Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones

Casting, casting, casting.

It turns out this is important. I watched this movie for the first time with my kids, and just like with "Phantom Menace", this entry in the Star Wars series looked better through their eyes. I liked it the first time I saw it back in 2002, but felt that the love story between Anakin and Padme was lacking. Having watched the movie again, it holds its own in the mythology of Star Wars. The overall arc of the six episode story is so strong that it can survive a few bumps in the road. Watching this movie again, I was struck by several good things, and two blaring shortcomings.

First, let's cover the good stuff :). The movie, as I mentioned, continues to add wonderful texture to the greater story. It follows the adventures of Obi Wan, Anakin and Padme as the Galactic Republic becomes more corrupt and travels further down the road to being the Empire. Little things are seen here that add so much depth to the world of Star Wars. We are introduced here to the Lars moisture farm on Tatooine which figures prominently in Episodes 3 and 4. We are introduced to the clones for the first time, which are referenced in the original trilogy. We see the back story for Boba Fett here as well, a character who would end up being one of the most popular of the series (for reasons which still escape me). We see the beginnings of what will become of the Empire. We get to see Yoda training young Jedis (as a side note, I think Yoda really is the star of this movie-the insight we get into his character is the movie's strongest point). We also get to see the complicated relationship between Obi Wan and Anakin, and why Obi Wan can look back with regret that he tried to train Anakin. The movie also has a dynamite light saber sequence at the end, which gave many of us one of the most satisfying moments of all 6 movies.

The action never lets up, and the visuals are indeed stunning. I thought that the most stunning visual comes when Obi Wan goes to Jango Fett's home planet. Rarely has a setting so clearly evoked the moral ambiguity of a place. The planet which houses the future clone army is shrouded in mystery-it does not appear in the Jedi archives, and it is a stormy, murky place which seems soaked with corruption. The other great visual setting is the capital planet of Courscant, which reminds the viewer of any metropolis of our world, be it Tokyo, London or New York. The imagination captured in the visuals is wonderful, as George Lucas gives us vistas and visions.

As for the shortcomings, I noticed 2 main ones. First, the strength of the story is compromised to me by how out of touch the Jedi council seems to be. It is one thing for them to be deceived by the Sith Lord, for to err is human. But it is outside believability that the characters of the Jedi Council would trust Anakin to carry out the vital missions he has been given. I had trouble believing that the wise Jedi council would actually trust this unstable young Padowan the way that they do. The Jedi end up coming off as incompetent. In the end, Star Wars fans know their fate, but I think the story could have been more believable. That transitions nicely into the other shortcoming. The love story between Anakin and Padme is lacking, partly due to the character of Anakin. Dialogue has never been a strong suit for these films, but the other films seem to have actors who can pull off the campy dialogue and make it work. Here, the actor who plays Anakin never seems to be in sync with the tone of the dialogue. I have never seen Hayden Christiansen in anything else, but I am sure he is a fine actor to be able to even be in competition for this role (just like any baseball player is exceptional if they make it to the major leagues). It just seems like his rhythm is off, while Natalie Portman is able to pull off the wooden dialogue. While the movie overall is a strong piece of storytelling, these two shortcomings take away some authenticity, and leave the story less satisfying then some of the other entries in the series.

But that is neither here nor there. I am not the only one to suggest what I have suggested. My admiration for these films remains. In fact, my admiration has grown as I have watched these movies with my kids. My kids simply love the story. As such, these movies can be seen in that light. All 6 movies contribute to the overall story. This is a story that can be lived and relived. The last question that I have to grapple with is this: when should I let my kids watch Episode 3? The scene involving the younglings' demise alone would be enough to depress my daughter for months.

Quote answers

Thanks to everyone who participated in my movie quote contest. I will notify the winner myself, but she got 4 of them right!

Here are the anwers:

1. You'll meet them all again on their long journey to the middle. "Almost Famous"

2. What are you, a lawyer? "Rushmore"

3. Pop quiz hotshot. "Speed"

4. First medicinal wine from a teaspoon, then beer from a bottle. "The Music Man"

5. Son...kick their butt. "Hoosiers"

6. A laugh can be a very powerful thing. "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

7. I don't want a cookie! "All The President's Men"

8. That's impossible, they're on instruments! "Airplane"

9. It's all part of life's rich pageant. "A Shot in the Dark"

10. Come along Mrs. Thornhill.... "North By Northwest"

11. "I now declare this bridge open" "Hard Day's Night"

12. If you don't have something nice to say, come sit by me. "Steel Magnolias"

13. Mordecai! "Royal Tennenbaums"