Countdown to 'Star Wars' Day: Why 'Episode II Attack of the Clones' is worth watching despite its weak plot
Spoilers for 'Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones'.
According to almost any 'Star Wars' fan, the prequels were not even close to the original trilogy and they do have a point. Despite the better graphics and action, the prequels failed in terms of characterization and plot.
'Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones', the second movie of the prequel trilogy, was better than its predecessor 'Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace' by a mile. It's hardly the best movie of the franchise but it has echos of 'Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back' and it is important in the grand scheme of things for three reasons.
As the name suggests, this is the movie that introduced the Republic's Clone Troopers who would eventually go on to become the Imperial Stormtroopers everyone loves to hate. The movie kicks off the Clone Wars, a storyline continued in the eponymous animated series, and marks the true beginnings of the Republic's fall.
The movie also marks the beginning of Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) fall from grace, with the death of his mother Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla August) causing something to snap inside the young Jedi, and Anakin's marriage to Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). While the latter may seem like a happy occasion, it is ultimately what leads to his fall to the dark side and his transformation into Darth Vader.
This is also the chapter in which the Empire is truly born with Chancellor Sheev Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) being granted emergency powers by the Senate, starting his rise to absolute power. In many ways, 'Attack of the Clones' is the darkest movie of the prequels, which is saying a lot for a trilogy that is both a thematic and production tragedy.
As we mentioned earlier, 'Attack of the Clones' doesn't exactly score highly in terms of plot or character development but it is still a fun cinematic experience. The visuals and action are top-notch and it would be worth the watch just for the insane battles, especially the one between Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his former master Yoda (Frank Oz), and the one where Dooku faces off against Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).
While all the 'Star Wars' movies are recommended watching ahead of Star Wars Day, 'Attack of the Clones' has just enough merit to be worth viewing even otherwise. It's hardly a work of cinematic brilliance but it is still miles ahead of the worst the franchise has to offer.
'Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones' is currently available for streaming on Disney+.