Perhaps George Lucas's Most Advant Garde Star Wars Film?

DVDs:


	• Star Wars - Episode II, Attack of the Clones (Widescreen Edition) Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman 20th Century Fox, 2005 average customer review:based on 2163 reviews view larger image
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Attacking the Legacy

After the overwhelmingly disappointing presentation that was "The Phantom Menace", we Star Wars fans were sure that our benefactor, the wise and creative George Lucas, had simply been dealing with a very large and lengthy brain fart that had caused some of his more questionable choices regarding what was to be the prequel to end all prequels; we were also sure that by ascending the director's chair again, he would be righting the wrongs of the first (or fourth) film and making us feel proud to be sci-fi junkies again.
However, to put it plainly, "Attack of the Clones" rights a few of it predecessor's wrongs only to replace them with faults just as great as those of the past. While the sequel is a maginally better attempt (I'd give it a 3.5 if I could), that's all that it remains: an attempt at replicating the original trilogy's greatness.

Taking place a decade after "Phantom Menace", the plot finds ex-queen and current Naboo senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) the target of an assassination attempt led by a separatist movement stirring in the Galactic Senate. Sent to protect her from further attacks are Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his maturing apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen), who has not relented his attraction towards the beautiful politician since the last movie. Upon the finding of a clue regarding Amidala's would-be assassin, the two Jedi part ways, with Kenobi tracking a bounty hunter and Skywalker escorting the senator into hiding on her homeworld of Naboo...where, against the vows of a Jedi, the two of them come to realize that their attraction is more than one-sided.

It's rare that I can place the majority of blame for a bad movie on a single individual, but in the case of "Attack of the Clones", a large part of what made the movie as big of a disappointment as it is was Hayden Christensen being cast as the adult Anakin Skywalker. I have no doubt that even decades from now, fans will still be debating about what state of mind George Lucas was in when he selected the then-21-year-old ex-star of TV's "Higher Ground" for what should have been one of the most defining roles in cinema history: the part of the troubled Skywalker calls for the juggling of several emotions, but even the most basic of core expressions seem lost to Christensen, who mumbles his lines like a supporting member of a school play, and sells the most humanistic of exertions as though he has something else on his mind. In truth, behind the scenes, Christensen was surprised to find out that he wouldn't yet be playing the role of Darth Vader until the third movie, and his obvious disappointment shines through in every scene, as though he's punishing Lucas for not letting him wear the enigmatic cape and helmet by performing in inexcusable monotone.
Luckily, Ewan McGregor has begun to grow into his role as the-man-who-would-be-Ben, and having Christopher Lee ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) in the cast as the villainous Count Dooku adds a sense of legitimancy to the otherwise flawed ensemble (which includes Natalie Portman resuming her poor job as Padme); he nicely fills the shoes that had been left by other acclaimed veterans performers like Alec Guiness (the elderly Obi-Wan) and Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon Jinn).

If we can forget the fact that the romance angle of the plot resembles "Dawson's Creek" to an embarassing extent, we can look at "Attack" for what it's best left considered as: a powerhouse of CGI magic and action galore. While "Phantom Menace" was no slouch when it came to delivering the thrills, its sequel dutifully puts it (and just about everything else) to shame by showcasing what are, without a doubt, some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring visuals ever: the Obi-Wan/Jango Fett battle, the chase in the asteroid field (this one in particular is amazing), the droid/Clone battle, the climatic lightsaber duel, and roughly a dozen other scenes will remind anybody who's forgotten of what George Lucas and his team can do with special effects and that they really know how to shoot a fight scene, be it in space on the ground.
In addition, the environment has been refined to give it a more tangible feel: not unlike Mos Eisley in the original film, the characters actually traverse deeply into the locales they visit (Kamino, Geonosis, etc.). This is a great step upwards, when remembering the indifferent atmosphere surrounding the locations of the previous film: absolutely no expense has been spared to detail these vistas to an amazing degree, and I'm sure that a viewer could occupy himself throughout the movie by just paying attention to the backgrounds, the sound effects, and the texture of Lama Su's face.

Alas, we Star Wars fans would have to wait until Episode III until we would receive general satisfaction in the prequel trilogy, and for this, Episode II is a disappointment - not as a sci-fi or action movie, but as a part of the Star Wars legacy. No doubt fans will already own it, but anybody who hasn't seen it yet shouldn't be afraid of giving it a rent on a Saturday night.

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Perhaps George Lucas's Most Advant Garde Star Wars Film?

