Star Wars rewatch: 5 thoughts on Attack of the Clones

2. At least we have Yoda kicking butt

I am the first person to say that using practical effects is better than solely digital effects. The original Yoda was incredible and one of my favorite characters as a kid (and now). Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian is beloved in large part because he is a physical creature being filmed rather than just a computer simulation. As a general rule of thumb, Star Wars is better off when it uses puppets and animatronics rather than purely digital creations.

That being said, seeing Yoda take on Count Dooku is a scene that always brings me joy. In the theater when I first saw it I exclaimed “Go Yoda” at the top of my lungs (I was 11). Despite being aged and diminutive he nearly defeats one of the greatest swordsmen in the history of the Jedi Order, forced into a draw only because Dooku plays dirty and goes after the injured Jedi. Go Yoda!

Watch Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and other movies on Disney+.

1. Action sequences are great

I continue to love many of the action sequences in this movie. The redeeming quality of all three prequels are the final battle scenes, and Attack of the Clones is no exception. Anakin and Dooku fighting with the lights flickering still gives me chills. Obi-Wan vs Jango Fett in the asteroid field is awesome; not simply the maneuvering but that incredibly-satisfying sound the sonic charge makes.

The five-second period on Coruscant where Anakin leaps onto Padme’s bed and flicks away the poisonous worms while Obi-Wan dives straight out the window to snag Zam Wessel’s droid is excellent. The speeder chase itself is hit-or-miss, although it grants Obi-Wan some great quips. After the chase the exchange in the club where he convinces the drug dealer to “go home and rethink his life” makes me laugh every time.

In the Geonosis arena we get some great person-to-animal fighting, and the well-paced Jango v. Mace Windu fight. While the latter is short it is dramatic. As previously mentioned Jedi Master Yoda v. Count Dooku is an exceptional fight as well.

Finally, the scope of the battle between the newly arrived clone troopers and the Separatist forces on Geonosis is immense. For the first time in Star Wars we saw a land battle of epic proportions;  the battles on Hoth and Naboo in previous films were more limited in scope. This movie is far from perfect, and probably far even from “good” but the action sequences are a redeeming quality.