I'll start by saying this there are some good things in this movie. The effects are excellent, and more "crisp"-looking than those of The Phantom Menace. The fight between Yoda and Count Dooku is among the best moments in the entire Star Wars saga. I admire George Lucas for taking the risk of shooting this film with a digital camera. Although the camera itself was lower than 1080 resolution, the film still looks good, and Lucas ushered in the era of digital cinema -- which has since surpassed the quality of 35mm (and reduced the cost of production once imposed by celluloid -- and improved on-set workflow).
But the problem with this film is the central character -- Anakin Skywalker. I don't blame Hayden Christensen, who I honestly think is a good actor. The problem is that the character isn't well-written or defined, and Christensen isn't well-directed.
The fundamental issue with this film, for me, is that I just can't believe this childish, impulsive kid could ever become Darth Vader. Vader is without a doubt diabolical, but he is also consummately "zen" -- disciplined, controlled, resilient. He commits heinous acts, but he does so in a calm, even casual way. He chokes Imperial commanders with casual indifference. This is in stark contrast to Anakin Skywalker, who is a sentimental pansy with no resilience. He whines and complains, is boastful of his abilities and flies into uncontrolled rages.
My other issue with this movie is the useless tangent of introducing Boba Fett, as if he is some important figure in the Star Wars universe. In fact Boba Fett is actually a less-significant character than Admiral Piett or Admiral Akbar. He is potentially badass, but other than making-off with Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back, Fett doesn't play an influential role, and his character never develops. He is, as Andy once described him, "an action figure in search of a character". Yet Attack of the Clones makes a big deal of Boba picking up up Jango's severed head, as if Boba will become as important to later events as Vader himself.
Further on Boba Fett, I also find it...weird that Jango Fett wants a cloned boy of his own. I understand George Lucas was raising several children by himself when he made this movie, so single fatherhood was a normal thing to him. But to me (and I suspect a lot of people) the idea of an adult man -- in particular a villain -- wanting someone to create a little boy for him comes off as creepy. Apart from that, why would a bounty hunter, who is constantly on the move and in dangerous situations, want to bring a child into all of that?
I find both the Coruscant chase and the arena sequences tedious, and despite the impressive effects, they stop the movie dead in its tracks. It's awesome when the Jedi appear near the end and the battle ensues however. Natalie Portman is better in this film than I originally gave her credit for, and she really sells the moment toward the end of the film when she tells Anakin "I love you". But the moment is shattered when he responds to her. Like I said, Attack of the Clones has some great moments, but it is just uneven, and overlong, with more than a few dry spots. It seems more preoccupied with "setup" than with actual story. (I actually fell asleep in the middle of it).
John Williams' contribution is an almost thankless effort, his extensive and complex scoring buried under sound effects most of the time (it's rumored he was livid over the way his music was so haphazardly re-edited over the climactic sequences).
I suppose I should finish things out with Revenge if the Sith.
). Emotional, engrossing and often very funny, The Holdovers is a gem, and may well become a seasonal standard for those sick of being forced to watch Elf with the kids for the hundredth time. Bonus points for some lovely Boston travelogue footage.