*Contains spoilers for anyone that hasn't seen the film*

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is the Star Wars movie that possibly divide's Star Wars fans the most. With The Phantom Menace, most fans are united in their indifference to down right loathing. With Revenge of the Sith, most fans agreed that it was a huge step up in all departments. But with 2002's Attack of the Clones opinion was varied widely between those that hated it more then Phantom Menace right through to those that thought it was a masterpiece on a par with The Empire Strikes Back. Why such a range of opinion? My feeling is that this is perhaps the movie of the series that is closest to Lucas's personal desire to be a truly experimental film maker. Indeed, there's almost something of the advant garde about the style of Attack of the Clones, but at the same time Lucas has gone out of his way to listen and respond and correct much of the criticism of The Phantom Menace.

In a story sense, Attack of the Clones is closest to The Empires Strikes Back. It's a bridging movie that must act both as pathway from Episode I to Episode III and at the same time it must be an interesting and entertaining movie in its own right. It must deepen and flesh out the characters and take the plot in new and surprising directions - Clones achieves all of these things to varying degrees of success. Clearly Lucas realized this film was in some ways connected in story terms to Empire, because he put in a couple of elements from the 1980 movie. So, we have incredibly cool looking Bounty Hunters, a very youthful Boba Fett and his father Jango Fett and a chase through an asteroid field (though the CGI asteroid chase of Attack of the Clones is not a thrilling or exciting as the asteroid chase in Empire)

Attack of the Clones is basically a love story set against the backdrop of war and this is where a lot of the complaints come from. The love story is played out as a very old fashioned, formal courtship, almost in the spirit of King Arthur or Romeo and Juliet. The dialogue is deliberately flowery and over the top. Unfortunately Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman do not have the range to pull off some of the lines they are given. The actors should have had a sense of humor about the guff they have to say, and that would have helped the audience relax into the scenes. As it is, everything is played out very seriously and on one or two occasions the scenes simply become a bore. Listen out for a stunning, melancholy love theme (Across The Stars) composed as ever by musical legend John Williams. This sad piece hints at the tragedy that will await Anakin and Padme....
Juxtaposed to the love story we get a mystery story, where Obi-Wan Kenobi goes off on his own to investigate who is trying to kill Padme. The mystery deepens when Obi-Wan stumbles across a Clone Army that is being developed for The Republic, supposedly at the behest of the Jedi Council. Soon Obi-Wan finds himself caught up in a war beat that explodes into life on the hot and dusty planet of Geonosis. This story is much more interesting than the love stuff and on a number of occasions when the movie is with Anakin and Padme, you'll find yourself wishing to get back to Obi-Wan. Ewan McGregor has a much expanded role, and he shines. This is McGregor's movie and he completely steps up to the plate. Rumor has it that Ewan wasn't particularly happy with this movie, but in my opinion he delivers his best work of the Prequel Trilogy in Attack of the Clones.

As the movie develops Anakin and Padme leave the safety of Naboo (Lake Como stands in for Naboo in this film and looks absolutely beautiful) and travel to Tatooine. This is the part of the film where Clones truly comes alive. The acting level rise's all round as we return to the Lars Homestead (the places and sets so famous in the original Star Wars movie) We meet up with C3PO and find out that Anakin's mother has been kidnapped by Tusken Raiders. As his beloved mother later dies in arms, Anakin lashes out in an uncontrollable rage (listen out for a ghostly voice crying out at this moment) and his downward spiral to his ultimate fate has begun. These scenes and a confession scene (set in the Lars garage - another famous set from Star Wars) are played out excellently. Christenson and Portman really act well in these scenes. The movie rise's to a whole new level at this moment, and the rest of the film just fly's by.

The final action scenes take place on Geonosis as Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme join up and take on monsters and Battle Droids. They are then joined by Clones Attacking (fancy that) and 500 Jedi Knights, including much expanded roles for Yoda and Mace Windu. All this is overseen by evil Count Dooku, played with great style by horror legend Christopher Lee. Indeed, the climax of the movie is an iconic face off between Dooku and Yoda. The lightsaber fight itself leaves a lot to be desired, but the build up is masterful. The roof, literally, comes down! As we go from one action scene to another in true cliffhanger/Saturday matinee style, the action becomes breathtaking and you'll be exhausted by the end. Finally people get to see why Star Wars is such a special series of movies.

The acting is generally better in Clones than Menace. I've already picked up on McGregor, but Portman and Christenson also do good work outside of some of the love scenes. Ian McDiarmid is again solid as ever as Palpatine (look out for the now Supreme Chancellor to take a further step towards Galactic Domination in a scene that actually justifies Jar Jar Binks's presense in this series) Samuel L Jackson enjoys his expanded role. Tem Morrison as Jango Fett and Christopher Lee both enjoy their villainous roles.

