Featured Audience Ratings

• Matthew Samuel M

  
  Though it's a lot to take in, Attack of the Clones is still a fun ride. The writing and acting still suffer, but once again--similar to Phantom Menace--the action sequences and the story it tells make up for these flaws. There is excitement, mystery, and romance (with some… More
  Though it's a lot to take in, Attack of the Clones is still a fun ride. The writing and acting still suffer, but once again--similar to Phantom Menace--the action sequences and the story it tells make up for these flaws. There is excitement, mystery, and romance (with some cliches in tow of course).

• KJ P

  
  Slightly improving on things that the first prequel completely failed on, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" is not is any way a goof film, but it is a damn entertaining one to watch, even if it's for dumb reasons to begin with. We follow a grown up Anikin… More
  Slightly improving on things that the first prequel completely failed on, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" is not is any way a goof film, but it is a damn entertaining one to watch, even if it's for dumb reasons to begin with. We follow a grown up Anikin Skywalker as he becomes stronger and understands the ways of the force. This is the middle chunk of this story, where we begin to see the dark side of Anikin, and a foreshadow of his soon-to-be future. Again, poorly scripted, sloppy camerawork, and a dumb plot, with great visuals and very entertaining battles sequences. This film satisfies in ways that I wish were different, but at least it's a little better than the previous installment. In end end, it's nothing special to remember.

• Josh L

  
  Attack of the Clones contains some minor improvements in key areas over The Phantom Menace, but also backtracks in a few areas as well. The special effects and action just keep getting better, including a 40 minute ending sequence that is absolutely fantastic. Finally seeing why Yoda… More
  Attack of the Clones contains some minor improvements in key areas over The Phantom Menace, but also backtracks in a few areas as well. The special effects and action just keep getting better, including a 40 minute ending sequence that is absolutely fantastic. Finally seeing why Yoda is the master of the Jedi is a welcome delight. The character development is also much better than Phantom Menace. It's finally understood why Anakin will become Darth Vader. There's no annoying characters like people complained about, and the movie is much darker in the vein of The Empire Strikes Back. Where I think it takes a few steps back is just that sense of awe and discovery its predecessor had. This film is more straightforward and doesn't have that new feeling to it (much like The Empire Strikes Back after A New Hope). The film has pacing issues, especially in the middle when it gets way too talky, but it makes up for it in spectacular fashion at the end. The story is much stronger. The less politics the better, in my opinion. It's a solid step in the right direction before all the pieces fall together for the conclusion of this trilogy in Revenge of the Sith.

• Universal D

  
  Lucas' visual effects, grand though they may be, cannot disguise groan worthy scripting in this, his return to his trend setting magnum opus. Of course, magnum opus' are not easy to come by ... I haven't got one at all and he's got 3 ... and so he can be forgiven.… More
  Lucas' visual effects, grand though they may be, cannot disguise groan worthy scripting in this, his return to his trend setting magnum opus. Of course, magnum opus' are not easy to come by ... I haven't got one at all and he's got 3 ... and so he can be forgiven. Expectations did run high.

