Ever since Alec Guinness' Ben Kenobi mentioned fighting with Luke's father in the Clone Wars in "A New Hope," "Star Wars" die-hards have been itching to see the Clone Wars and find out just what they were all about. Obi- Wan traces a poison dart to a mysterious planet called Kamino, where he uncovers a big secret and a conspiracy unfolds. Running through the film is a pretty solid mystery thread: As a dangerous separatist movement gains steam in the Republic, now-Senator Amidala finds her life threatened and Obi-Wan and Anakin are assigned to protect her, and if possible, identify her would-be assassin. Before ripping into this unfortunate romantic subplot, it's worth noting that most else about "Clones" is entertaining. Right away, we are presented with a cocky, reckless young padowan of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who is nothing like little "Ani" in "Episode I." He is also extremely forward with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), because, well, they have to fall in love and there just isn't much time for them to do so in a believable way. Because "The Phantom Menace" does very little legwork for Anakin's turn to the dark side, everything falls on "Attack of the Clones" to put it in motion. Therefore, he must turn evil – and fall in love – at the same time. The dots that are most critical to the story are the ones that trace Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) path to the dark side and becoming the father of Luke and Leia. Everything must add up to fit with the original "Star Wars" trilogy and Lucas must connect the dots, even if they don't all want to connect. It's clear in many ways that the story and screenplay is slave to this. Central to the entire prequel trilogy is the story of how Darth Vader becomes Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire rises to power, which means Lucas has a trajectory he must follow. Although it is quite the grandiose visual effects spectacle – more so than any of its predecessors – it is the smaller, character- driven parts of the story that George Lucas absolutely botches, to almost comical effect. Of course, "Attack of the Clones" also has troubles of its own. "Episode I" feels like a mostly unnecessary part of the story now that "Episode II" gives a better glimpse into the troubled young man Anakin Skywalker – the future Darth Vader – has become. In fact, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" sort of renders its predecessor useless. And now, the Darth Vader origin story really begins.
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