well I thought about going and seeing it tonight, but changed my mind, there is NO WAY I would be able to stay awake at work tomorrow..

Of course, we all know what the atmosphere (in the theatre, that is) will be like. Stuffy and with a hint of body odor lingering. :laugh:

That's why I took tomorow off! Episode 2, Here I Come!!

-GTB

The atmosphere was the best part of the deal. Never had I been surrounded by so many geeks. But I loved it; loved their passion for it. And the film didn't let them down, it really didn't.

I'm very glad I went, despite being a dead man walking now...

After PM and the critic's reviews, I was a little worried about this movie, but what a surprise. The movie lived up to the hype for me. Great actions, dark and twisting plot...I love it.

Absolutely. We sat next to a group of guys who were in costume and had lightsabers (!) and it was excellent. I've never been so entertained while sitting in the theater the half-hour before the film starts (had to get good seats, you know). There was a mock lightsaber battle at the front of the theater between a Luke and an Anakin that was broken up by the theater people, who weren't even trying to keep straight faces. And when we booed them for taking away our show, the theater dude swept his hand out, Qui-Gon-style, saying, "These aren't the Jedi you're looking for."

:laugh: And that was before the movie even started.

The audience was incredible. They laughed at the right places and the wrong places and kept the chatter to a minimum. And when that one scene, where the little green guy starts whoopin' some a*s, came on--you couldn't hear anything but deafening shrieks and applause for the rest of the scene. It was just awesome. I couldn't imagine seeing it any other way.

The film itself was everything I expected it to be, in both good and bad ways. You guys know what to expect already--you know Lucas' particular strengths and deficiencies as a writer and director. And sure, the dialogue was... awkward (I'm being restrained here; my biggest beef with Lucas is that he thinks he can write dialogue), and the acting was... not so great (I agree with Silver about Portman, but I would include Christiansen in there--both of them were about as animated as Al Gore), and maybe the characters are two-dimensional, if they're lucky... but you know what?

It don't freakin' matter! It's a Star Wars movie! It's beautiful, and it's violent (PG-style), and it's all about the story--this huge epic story. I had a great time watching it, and I'll have a great time watching the next one.

My final thoughts: There were things that kicked a*s and there were things that sucked, but the things that kicked a*s kicked so much a*s that you just didn't care so much about the things that sucked. It was a great four hours of my life--and that counts the fifteen minutes we stood outside the theater and watched the thrilling conclusion to the battle, begun three hours before in the front of the crowded theater, between Luke and Anakin. Rock on, geeks!

And may the Force be with you.

Mary Lo-Kenobi

I could have seen it at 12:01, but I would have to miss school. Frankly, I wouldn't miss school just to see it. I might even have to wait until.....Saturday :eek: to see it.

I just have a few words to add: "I don't like the sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating--not like you. You're soft and smooth." :rolleyes:

How could you expect anyone to act if they have to work with lines like that?

YODA FOUGHT!

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Okay, as soon as I stop screaming at the top of my lungs, I'll sit down and write a "real" review. :yup:

Told you so.
Now maybe we can have decent conversations again...



:laugh:

Hello... OK I first have comments, and second I'm SADLY a bit confused....


please hook a brother up, I've watched SW since I was 3 , and this was confusing, thanks!!!!

Chill dude, its quite straight forward.



Mind you it did take two viewings to soak all that up!

Hope that clears up a few things

Attack of the Clones ROCKED. This is absolutely the coolest movie in years. I mean, Yoda busts out with the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon with a little bit of Dragonball Z for good measure..."The best, my Kung Fu is." Is Lucas a fan of Anime? Does anybody know? My brother swears he saw a little girl with a Sailor Moon hairdo in the ending of Phantom Menace...

Oooooooooooh man! We saw it on opening night at the Village in Westwood and it was sooooo fun! People HAVE to see it on opening night, even thought it's a bit too late, lol. It was beautiful. I screamed at everything. People had beachballs, lightsabers, costumes, EVERYTHING! It was beautiful.

SPOILERS











WHEN YODA OPENED HIS CLOAK TO FIGHT...OOOOOH MAN! I WAS THE FIRST TO SCREAM! I SCREAMED SOOOOOO LOUDLY, IT'S AMAZING!
We all booed Ben Affleck in the previews, cuz he sucks.
I was NOT expecteing the original trailer, but it was soo cool! I took pictures :B
It just rocked!

Okay, as everyone else It was great. I got mad at Anakin though, he was ticking me off about his complaining on how Obi-Wan is holding him back. But I guess it had to be done for him to be come Darth Vader.

