STAR WARS EPISODE 2: THE ATTACK OF THE CLONES

US, 2002, 145 minutes, Colour.
Ewan Mc Gregor, Natalie Portman, Haydn Christiansen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid?, Jimmy Smits, Temuara Morrison, Jack Thompson, Pernilla August.
Directed by George Lucas.

What a relief! After the unexpected flatness of The Phantom Menace, writer-director, George Lucas, must have listened to his critics because Attack of the Clones is so much better. In fact, it is a return to the zest and panache that made the first Star Wars film such a hit a quarter of a century ago.

Children who were twelve back then, in 1977, are now parents of 37. They know how much they enjoyed the adventures in the galaxy far, far away. They will enjoy taking their children to see this new adventure. But, as with the earlier films in the series, some of the battle sequences are not for impressionable children. And some of the strange, even eerie, creatures may be more than a little scary. Having said that, Attack of the Clones is as much as any Star Wars fan could want.

This episode is the story of Annakin Skywalker. He is now a Jedi in training, ten years after we last saw him win the Podrace in The Phantom Menace. Obi Wan Kenobi is his master and mentor, a father-figure. We all know that he is going to make a choice for the dark side, so this film is our opportunity to understand why. Lucas does not disappoint us. Annakin is brash, chafes against what he calls Obi Wan's sermons, rushes into battle without thinking. He also shows his frustration when things don't go his way and dreams of being powerful, controlling everyone and everything.

As a Jedi, he is not to become involved in matters of the heart. But he meets Padme Amidalla, the young woman who has served her term as queen of her planet and is now a senator of the Republic. He falls in love. She might have been able to save him from himself. We know that their children will be Leia and Luke... but that is for the next episode, promised for 2005.

Special effects and the quality of digital photography has improved immensely since 1977. Lucas has not spared any expense to give us a visual banquet - and, for the movie buffs, echoes of other futuristic films from Metropolis to Blade Runner: vast cities with their skyscraper caverns of crowded flying traffic, lyrical beauty of mountains and lakes, desert vistas. And there is plenty of extraordinary action, chases, laser beam duels and a coliseum sequence which takes us back to Quo Vadis or, simply, back to Gladiator. John Williams' familiar musical themes are just as stirring.

The focus is on Hayden Christensen as Annakin. It is a surprise when he smiles because he has a perpetual aura of moodiness. He is a morosely dissatisfied and ambitious young man. We can believe he is to become Darth Vader. Ewan Mc Gregor is much, much better than he was in Phantom Menace. Yes, he could grow into Alec Guinness. Natalie Portman as the Senator joins in the derring-do, just as he daughter, Leia, will.

With this episode, Lucas is giving us the background to many of the characters who appear in the later parts of the legend including the evil emperor. The villain this time is Christopher Lee (who turns 80 on May 27th), a tall, majestic figure with his deep voice, his agility with the sword, confronting Master Yoda in a power contest of using The Force.

The Star Wars series is not meant to be high art. But it is a series of popular cinema that offers us straightforward, sometimes simplistic images of quests, struggles for identity, love and the battle between good and evil.

1. The popularity of the Star Wars films over a quarter of a century? The fourth, fifth and sixth episodes coming in the '70s and '80s and audiences waiting for the prequels? The significance of The Phantom Menace in 1999 and audience response to it? Popular yet strongly criticised because of its characterisations and its flat plot? This film as a comeback to the spirit of the '70s and overcoming the difficulties of The Phantom Menace? It's popularity?

2. The importance of the Star Wars legends, their impact on world consciousness from the '70s, a new mythology of the struggle between good and evil, new heroes and heroines, new symbols, new landscapes and space scapes? Audience response and its continued popularity for decades? At the beginning of the 21st century a space mythology?

3. The digital photography and its quality? The special effects, computerisation, miniatures? Combining for a visual feast and audiences being drawn into the look of the cities, their feel, the buildings, space, the different planets and the beauty, the surgings of the sea, the deserts? All audiences being able to identify with this scenery and so identify with the characters and experiences? The importance of John Williams' score and the familiar themes as well as the new romantic themes?

4. Audiences able to follow the plot, the background of The Phantom Menace and the development of the characters? The psychological significance of knowing who these characters are and what their future will be, also their descendants in the episodes 4, 5 and 6? The transition from Anakin into Darth Vader, Princess Padme and her being the mother of Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker? Obi Wan Kenobi and his transition into the Wise Old Sage? The head of the republic and his transition into the evil emperor? Audiences on the lookout for the younger versions of characters they know as older?