• Daniel M

  
  Out of all the Star Wars prequels, Attack of the Clones appears to get the easiest ride. The Phantom Menace is held up as the epitome of terrible filmmaking, while Revenge of the Sith is accepted (albeit grudgingly) for tying up the origin story of Darth Vader. Attack of the Clones is… More
  Out of all the Star Wars prequels, Attack of the Clones appears to get the easiest ride. The Phantom Menace is held up as the epitome of terrible filmmaking, while Revenge of the Sith is accepted (albeit grudgingly) for tying up the origin story of Darth Vader. Attack of the Clones is the one that no-one seems to moan about, leading us to believe that it is completely forgettable and therefore not worth getting mad about. Unfortunately, that becomes impossible when we realise how truly terrible it really is. It took a long time for me to decide whether Attack of the Clones is actually worse than The Phantom Menace or simply as bad but in a different way. Both are complete betrayals of the ethos and execution of the original trilogy, both of them are infantile to the point of madness, and both of them resemble a headache-inducing mix of video games and had fan fiction. The answer lies in understanding exactly what kind of betrayals we are talking about, on top of its obvious flaws as a piece of filmmaking. The Phantom Menace betrays the original trilogy because it deviates from them so markedly. Whether it's midichlorians, Jar Jar Binks, or a plot about taxation, the first film contains countless elements that have no place being in a Star Wars film. Attack of the Clones also contains huge betrayals, or at least moments which seem greatly out of character. But it also contains something more offensive: it borrows greatly from the original trilogy in a desperate attempt to demonstrate that all its departures are somehow in keeping with the story and imagery of the wider saga. Whole sections of Attack of the Clones feature Lucas borrowing from the original trilogy. The Clone Army are essentially first-generation Storm Troopers, while the fleeting reveal of the Death Star and the numerous scenes on Tatooine make us cast our minds back to Episode IV. The bar scene is like the bar scene in A New Hope, the sequence of a ship clinging to an asteroid is straight from The Empire Strikes Back, and the set-piece in the arena is very close to Return to the Jedi (and Gladiator). You can't blame Lucas for wanting to give the fans something closer to the original trilogy, in order to mitigate the backlash from The Phantom Menace. But all these scenes do is leave us longing for the originals even more, or trembling in fear at the prospect of Lucas remaking them with modern technology (he's promised not to, but don't count on it). It's a catastrophic error of judgement by Lucas, since we are now more likely to feel betrayed by the bizarre tonal shifts, stupid visuals and terrible dialogue he foists upon us, with even the slightest deviation from the story or spirit of the originals being magnified in attention and annoyance. There are whole sections in Attack of the Clones which make you want to rip out your hair and scream at the blatant and cynical disregard for continuity. We always knew that C3PO's main role was prissy comic effect, but that's no excuse for such groan-inducing puns as "is my head on straight?" and "I'm beside myself". There is no explanation given for Yoda's ability to suddenly do back-flips, despite the fact that he spends most of both trilogies hobbling around with a stick. And then there's R2D2 having rockets which enable him to fly, which would have been useful on Dagobah but serve no purpose here other than create an excuse for another toy. As if that wasn't enough, the film manages to botch the introduction of Boba Fett. Fett is considered one of the coolest characters in Star Wars, with fans even using his first appearance to justify The Star Wars Holiday Special (yes, such a thing exists, and it's worse than the prequels). But Lucas fails to realise that Fett's appeal is rooted in his mystery: we have no idea where he came from, we just know that he means business. In Attack of the Clones, he does nothing of any significance and is given a cheap Batman-style origin with his father being killed by Mace Windu. As with Vader, the prequels take a threatening, enigmatic villain and turn him into a little boy who just needed closure. Perhaps that's how bonded in The Empire Strikes Back? As with my review of The Phantom Menace, everything I've covered so far could be dismissed as the rantings of a disillusioned fanboy. But even without the obvious betrayals, or the stuff with Boba Fett, Attack of the Clones is a horrendous film in every aspect of its production. If the first film demonstrated that Lucas really couldn't direct, this is the film that demonstrates for all time that he definitely cannot write. Perhaps no film since Xanadu has had such a complete disregard for the cinematic rule of 'show, don't tell'. We are asked to accept so much because we are told it happened, rather than emotionally bonding with the characters in the way that makes it seems real. For example, we are told that Anakin and Obi-Wan are friends, but all they do is fight, bicker and moan about each other's arrogance. They seem so genuinely uncomfortable around each other, that it's no wonder Anakin turned went to the dark side to get away from him. The plot of Attack of the Clones is full of gaping holes, and like its predecessor there are too many of them to cover without turning this review into a list. In short, Lucas continues to throw pointless nonsense at us in order to pad out the prequels and put off the creation of Darth Vader for another two hours. His various plot points serve no narrative purpose, nor do they add weight to Anakin's universe: they only serve to confuse us more and make the Jedi look idiotic. For all their knowledge of the Force, they aren't in the least bit surprised that a clone army has existed in secret for the same amount of time that Sidious, sorry, Palpatine has been the Chancellor. But no aspect of Attack of the Clones is more nonsensical, or painful, than the romance between Anakin and Padmé. Lucas' romantic dialogue is so corny and misjudged that it makes even the worst rom-coms look like Annie Hall. Anakin isn't the least bit charming or appealing: when he's not moaning or sulking, he's trying to woo Padmé with dialogue that would be more at home in a serial killer film. But rather than running a mile while she still can, Padmé goes along with it because the wider plot requires them to eventually have children. It's quite possibly the worst romance in the history of cinema, producing either despairing apathy or downright hatred for these characters. The acting in Attack of the Clones is every bit as bad as before. Ewan McGregor is trying hard, but the only difference between then and now is that he spends more time shouting at people. Hayden Christiansen is the definition of wooden, looking completely out of his depth and being unable to deliver any of his lines with any convincing emotion. Natalie Portman spends every scene looking like she desperately wants to escape, as if being imprisoned in the dungeon from V for Vendetta would be less of a torture than having to wear those outfits. Even Christopher Lee can't save it, making the very least of a boring character an unconvincing fight scene. On top of all this, the action scenes still look like a bad video game. Every one of these scenes finds Lucas cramming the screen so full of pointless stuff that we can't make out any of the details, or bond with any of the characters. The car chase at the beginning not only rips off Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, but it's so chaotic and poorly edited that we simply don't care who's chasing whom or why. The fights are so incoherent and absent of tension that we start longing for Lucas' dialogue scenes. Even if people are just walking into rooms and explaining the plot, at least we can make out who's delivering the exposition. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is a mind-numbingly terrible follow-up to The Phantom Menace. As a piece of filmmaking in isolation, it's every bit as baffling, offensive and incompetent as its predecessor, but once you take the issues with series continuity into account, it ends up being marginally worse. It's a cynical, nonsensical piece of vomit-inducing garbage, and the product of a truly delusional mind. Our only consolation is that there is only one more prequel to endure, before we can finally get to the good stuff.