Also, I was amazed by Yoda fighting? Why does he need the cane if he fights like that!? It was just absolutely amazing. At the theater I was at everyone started screaming and yelling when he opened his clock up like that. HA SUPER DEE DOOPER!

A few things I didn't understand though. Why did Mace Windu have a purple saber? According to George Lucas, Light sabers can only be in Red, Green and Blue. Only Siths fight with Red Sabers. My theory is this: If Red is for Sith(dark side), and Blue (or Green) is for Jedi Knights(light side) and Windu's saber is Purple, does this mean in episode II he is in the middle of turning on the Jedi Council and Yoda, and joining the Sith? Since Red and Blue makes purple (duh!)

In Episode 1 When Qui-Gon Jinn recounted his tale of his assault on Tatooine, the council rejected the idea that it could have been a Sith Lord. Windu's response was immediately said the sith could not exist and that Qui-Gon should not pursue the matter. Windu then said he would personally take care of the situation. Why is this significant, it means Windu is hiding something. But what? Did Windu know that Maul was attacking Qui-Gon, and wanted the council to turn its back on the situation by saying HE would be looking into it?

Since I wasn't able to find out how Windu's master was, I'm going to come to the conclusion of this information, that his master is now a Sith, but which one. Well it can't be Darth Maul. Maul's master was Darth Sidious, at least that’s my understanding when Sidious says in Episode 1: "I have trained you well young Jedi apprentice" or something like that. As we all know Palpatine is the Darth Sidious. SO! Does this mean Palpatine is Windu's master? And is what Windu doesn’t want the council to find out? (That Palpatine is the Sidious, and Maul is Palpatine (sith masters) apprentice) Sounds odd, but could be right. Is this also why Windu wanted to give all power to the Chancellor?

The other thing is Padme's new body guard, Captain Typho - Senator Padme's Bodyguard, he had the eye patch. Now a friend noticed this and it brought concern to me too... Didn't that guy look exactly like one of the guys in the bunch of clones when they were eating. The clone was looking at his plate and looked up and looked at Obi-Wan when he was walking through the corridors. I swear it looked like Captin Typho! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN HERE? Okay: Captain Typho is the nephew Captain Panaka, Amadala's old guard. So where did Typho come from, why did he step up to replace Panaka? Any opinions?

Actually, Samuel L. Jackson just wanted to be the only dude with a purple light saber. He bugged Lucas...who eventually gave in. There's no hidden meaning behind it. :)

I don't recall them rejecting it outright, but even if they did, at the end of the flick, Yoda and Windu discuss the Sith...fully acknowleding (albeit a little late) that the Sith is indeed in existence.

Nope. Yoda wanted to give him power, too...they've all been fooled. Yes, Maul was Sidious' Sith Apprentice. Windu is defintely not an apprentice, though; after Yoda he's the most powerful and influential Jedi in the Council. Besides...

God, that just ruined everything now. If thats the only reason Jackson did that, he can sit on it! :rolleyes:

I remember they did say there is no sith. And Windu wanted to leave it at that by saying he would personally look into it. Why did he say he would look into it? At the end they do discuss the Sith because Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both fight Darth Maul, of course they would discuss it. But why didn't they believe Qui-Gon at when he came to him saying he was attacked.

The thing about never having more then one apprentice... what was Yoda doing with those kids in the room where they were doing the exercise with the sabers... hm?

Who was Windu's master then, he had to have been trained by someone?:indifferent:

Yeah, that got me, too. All this talk about, "Our little Ani, all grown up," and every other sentence out of his mouth sounds like a whiny ten-year-old. Urg. I know it's all set up for the Big Turn to the Dark Side, but it could've been more subtle.

But I do have to give Lucas credit for having some balls with Anakin's character--some truly dark stuff in there.

Yeah, Natalie Portman was a weak spot in the cast, I thought.
The problem wasn't hers though, and nor were any other crummy acting jobs, or -- for example -- badly delivered ten-year-old like lines.

They were Lucas' fault. He can't direct relationships.

Regarding the New Zealander who played Jango Fett and the Australian who played Padme's bodygaurd -- they're different guys.

It's funny. I can point out every Australian in that cast.
Owen Lars, for example. And his Dad. Both Australian. As was Owen's girlfriend. And Padme's hand-maiden. And Jango's apprentice that Obi-wan and Anakin pursue through the city...

So many. Bizarre to watch knowing that many others won't know that. Owen's father, the hover-chair guy, he's a very big star.

I'm done.