5. The title, the clones being produced in the outer planet, as an army for the republic? The situation of the republic, its strength for 1000 years, the separationist groups and the disillusionment of Count Dooku and his betraying of the Jedi tradition? The head of the Senate and the revelation that he was setting up the separatist movement in order to gain control over the whole empire and the galaxies? His pursuit of evil with Dooku and other Jedi?

6. The film as a portrait of Obi Wan Kenobi? Euan McGregor's screen presence and style? His being the mentor and father figure for Anakin? His training him, criticisms, sermons? His expectations? His understanding of Anakin's faults and trying to control them? His thinking that Anakin was not ready for his commission? His place in advice to the senators, in guarding Anakin, the chase and pursuit of the attempted assassin? His going on the mission to the planet and discovering the truth about the clone army? His confrontation with the bounty hunter and his son? The fight and the clash? His relying on Anakin to look after the senator? His being captured, in the arena, finding Padme and Anakin in the arena? The fight and the escape? The build-up to the future battles? Audiences being able to see that he would become the Alec Guinness-style Obi Wan Kenobi?

7. Anakin ten years after he was the little boy of The Phantom Menace and won the pod race? His devotion to his mother? The Jedi training and his abilities? Yet his impatience, brashness? His discussions with Padme about control, high expectations of people, wanting to control everyone? The fascist leanings which were to drive him to choose the Dark Side? Yet his not being irredeemable, his pursuit of the assassin yet his exasperation at the restrictions by Obi Wan? His being the guard for the senator and yet criticising her? Yet his life-long love for her, memories of the past, not seeing her for ten years? As a Jedi in training not able to commit himself in love, yet falling in love? The kiss - and his later regretting it? Going to the planet to protect Padme, his going to his own planet and finding that his own mother had been taken, his going to rescue her, the massacre of all the creatures, men, women and children - and the indication of his dark side? Padme leading him on to go to rescue Obi Wan, their being captured, in the arena, the fight and the escape? Their going to the lake resort, falling in love, their declaration of love for each other? The ending and their marriage?

8. Padme, having served her term as queen, now a senator, her youthfulness but significance in the republic? Her arrival, the decoy being murdered, the other assassination attempts - especially the creatures in her bedroom and Obi Wan and Anakin saving her? Her strength of mind in the Senate, her votes? The head of the Senate and his concern for her, solicitous (but the audience knowing that he was evil)? That he was wanting to kill her? Her going back with Anakin, attracted to him, yet asserting her sense of responsibility in the republic? At home, with Anakin at the lake? Going to see his family, supporting him in his grief for his mother and her death? Going to rescue Obi Wan? Her skill in battle? The future as she marries Anakin?

9. The Senate, the range of humans and mutants? Jaja Binks (and audiences being irritated by his peculiar mannerisms and way of speaking - toned down and not appearing so much in this film?), the other members of the council? Windu and Samuel L. Jackson's presence, the peacemaker, his advice in the council, yet going into battle when necessary, coming to the rescue of the besieged group in the arena? Jimmy Smits as another adviser and the range of advisers in the council?

10. The head of the republic, his seeming to want peace, his wise rule? The assembly and his being given supreme power, his accepting it, later using it for absolute control? His being in league with Dooku?

11. Dooku, his plans, his betrayal of the Jedi code? His justification for his actions? His confrontation with Obi Wan, the laser beam fight? In the arena and his wanting them all to be killed? His standing like a Roman emperor at the Colosseum? His clash with Yoda and their both using the Force to confront each other? Christopher Lee's presence and style?

12. Anakin's visit to his own planet, his mother missing, his stepfather and stepbrother - and their late appearing in Star Wars as his uncle and aunt? His quest to find his mother, discovering her, her love for him, his deep grief at her death? His massacre? Bringing her back and the burial?

13. The clone army and the planet where the clones were being made, the commission, five years in the evolutionary development of the clones? Their going to fight?

14. The bounty hunter, his attempts to assassinate Padme, back on his own planet, his son (who would be the bounty hunter in later films)? The confrontation and the bounty hunter's death?

15. The Colosseum sequence and the overtones of the Roman Empire, the computer graphics for the audience? The scenes of the martyrs in the Colosseum, the arrival of Yoda, Windu and the army and their being saved?

16. The strange range of creatures in the cities, Obi Wan and his detective work in going to the bar to find out about the clone planet? The large monstrous types? The comic types? See Threepio and R2D2? appearing, becoming friends, See Threepio and his losing his head in the clone army but getting back together with R2D2's help?

17. The film as an episode, a linking film between episodes 1 and 3? The story just stopping - and leaving the audience with an eager sense of anticipation for the next film?