So, what are those experimental elements? Well, firstly the film was the first ever motion picture to be shot entirely with digital cameras. This is problematical as it adds a shiny, somehow false element to many of the scenes. Almost like everything is a little bit too clear and clear - Only when the action moves on to the grimy location of Tatooine does it finally look like a proper camera has been used.
The editing is also done in a very abstract way. This was Ben Burtts first movie as a solo editor and many of the cuts, whether deliberately or not, do stand out. There's almost something about this film that jerks you around - This is almost entirely deliberate. Right from the pan the camera motion is up rather than down (or is it just that the camera is up side down????) and from that moment on its clear that nothing is what it seems.
There's a water planet (Kamino) where the Clones are being created. Inside the building on Kamino, everything is brilliantly white and sanitized and this environment definitely evokes memories of Lucas's first film, THX-1138. That, set against the hot and mechanical world of Geonosis and the droid factories (where Anakin and Padme have a long action scene) these environments are both much more abstract than any other enviro's in the Star Wars Saga.
Lucas has always said Star Wars is a silent movie, but with Attack of the Clones he pushes that to an absolute limit. The last 40 minutes is essentially a silent movie. Yes, there is still some dialogue, but out of 40 minutes, I would guess the total amount of dialogue would come to less than 5 minutes. Instead, the story is told entirely through movement, sound and music. This is absolutely the heart and soul of George Lucas the film maker. Telling stories visually and through sound and music. NOT dialogue. There's a fabulous moment during the lightsaber duel between Anakin and Dooku, where all you see is a black background and the protagonists faces, lit up by the red and blue of their lightabers. No music, no dialogue, just the iconic sound of their sabers and the striking visuals. Almost like a little tone poem. This is surely the most advant garde scene in the whole of the Star Wars Saga?
As well as pushing the silent movie element to its limit in the last 40 minutes, George Lucas also pushes the cliffhanger style to its limit. The final 40 minutes is basically one cliffhanger ending after another after another after another and its all done in true Saturday Morning Matinee style.

So this is definitely George Lucas's most abstract Star Wars movie. And this weird blend of the abstract and the commercial makes for an odd combination. As I said at the start, some people love Attack of the Clones and it now has a cult following among a small number of fans. At the same time some people loath it. Like all the Star Wars movies it should be seen at least once and watch with an open mind.

The production is as good as ever. The costumes look great; the CGI (whilst not to everyone's tastes) is as expertly done by ILM as ever. The musical score is better than on The Phantom Menace, despite some poor editing from Burtt. The acting is better. The script is generally better (though Star Wars is NOT about dialouge and if more people understood this they would probably appreciate the Sage more)

As far as extra's go, we have the usual deleted scenes, trailers, music video, full commentary, web-docs and featurette's. The main documentary; From Puppets To Pixels is sadly NOT of the standard of The Phantom Menaces: The Beginning. Nevertheless, it's well produced and is worth a look. Look out also for mockumentary R2D2: Beneath The Dome - A very funny look at the life of R2D2.

Attack of the Clones itself is much darker than The Phantom Menace and has a melancholy feel about it. The ending is a true downer. First we have the realization that the Clone Wars have begun and the Sith are in total control of events. Then we get our first true blast the legendary Imperial March, followed by a doomed wedding set against the symbolism of a setting sun. As Anakin and Padme turn their backs to the camera, their fate is sealed. Episode III awaits....

Speaking for myself (and I can only do that) I highly recommend Attack of the Clones. The movie is better than The Phantom Menace at a very good **** whilst the extra's are slightly worse than those included with The Phantom Menace, but still a solid ***. Please note that this movie will most certainly not be to everybody's tastes.

*PS, Attack of the Clones has a multitude of references to other films, so if your a movie buff, its worth watching purely to see how many references you notice*

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There is no Beating the Beginning of the Clone Wars...

