Darker, complex 'Star Wars' likely to dazzle moviegoers

By Marshall Fine
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

STAR WARS: EPISODE II — ATTACK OF THE CLONES (Rated PG for violence, adult themes) Four Stars (Excellent) Darker than "Episode I," this story of the now-teen-aged Anakin Skywalker and his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, has enough thrills and intrigue to satisfy the most rabid "Star Wars" fan, while entertaining even those who are only mildly interested. Starring Hayden Christensen, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson. Directed by George Lucas. Twentieth Century-Fox, 132 minutes.

That it echoes "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" is no accident. Creator George Lucas says that having long-since finished the first trilogy, it only makes sense that his latest films naturally would pick up themes from the originals and expand on them.Thus, having vanquished the forces of evil together in "Episode I" (or so they thought), the film's heroes now must split up to tackle increasingly dangerous problems in "Episode II," just as they did in "The Empire Strikes Back." And this time, there is no happy ending.

It's also hard to imagine a pleasant outcome in "Episode III" (scheduled for 2005). That, after all, is the segment in which Lucas finally reveals how Anakin Skywalker lost his soul to the dark side of the Force and turned into Darth Vader, thus bringing about the rise of the evil Empire.In "Episode II," intergalactic unrest still plagues the Republic, 10 years after the end of "Episode I." Despite the efforts of ambitious Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and the galactic Senate, hundreds of star systems threaten to break away from the Republic in a separatist movement led by a former Jedi, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee).

If that happens, we are told, chaos would ensue; the potential conflicts would be more than the Jedi knights could handle. So Palpatine pushes for a Senate vote to give him the power to create a massive army of the Republic to quell the separatists and keep the peace.

One of the legislators who would vote for this army is Senator (formerly queen) Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) of the planet Naboo. As she arrives on the planet Coruscant to vote, however, there is an attempt on her life. So Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), are assigned to protect her. When another assassination is foiled, Anakin is detailed to take Padme back to her planet while Obi-Wan tracks down the conspirators.

During Obi-Wan's investigation he discovers that an entire clone army is already under production for the Republic and he catches the first glimpse of the plotting by the formidable Count Dooku.

Anakin, meanwhile, is on Naboo with Amidala, where his considerable Jedi skills are offset by the kind of headstrong behavior one would expect from a 19-year-old. That includes a forbidden longing for Amidala.

Anakin also is plagued by nightmares about his mother, whom he left behind on his home planet, Tatooine, in "Episode I." Despite his orders to stay on Naboo with Amidala, he feels compelled to find his mother on Tatooine.

What he finds there and how he reacts are the linchpins of this film's plot and a major turning point for the entire six-film tale. In demonstrating his inability to control his feelings — his willingness to give in to anger and hate — he charts the first steps of his transition to the dark side of the Force.

Christensen embodies a teen's free-floating mood swings: from mature control to childish fits of pique, from considered action to a total loss of impulse control.

McGregor has taken on a certain gravitas as Obi-Wan, who, in this film, has shifted from apprentice to teacher. Yet there's a playful quality to his performance that almost seems subversive. By contrast, Portman's Amidala seems more stilted than before; it's hard to tell whether it's the writing for her character or her performance. Samuel L. Jackson, on the other hand, gets to level that piercing stare as a Jedi master and wield a light-saber. And Lee is perfect as Count Dooku, a Jedi counterpart to the wizard he plays in "The Lord of the Rings."

While some may quibble with the dialogue ("You will learn your place, young one," Obi-Wan says more than once), Lucas has always said that his intention was to write the equivalent of a Saturday matinee serial. If you watch any of that bygone form today, you'll be surprised how stiff and corny the dialogue, plotting and acting of those films were.

By contrast, "Episode II" is packed with sequences that push the envelope of action and suspense. Lucas sets a thrilling airborne chase sequence. There's also a nail-biting sequence involving Anakin and Padme, who are trapped on a hellishly life-threatening assembly line for droids. And, thanks to the miracle of computer-generated imagery, we even get to see Yoda show off his dueling skills.

The film also has a glorious visual sense. Lucas and his army of digital wizards fill the screen with enough remarkable imagery to populate several films. And that's not even mentioning the more obvious special effects; there's so much to look at in any given shot that you almost forget about the story.

It's hard to imagine fans not being thrilled by what Lucas has wrought in "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones," which leaves you begging for more. Unfortunately, you'll just have to wait until 2005 for "Episode III."

Rated PG for violence, adult themes.