• Samuel R

  
  What makes Episode II lack behind the other prequels is that it focuses too much on drama and speech, while the superb action occurs near the end of the film. While the story does feel like it makes more sense than Episode I, the almost very slow pace of this film may not leave you… More
  What makes Episode II lack behind the other prequels is that it focuses too much on drama and speech, while the superb action occurs near the end of the film. While the story does feel like it makes more sense than Episode I, the almost very slow pace of this film may not leave you satisfied

• Eugene B

  
  As technology rapidly progresses, so does Lucas innovation to visualization in film animation and CGI. Episode II provides more of a sincere story and scent of romance rather than it's action-filled peril. Lucas second prequel, though an improvement of Episode I, still lacks that… More
  As technology rapidly progresses, so does Lucas innovation to visualization in film animation and CGI. Episode II provides more of a sincere story and scent of romance rather than it's action-filled peril. Lucas second prequel, though an improvement of Episode I, still lacks that feel of the original trilogy. 4/5

• Tyler R

  
  I feel heavily obligated to review the entire Star Wars series so here I go. I just want to start off by saying Attack of the Clones is better than the Phantom menace...that's saying almost nothing though. Again, the focus in this prequel is space politics, but with less… More
  I feel heavily obligated to review the entire Star Wars series so here I go. I just want to start off by saying Attack of the Clones is better than the Phantom menace...that's saying almost nothing though. Again, the focus in this prequel is space politics, but with less emphasis. The main plot is the Sith Lord Count Dooku wants to kill Padme Amidala so Anakin has to protect her. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi does investigative research on a clone army being built for the Republic. Anakin is the main focus of the movie since we dwell further into how he is to become Darth Vader. But I just can't buy into it enough. Anakin suffers throughout the movie, I get that, but he's poorly potrayed and poorly written. Hayden Christensen is terrible as Anakin. He will bring almost no emotion in one scene and then too much emotion in the next. All he does in the movie is whine about his emotions. It's enough to make anyone yell "SHUT UP AND TURN INTO DARTH VADER ALREADY!" He's especially bad in the incredibly cheesy romance scenes. Him and Padme have no chemistry. It's really sad to see Natalie Portman act so wooden when she just won an Oscar a year ago. Ewan McGregor did a good job in this movie though. As a matter of fact, there were some scenes where you could tell he was having alot of fun making this movie, so good for him. Samuel L. Jackson brings out the badass in Mace Windu and Frank Oz does well as a voice actor for Yoda. Christopher Lee is in this as Count Dooku and it was really cool to see him in a Star Wars movie. (Even if it is a prequel.) The special effects are usually really cool and this movie is no exception. The action scenes are good, but not great though. I thought it was cool to see Yoda in action and showing just how powerful he really is. In the end however, this movie is just another train wreck. It's badly written, poorly acted by a select few, tedious, campy, pretentious and lacking in substance. However, this is the last Star Wars movie that I can consider "bad."

• Alexander D

  
  Better than THE PHANTOM MENACE, but still not as good as anything from the original trilogy.

• Albert K

  
  Hayden Christensen. I'm sick of the guy. As for the action, definitely one of the best in the entire saga but the acting is seriously lacking. The worst, plot-wise, than any other Star Wars movie.

• Directors C

  
  Nowhere near as good as the original trilogy that changed blockbuster cinema forever but a definete improvement to the Phantom Menace.

• Shawn E

  
  This film is a definite improvement over the disappointing Episode I. There is a lot more action, plot development, and twists to the story. The focus on the romance between Anakin and Padme does add more depth to the character of Anakin. It also reveals some inner truths about Anakin… More
  This film is a definite improvement over the disappointing Episode I. There is a lot more action, plot development, and twists to the story. The focus on the romance between Anakin and Padme does add more depth to the character of Anakin. It also reveals some inner truths about Anakin and some foreshadowing of what paths he make take in the future. The clone war and the battle of Jedi is very well done. It becomes a great build up to the climactic battle against count Dooku. George Lucas tells a much better story in this film and makes this film feel more like the Star Wars films we've known to love.