I've Waited long Enough, heard enough Criticism taken enough Star Wars and George Lucas Bashing. It is August of 2008 as I write this. Star Wars Is and always has been a Cultural Phenomenon. Why has the Original Trilogy Flourished, while the Prequels have been treated less then kind to. First off Episodes I-III are The story of Anakin Skywalker. Not the back story of the Exploits of Darth Vader. We have to know the Man before we Know the Monster. Episode II is how Anakin and Padme fall in Love and the fall af the Republic into Civil War. I Thought it was a Terrific Movie. Hayden C. Can act, He is a Good (Young-Future) Vader. Natalie Portman is Perfect as the Mother of Luke and Leia. And Ewan Mcgregor is Without a doubt the perfect young Obi-Wan Kenobi. Yoda in action. Jango Fett, Young Boba Fett. The Origin of the Clones. THE JEDI IN ACTION!!!!!
as Star Wars fans We have been waiting A LONG TIME for this. It is happening in this movie. PLus we are Treated to the Start of the Clone Wars. The Battles are Unbelievable. What More do people want. So what, we have a Love story going on. Anakin and Padme are Supposed to Fall in Love!!!! They Sire Luke and Leia Don't Forget.
In My Opinion the reason the Prequels weren't as big as the Originals, I hear a Million and one reasons. The reason is clear. The Originals came out They Blew everyone away. No one EVER saw anything like that before. Since then there have been so many movies to come out with so many advances and action, effects, and blockbusters like never before. So when the 3 Prequels came, people were expecting the Second Coming. Obviously NOTHING can live up to that kind of Hype. So 3 Great movies each one better than the last get Destroyed by all the "so-Called" Fans and Critics. That is why they didn't get their Proper Status.

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"This Party is Over!"

Firstly, a word to the admirably persistent complainers--you've been at it for how many years now? All you do is whine and moan; whine and moan; whine and moan. If you must keep whining and moaning, the least you can do is whine and moan some alternatives; sincere, honest,and RATIONAL suggestions about what you would have done with these films, and what you think George Lucas should have done, to make them better. One of my cardinal rules is: don't complain that something's broken if you don't have any idea how to fix it yourself; it really impacts the validity of your review, and its usefulness, if you complain that something is wrong, but do not explain how you feel it should have been done. It removes a level of depth and believability from your words when all you are apparently doing is complaining and ranting that the picture went horribly wrong (and ruined your childhood memories, depending on who you are), and not showing any signs of having an intelligent and logical perspective on how the films should have been done.

While I am at it, here are a few other points to consider:
A) If the Pod Race from Ep. 1 was purely designed to sell a video game, then so was the scene in 'New Hope' where Luke, in his X-wing during his first desperate battle as part of the Rebel Alliance, charges down an exterior trench on the Death Star to find the area that, if fired on, will result in the destruction of the Empire's lethal space station. So is the speeder bike sequence from 'Jedi.' Remember the image of Luke streaking down that perfectly straight, claustrophobically narrow trench, with the graphic showing him what he was aiming for on his "targeting computer". The stuff modern video games are made of, no? Video games may not have been that advanced in '77, but believe me, today that's exactly what people would take it as.

B) If Anakin whined a lot in Ep. II, so did Luke in 'New Hope' (i.e. "I was going to...pick up those power converters" (whatever the EXACT line was...), or the whole bit with 3PO about speeding up time to get him off of Tatoine and on his way to the academy.)

C) If a movie (or even multiple movies) can bring your treasured childhood memories--the mementos of times past stored up in your head--to nothingness, what mental state are you in, anyhow? To dislike a movie is one thing; to claim it ruined things in your head and your life is entirely another. If you are really that direly affected by a film you didn't like, I'd be interested to hear a detailed synopsis of the mental process and emotional process that brought you to this conclusion. Persuade me that it is actually possible to feel this way about a piece of entertainment.

***
Alright, to actually talk about this film--contrary to the beliefs of some, it is important in several ways to the saga as a whole. What can be more important in the Star Wars legend than seeing Anakin and Padme become romantically entwined and, eventually, marry secretly? What can be more vital to the creation of the Empire shown in Eps. 4-6 than the beginning of the Clone Wars, mentioned so cryptically in 'New Hope', and Palpatine getting "emergency powers" beyond the reach of the chancellorship under normal circumstances? To be honest-- little that I can think of. It might seem to be about politcal conniving and petty string-pulling at this stage, but logically speaking, this is how one achieves grand ends. You start low down; you work your way up; you gradually push all these buttons and pull all those strings, and through a slow process that's probably as painful to you as it is to some of the viewers of these films, you get where you always wanted to be in the first place. To put it plainly, it would be illogical for Sideous to just swoop down and beseige Coruscant. Do you think the whole Galactic Republic wouldn't put up a humungous fight? Of course they would; ergo, Sideous has to slowly work his way to total power, step by step, and do it in such a stealthy and orchestrated manner that no one will realize what has happened until it is too late.

