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None of theStar Warsprequels were universally praise . AfterThe Phantom Menacekicked things off with one of the most controversial franchise reboots ever made , the prequels were all met with a mixed reaction from fans and critics . But the reaction to some films was more divided than others . The middle chapter , Attack of the Clones , received by far the worst reviews of the trilogy .
critic lamentedAttack of the Clones ’ overuse of CGI , its underuse of cohesive storytelling , and its whiny , angsty word-painting of Anakin Skywalker . But it ’s not a stark disaster . Ewan McGregor ’s Obi - Wan is always watchable and the movie has some awe-inspiring villain .
It’s Not As Bad As People Say
Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Is Endlessly Watchable
There are n’t a lot of thing in the prequel trilogy that allStar Warsfans can agree on , but almost all of them can jibe that Ewan McGregor was the perfect casting choice forthe younger incarnation of Obi - Wan . He ’s just as fresh and worldly as Alec Guinness ’ older Obi - Wan , but he ’s more youthful and vibrant .
McGregor was n’t always backed up by the proficient script , but his execution as Obi - Wan is infinitely watchable . He gets even more of a spotlight inAttack of the Clonesthan he had inThe Phantom Menace .
Attack Of The Clones Has Awesome Villains
One way that the prequels lived up to the original trilogy ( and the sequels did n’t ) is their memorable villains . After terrifying audiences withDarth Maul inThe Phantom Menace , Lucas introduced fan to a couple of awe-inspiring new villains inAttack of the Clones .
Count Dooku is a Sith - in - preparation played by the legendary Christopher Lee and bounty hunter Jango Fett is just as much of a badass as his son . And , of course , Palpatine drop the movie secretly pull the strings from the shadows .
John Williams’ Score Is Typically Breathtaking
One matter thatStar Warsfans can calculate on , even in the worst possibleStar Warsmovie , is that John Williams will ply a breathtaking score . fire of the Clonesis no different , elevating average action sequences and character workplace with mesmerizing music .
Williams bring back “ Duel of the Fates ” when Anakin drives out to massacre the Tusken Raiders who kidnapped his female parent . Anakin and Padmé ’s love theme , “ Across the Stars , ” is more moving and emotionally piquant than their actual dear account .
Padmé Gets In On All The Action
WhileRevenge of the Sithis widely considered to be the bestStar Warsprequel , it falls little ofAttack of the Clonesin one key field : Padmé ’s spark . In the third prequel movie , Padmé is relegated to being sad ( which finally defeat her ) . In the first two prequels , Padmé got in on all the action at law .
She reclaims her throne inThe Phantom Menaceand kicks even more tooshie inAttack of the Clones . Before spend the whole ofRevenge of the Sithmoping around her apartment , Padmé singlehandedly defeated a kaiju while chain to a military post inAttack of the Clones .
The Climactic Set-Piece Delivers In Spades
Like all the best blockbuster finales , theclimactic set - man inAttack of the Clonesdelivers everything but the kitchen sump . The Battle of Geonosis kicking off when Mace Windu brings a oodles - strong Jedi bang force to liberate Anakin , Obi - Wan , and Padmé from a gladiatorial arena where they ’re being prey to hungry monster .
Just when the Jedi are turn a loss hope and seem to be outnumbered , Yoda arrives with the titular cloned cavalry . This explosive set - piece , culminating in a affaire d’honneur with Count Dooku , marks the beginning of the Clone Wars .
It Is As Bad As People Say
Hayden Christensen Hadn’t Quite Settled Into The Role Of Anakin Yet
Hayden Christensen ended up establish a stellar operation as Anakin inRevenge of the Sith , convey flock of dwell nicety to the pseudo - Shakespearian disaster of his surrender from grace . But he had n’t quite descend into the role when he first played Anakin inAttack of the Clones .
To the actor ’s credit , there was only so much he could do with the cloth he was given , but the Anakin ofEpisode IIwas criticized for being whiny as opposed to intimidating .
Too Much Shaky CGI
There was no barometer for how much CGI to use in a movie when Lucas made theStar Warsprequels , because he pioneered groundbreaking CG engineering specifically to create theStar Warsprequels . To make the most of his new toys , Lucas end up going overboard with the early computer - generated effect in the prequel trilogy .
There ’s far too much CGI inAttack of the Clones – there are no extras in clone armor ; all of the clones are quicken – and a good deal of the effect are shaky and outdated .
The Romantic Scenes Are Borderline Unbearable
The quixotic subplots of action - adventure blockbuster are bear to strike short of Emily Brontë , but the love story inAttack of the Clonesborders on being unwatchable .
As Anakin goes to Naboo to protect Padmé from assassin , they end up confronting their feelings for each other and fall in love . On paper , this sounds like a cute report electric arc , but the execution is cringeworthy , with lines such as “ I do n’t care sand ” replete in for coquetry .
Many Of The Mystery Storylines Were Ultimately Unresolved
In the piece of writing ofAttack of the Clones , Lucas went on a few mystic detour that at last break nowhere . Episode IIsets up a big conspiracy border the origins of the clone army , but it ’s never resolved .
Audiences expected some follow - up inEpisode III , but Lucas dropped this storyline inRevenge of the Sithso he could focalise the finis on Anakin ’s bout to the dark side .
Heavy-Handed Portrayal Of Anakin’s Turn To The Dark Side
Lucas con some central lessons fromAttack of the Cloneswith a slightly subtler coming to the final stages ofAnakin ’s turn of events to the dark sideinRevenge of the Sith .
InAttack of the Clones , that journey is a piddling heavy - handed . Anakin go from a wayward Jedi apprentice to a inhuman - hearted lot murderer at the free fall of a dime bag .
NEXT:5 Ways The Phantom Menace Is n’t As Bad As People Say ( & 5 Ways It Is )