Mr. Lee the star of NYTImes review!

**John Farrell** · 10th May 2002, 03:12 PM

Although the critic didn't the like the film overall, check out what he had to say about Mr. Lee....

"Only Mr. Jackson, Frank Oz (the voice of Yoda) and, later, the formidable Christopher Lee seem comfortable in their performances, perhaps because they know better than to take the proceedings too seriously.

"...There are two moments, one early and one late, in which the sententious hooey is cast off and some of the old "Star Wars" spirit peeks out. The first is an aerial chase through traffic-clogged skies, in which the great cinematic challenge of conveying flight is breathtakingly surmounted. The other is a light-saber duel between the evil Count Dooku (Mr. Lee) and Yoda. Watching the elfin, leaping Yoda mix it up with the tall, graceful British bad guy momentarily dispels the ponderous tedium that has come before, but it is too little, too late.

Given Mr. Lee's long career in horror films, the contest also recalls one of those debates that erupt among third graders about the relative prowess of fictional characters. ("No way could Batman beat up Superman. He doesn't even really have powers." "Yuh-uh, 'cause what if Batman had some Kryptonite?" "Yeah, but neither one of them could beat the Incredible Hulk.") Could Yoda beat up Dracula? Good question. But the more relevant one is whether Anakin Skywalker can beat Spider-Man. The answer, young Jedi, is in your hands."

Full review (registrtation required, I think) at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/10/movies/1...nt&position=top

Best,

John F

**David Vasser** · 11th May 2002, 03:19 AM

I smell something....(sniff sniff sniff)...it smells like AN OSCAR NOMINATION FOR MR. LEE!!!!!! :D

**Frederick Bergstrom** · 11th May 2002, 10:56 PM

on the yoda beating up Dracula line....I would have liked to see Saruman the white used instead, to keep it more presant day for the comparison but oh, well. ..Im sure some people going in may not realize CL is the same actor from LOTR. I have made several comments about that Yoda scene to my friends . I have to see it to believe it ..i mean CL vs. Yoda ?I hope its directed well cause its a mismatch in my book

**David Vasser** · 16th May 2002, 05:30 PM

I have scoured the net for every legitimate review I could find and the good ones way outnumber the bad ones from the Dark Side of the Force. Mr. Lee is shining through as many of the reviews are listing him fourth in the cast ahead of long running series member Ian McDiarmid and even ahead of Samuel L. Jackson! That is quite a testament to his performance! Here are some selected outtakes of ATTACK OF THE CLONES reviews currently posted on the net in alphabetical order by publication name. At the time of the post these links were all working, however links have a tendency to change so I assume no responsibility for their functioning beyond today.

AIN

Carmen and Greg · 24th May 2002, 03:19 AM

Brother Dave:

That was quite kind of you to go through so much to post all those reviews. Thank you. And they are very interesting indeed.

The bottom line is, you're right--there's that same old pattern, the same one there has always been regarding movies and Christopher Lee's appearance in them.

My sister once said it best, "If Christopher Lee is in a film, automatically it's improved sheerly because of his presence." That still hasn't changed in 50 years of acting.

He elevates a film, he brings life to a film, he raises the credibility factor in a film, and on and on and on....

So, quite frankly, I would like to see this latest chapter in the SW series do well, because I respect George Lucas and his intentions, but truly I'm only interested in watching and enjoying the exquisite craftsmanship Mr Lee brings to the screen.

That's it for me. Anything else is just insignificant.

Carmen