• Phil H

  
  Getting better here, the intro of 'Jango Fett' and the stormtroopers are cool moments and the Jedi battle on Genonsis at the end is topps. The action is as Star Wars normally is and thats very good, all the lights and sounds you would expect and it still works well. CGI is… More
  Getting better here, the intro of 'Jango Fett' and the stormtroopers are cool moments and the Jedi battle on Genonsis at the end is topps. The action is as Star Wars normally is and thats very good, all the lights and sounds you would expect and it still works well. CGI is still 100% from Lucas and his boys, depsite some ropey looking alien designs they all look and react very realistically, shame about some truly horrendous bluescreen effects, but its the space ship dogfights and flybys that still look the best. Better than 'TPM' but the acting is still bad, and what's going on with Obi Wan's mullet!??

• Lewis C

  
  Both of the first two Star Wars prequels have substantial flaws that zealously try to ruin the un-ruinable, the mighty Star Wars franchise. In Episode I, it was the complete overkill in trying to make the movie appealing to young kids, personified by the much (and deservedly) maligned… More
  Both of the first two Star Wars prequels have substantial flaws that zealously try to ruin the un-ruinable, the mighty Star Wars franchise. In Episode I, it was the complete overkill in trying to make the movie appealing to young kids, personified by the much (and deservedly) maligned Jar Jar Binks. There's much less Jar Jar in Episode II, but its biggest flaw is almost as bad: the awful way the blossoming romance between now-Senator Padmà (C) Amidala (Natalie Portman) and the teenage Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is depicted. Christensen isn't a brilliant actor in the best of circumstances, and whether he makes a suitable Anakin is up for debate. But pairing him with George Lucas's hokey attempts at writing romantic dialogue is just painful. The movie seriously drags when it focuses on the relationship between Anakin and Padmà (C). But, like Episode I, Episode II somehow manages to overcome its flaws to be a decent entry into the Star Wars canon. The visuals received an impressive upgrade over the first movie (and I don't only mean Portman's increasingly sexy costumes), and there are many breathtaking action scenes and special effects sequences. The story takes the characters to new worlds and involves more mystery and intrigue than the first movie. You get to see multiple Jedi in action in large-scale battles, and who hasn't wanted to see that? Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor seem much more comfortable and natural in their roles, despite the absurdly cheesy things the script often forces Portman to say. Is Episode II an improvement over Episode I? Yes. Is it as good as Episodes III, IV, V, and VI? Nope. Poor writing keeps Attack of the Clones from reaching its full potential.

• Matt G

  
  Grrr, I hated the whole Anakin-Padme plotline, isn't she like 20 years older than him? Anyways, this is still a solid movie and I continue to enjoy it. The Blu-ray restoration is top-notch, but that's expected for the more recent films. Note: I loved this even more on my… More
  Grrr, I hated the whole Anakin-Padme plotline, isn't she like 20 years older than him? Anyways, this is still a solid movie and I continue to enjoy it. The Blu-ray restoration is top-notch, but that's expected for the more recent films. Note: I loved this even more on my second Blu-ray viewing. After another viewing, maybe I'll actually come to love this movie.

• Jim C

  
  What a horrible shame to the Star Wars saga. The film follows the story of Anakin Skywalker and his trip to one day become Darth Vader. The plot is so worthless and a sorry excuse of how the Clone Wars began, I was bored the whole time and to make things worse it doesn't add… More
  What a horrible shame to the Star Wars saga. The film follows the story of Anakin Skywalker and his trip to one day become Darth Vader. The plot is so worthless and a sorry excuse of how the Clone Wars began, I was bored the whole time and to make things worse it doesn't add anything to the series other than Count Dooku and Anakin and Padme getting married. The cast seemed determined to make this film suck, espically Hayden Christensen, who was too horrible for words, and in my opinion the only good acors were Samuel L Jackson and Ewan Mcgregor. Effects were okay but its Star Wars, they all had great effects in my opinion. It was a terrible film and I hated it.

• Eric A

  
  On the same field as Episode I in my opinion, but picks up the pace a bit and sets itself up nicely for Episode III.

• Adriel Denzel L

  
  Forgettable. There isn't much to gawk at in this movie aside from progressing the Star Wars story for the very least.

• Sergio G

  
  Yes this is my favorite #4 on the Star Wars saga. The "symptoms" that start showing Anakin's impotence. His hearth vs his sense of justice, his beliefes vs the actual politics. His problem with "letting go". A prequel of the inevitable.

• Drake T

  
  I'm actually embarrassed for Hayden, quite possibly one of the worse actors I've ever seen on screen. Watching Anakin and Padme "falling in love" with each other was incredibly painful and that being an important driving plot was well, not so great for the movie as… More
  I'm actually embarrassed for Hayden, quite possibly one of the worse actors I've ever seen on screen. Watching Anakin and Padme "falling in love" with each other was incredibly painful and that being an important driving plot was well, not so great for the movie as a whole. I mean sure, it had all the amazing/cool concepts of every Star Wars movie, lightsaber battles and everyone loves the Fett Bounty Hunters. Does that save this disastrous love story?

Read all 20 featured audience ratings