Beyond issues of storyline, I'd argue that this one isn't quite as strong as 'Phantom Menace'. As usual the story is strong and in-line with series continuity; Obi-Wan's detective subplot is particularly well done. On this note Ewan McGregor is excellent as Obi-Wan, a noble and skilled Jedi Knight who trains his protege, angst-filled 19-year-old Anakin Skywalker. McGregor exudes his character's wry sense of humor at some points, but at others seems genuinely like a no-nonsense Jedi, and someone to be wary of when he gets down to "business." But the character of Kenobi is that of more-or-less a supporting character in this story. The detective plot intriguing, exciting and ties into the eventual dominance of The Empire, but Anakin and Senator Amidala are the collective centerpiece of this story.

Hayden Christensen, in his first expedition as the Chosen One, has taken more than a fair beating from both professional critics and overzealous fans. My own feeling is that, while he only improves in Ep. 3, he actually does quite well here. He is outstanding particularly in his thunderous outbursts: the former is when he confronts Padme with his pent up love for her, and the second is when, following the death of his mother (portrayed excellently by a very convincing Pernilla August), he confesses to slaughtering the Tuskan Raiders responsible for her end. These are powerful and well-acted scenes that breed a foreboding, not only about the paths on which destiny will take these characters, but also about Anakin's inevitable turn to the Dark Side. Natalie Portman plays the other half of this set of star-crossed lovers, and she continues to be the strong female persona she was in the previous film, but at the same time lets her hair down, so to speak, and is even developed a bit further. Personally I have always felt that Portman was something of a weak link in the prequel cast, at least from Ep. II onward-- not exactly bad, just not as involved in the material at times as other cast members appear to be. She is as good as ever here, and there are as ever some great moments in her reactions to Anakin's fits of rage and desperation.

The remainder of the cast--including Ian McDiarmid, Frank Oz, Samuel L. Jackson, who gives his Mace Windu character a new battle-ready slant at the film's climax, Christopher Lee, and Temura Morrison--are reliable as they ever were, while a colorful array of background characters adds to the wonder and entertainment value of Lucas' universe.

While the screenplay is, as with most things, not nearly as terrible as some of have suggested--even in the romance area, which really improves after a couple viewings and a little thought--two elements of the film captured my interest and attention in particular. Firstly, Jango Fett (aforementioned Morrison)is a brilliant bad guy. I can't say Boba Fett ever interested me that much compared to other Star Wars characters, but Jango--and his silver suit--are every bit as neat and engaging as was Darth Maul in the previous films; in my opinion, silver suits Jango better than blue and grey ever did Boba! The other interesting element of the film is the clarification of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru's connection to all this. Jack Thompson was, frankly, riviting as Clieg Lars, the missing link in the family tree and the man Anakin's mother married. It is fascinating to think of different generations of Lars running this homestead down through the years. I generally find geneologies and family histories fascinating and this saga as a whole is filled with that sort of thing; the Lars family is particularly good example of this facet of the series.

As usual with any Star Wars film, all this intrigue, mystery, romance, character drama, and thrilling adventure eventually melds into a rollercoaster of action, excitment, suspense, and special effects. If you thought Lucas and ILM couldn't top Darth Maul, boy were you wrong. There is an imaginative speeder chase as Anakin and Obi-Wan go after a bounty hunert in a rampage through the late night activity of Coruscant, a fist fight (another big first for Star Wars) between Obi-Wan and Jango, and, most incredibly, a massive Jedi attack on Geonosis, as Obi, Amidala, and Anakin are about to be devowered alive by exotic creatures in an exection aren during what has to be one of Lucas' most orignal and imaginative action sequence. Of course there is the lightsaber duel with Dooku, but it almost takes a back seat to the other action scenes. It's great to see Yoda fight (both Yoda and ultra-cool Mace really get a new shake after the restraint and meditation of the council room scene), but the most one gets out of the scene is that Dooku has escaped and the Clone War (the first battle of which acts as the film's finale) is underway as the hunt to capture Dooku (in fact Darth Tyrannus, in league with Sideous, unbeknownst to the heroes) and prevent him from succeeding with his Seperatist movement is on. And that is imporant; and Christopher Lee, make no mistake about it, is excellent in his villain role, but like most improves in the next film.

At the end of the day, Ep. II, while not quite as enjoyable as its chronological predecessor in some ways, is a fun and, at times, dramatic and elaborate film. It was bound to be shot down half way by one-sided and embittered old-school fans and critics, but it ultimately achieves its objectives, these being: bring Anakin and Padme together, further Sideous' grip on the Republic, show the creation of the storm troopers, and... come off as a fun and engaging space fantasy/action film! Personally, I think it succeeds with flying colors in all of these areas.

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When political seperatists attempt to assasinate Senator Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi tries to find out why while Anakin acts as protector to Amidala and begins a forbidden affair with her.
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: PG
Release Date: 22-MAR-2005
Media Type: DVD