Star Wars rewatch: 5 thoughts on Attack of the Clones

Social distancing is a great time for a Star Wars rewatch. Here are five thoughts on Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones came out in 2002, the second installment in the prequel trilogy. This movie represented a major pivot point for the Star Wars franchise. 1999’s The Phantom Menace had been a commercial success and a critical question mark. Would “Episode II” redeem the reboot, or continue on the path of polarization?

Suffice it to say that the latter came to pass, and then some. Attack of the Clones has firmly settled into the fight for worst Star Wars film of all time, jostling with The Phantom Menace and that small-yet-vicious vocal minority who really hate Rian Johnson. Even casual Star Wars fans know to speak of this movie with a level of disdain.

With the world sheltering in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed the perfect time to delve back into one of the greatest franchises of all time. What stands out from these movies, watching them as an adult longtime fan with the entirety of the Skywalker saga now out?

We begin with Episode II because of its polarization. What makes this movie so disliked by so many fans? What are its redeeming qualities? And finally, don’t we all agree that sand is terrible? It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere…