Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones

Opening night for the 12:01am show was immense. Talk about a long line! Ofcourse, that's what makes the hype of Star Wars even more fun. I went withmy brother and my cousin, pushing through the line and making our waythrough the sold-out crowd to find a good seat. Waiting in my seat for awhole hour in advance went by fairly quickly with sour patch kids and goodmemoirs of the past trilogy and prequel. People talked through the previewsanxiously waiting.

Suddenly, a silence surpasses. As the plot passed among the stars, we wereonce again encompassed by the song of this great epic. While many clappedwith excitement, I anxiously waited to see what came next.

The scene opens, and we are introduced to familiar faces and our eyesdazzle with amazement. Amidala (Natalie Portman) had arrived for a massmeeting under the Senate to discuss the galaxy's growing fear of defendingitself. Yet, there is obviously someone who wishes her absence at thismeeting. All are shocked seeing the assassination attempt on Senator PadmeAmidala.

Surviving her decoy, she is faced with apprehension and immediately isplaced in the protection of her longtime friends, Obi Wan Kenobi (EwanMcGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen). Whilestill in fear from more bounty hunters' attempts on her life, the Jedicouncil orders Amidala to return to her home planet of Naboo, accompaniedby the young Jedi knight, Anakin.

Anakin's infatuations still continue, since their last encounter in ThePhantom Menace. He is still spellbound by Amidala, slightly making a foolout of himself during their reunion. Almost ten years his senior, Amidalafires a comeback that Ani will still be regarded as that little boy she meton Tatooine. Despite their growing attractions for one another, the twodecide to resist, for breaking the code of the Jedi Order is taboo.

In the meantime, Obi Wan Kenobi is on the quest for tracking down thebounty hunter who was hired to kill Amidala. From the intricate designingof the bullet, he is led to Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison). His quarters arelocated in a hidden galaxy, removed from all maps, where he is secretlybuilding a clone army. While the natives of the planet have nocomprehension of the long term plans for this army created by a mysteriousand long-deceased Jedi knight, Obi Wan learns there is something strangegoing on. While following Jango Fett, he is taken captive.

Learning of Obi Wan's captivity, Amidala and Anakin race to the rescue,only to find themselves at his side. At the hour of their executions, theJedi knights arrive to their rescue, starting the Attack of the Clones.

This epic is full of exquisite scenes and good plots. There are no dullmoments and keeps the audience in constant suspense.

George Lucas amazes us once again with his awesome special effects,creativity and new "out-of-this-world" characters. They are fullybelievable with the use of computer technology, even down to their nativelanguages. Be sure to look for the characters meeting with the Dark Side'sCount Dooku (Christopher Lee). They are very interesting.

This is the movie we are supposed to see the revealing motives behindAnakin's lure to the Dark Side of the Force. He already has a hatred forslavery and is haunted by visions of his mother in extreme danger. As aJedi, he is encouraged to control these visions but his fear gets the bestof him. He disobeys his instructions to stay on Naboo by going back toTatooine in search for her. Amidala accompanies him and they do find outabout his mother and unfortunately, they are too late. In an act of rage,he mass murders the Sand People, his mother's murderers. As Yoda once said,"fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, that leads to the Dark Side."

This movie is full of foreshadowing. We all get a chuckle when we hear ObiWan give his memento mori comments on Anakin's daring stunts, "Someday Ifear you'll be the death of me." Chancellor Valorum tells Anakin that he isthe most powerful of all Jedi knights and will one day rise above them.And, no one will forget the scene where Boba Fett hold Jango Fett's head upto his own.

We also see interesting developments that explain unanswered questions wehad from the trilogy. We learn who Uncle Owen and Aunt Veru really are.Remember Luke Skywalker's guardians in the original Star Wars? Here theyare Anakin's stepbrother and step-sister-in-law. Did you ever notice thatthe Storm Troopers were modeled after the Clone army, who were modeledafter Jango Fett?

You must keep in mind, of course, Lucas is no Shakespeare, and even thoughone of the big plots is the budding romance between Anakin and Amidala, themovie is a member of the action/adventure genre of movie picks, not aromantic movie. Don't expect to see Anakin serenading Amidala withheart-melting mumbo-jumbo. The movie's dialogue is not what makes themovie. It's the intertwined plots, the special effects, and the continuingsaga of the Star Wars legacy. The characters can appear to come across asdevoid of emotions but as long as you go into it not expecting "The EnglishPatient", you will love George Lucas' epic for what it really is, one ofthe best Star Wars movies out there.