SW: Attack of the Clones, Movie Talk (SPOILERS)

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I take no pleasure in BigB's disapointment.

 

I do, I think its really funny

 

that's sarcasm.. laughing about the problems of others...

Ladies and Gentlepeople, we are still waiting for BigB, who told he would give an explanation to the press about his declaration to be disappointed by the movie.

 

I wasn't being sarcastic.

[This message has been edited by Christopher_Lee (edited May 21, 2002).]

 

I think the Movie rules. And anythibody who says different SUX. Count dooku RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!! He is BEST!!! COOL!!!! THIS IS BEST OF ALL STAR WARS FILMS!!!! IT RULES!!!! CRitix suck xxx!!! Anybody who didn't like the film should watch Titanic#!! Maybe then you'lll be pleasured!!!!

 

Right.

 

Considering the originality of your name, Count Dooku (probably the worst name in the Star Wars saga), I am not surprised that you posted as you did.
Are you here just to troll, or are you looking to be a real member of the forum?

 

Sheesh...

First of all, Count Dooku, use the spell checker. There's a link at the top of every page, so you don't have any sort of plausible excuse.

Secondly, only use one exclamation mark. Anything more than three is simply moronic.

Thirdly, don't post in all bold. Bold, generally is used to highlight, or emphasise a point. Highlighting the entire post is completely pointless and serves no purpose.

Even a grasp of some basic English grammer would improve your post...


[This message has been edited by Wildfire (edited May 21, 2002).]

 

Sorry, the stupidest name award has to go to Grand Moff Tarkin. What the hell is a Grand Moff anyway?

 

A Grand Moff is the person in the Imperial hierarchy who is in charge of and responsible for a certain region of space.

 

I was thinking... This is the second film running where Lucas keeps the identity of Darth Sidious a secret. I mean we all know it's Frank Plapatine right? I mean they sound the same, they both look like Emperor Plapatine from Return of the Jedi, all of them are played by Ian McDiarmid (who was incredibly only 36 in Jedi). So why this secrecy? Probably Lucas thinking that this will com as a surprise to us? But I can at least hope there'll be something more interesting...

 

You never know, Lucas could be planning some huge plot twist in Episode 3 .

My friends and I were discussing this after going to see Episode 2 on Sunday. One of the several theories that we came up with was that Palapatine is actually a benevolent guy and truly wants the best for the republic, but Darth Sidious is his twin brother who slays him and takes control of the senate for his own evil purpose.

Yes, it's incredibly unlikely. But it's still fun guessing what's going to happen .

 

I'm guessing Sidious is a clone!!!! or Palpatine is!

 

After seeying all those strange creatures, I was wondering why they didn't call it:

Starwars: Attack of the CLOWNS

Ah one more question, are the girls in the other movies just as pretty as in this one? In that case I still consider also to watch the other parts

[This message has been edited by Taluntain (edited May 22, 2002).]

 

Count Dooku:

You do know you're going to get whacked in the next movie?

Right?

 

And Dooku... I know you are not the real dooku.... The one in the movie was still much smarter....

 

Bless him!

He's only a little newbie - I am sure he will learn the error of his ways given time.

 

Wildfire you bring up a interesting point. Why all the covertness. If as Sir Bel suggests and the Emporer is a clone that would be a nice plot twist. I think that is a lot more likely in the star wars universe than twin.

So who did you think does in the count in the next movie? Yoda, Anikin, Windu or Obi-Wan. And on the same note who will do Mace in? I'd guess Vader for that but you never know.

 

OK time for an explanation. (The first part of at least three):

INTRODUCTION

Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones -- Unnerving, Pathetic, and Confusing. The feel of AOTC is just as it should be. Saying I had chills running up my spine during the whole movie would be too cliche. It was more like a lump in my stomach. AOTC succeeds in what it sets out to do in every way and then some.

On it's own, it is a disorienting movie. But so is ESB. Both films are the middle of their respective trilogies and have both been criticized for having no real beginning or end. Many of the criticisms AOTC is getting, ESB got years ago. Now all the sudden the critics seem to love ESB. They tried to squash Star Wars back then, calling it stupid. They failed. Now, they uplift the same films they trashed, so they can trash the prequels. Again, they will fail. Star Wars isn't just for this generation, the story is made for all generations to come. Some people don't get why the prequels are being done the way they are being done. That's because the films are being made so that you start with Episode 1 and watch them chronologically until Episode 6. Lucas isn't just thinking about today's audience, he's thinking about future audiences.

What some people fail to realize is that each movie is part of a larger story, the story of Anakin Skywalker. Lucas has said so himself. Anakin is the main character, and the story revolves around him and those closest to him. A simple concept, yet some people just can't seem to grasp it. Some ask if there will be Episodes 7, 8, and 9. No! Anakin dies in Episode 6, ending his purpose of bringing balance to the Force (something I'll expound upon later.)

When the first Star Wars succeeded [even though Lucas thought it wouldn't - i.e. "I've got a big dog as a co-pilot to a smart mouth smuggler, people won't buy this..." (paraphrase)] he decided to finish his story. (I mean who doesn't like Chewbacca? ) But his story had a back story and the events to come. So he basically said, "Guess what guys, that movie you saw is Episode 4 of a possible 9 part series. This next one I'm making is Episode 5." After 5 and 6 were complete, he realized he didn't need to do 7, 8, and 9. And that if he ever did 1, 2, and 3 he would wait until special effects were better. Even though I've explained it before, I'll touch up on why the technology is better (or appears to be better) in the prequels than the sequels later.

So a few years ago, Lucas dug up his old scripts, and outlines of the back story, and began to expand them. Although the prequels were not fully fletched out, he had the basic concepts from the beginning (back in the 70's). Mace Windu was the first Star Wars character he ever created. Ideas like the Clone Wars, the Emperor rising to power through the manipulation of senators, trade, and commerce are in his old scripts. And now that back story is being developed. When Episode 3 is released I think most people will finally get it. They will be able to watch all 6 episodes, the whole story, in order. Then I think it will click. But for my brother and I, it already has. AOTC is moving events in the right direction, and doing it well too.

Think of the whole story as a roller coaster. TPM is fresh, there is little back story. It sets the entire story up. It's like waiting in line for the big ride, and the joy you get as you get closer and closer to the ride. Some people might find that boring, but without a line, the ride would be chaos. Like or not, TPM is a vital part of the story. And the end of TPM is like that first boost (that 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds) the roller coaster gives the cars, to get them going. AOTC is the climb, the sense of unease you get as the cars clank their way to an unnerving height. The end of it is the initial teaser drop and then a bank which leads right into Episode III. That one will be like the big drop that sets the rest of the ride in horrifying motion, as the Republic, the Jedi Knights, and Anakin plummet in a devastating fall. ANH is the aftermath of the fall, as the coaster twists and turns in dizzying corkscrews and loops (just look at Vader in his TIE at the end of ANH as he gets knocked away from the Death Star.) ESB continues the twists with more plunges and dark tunnels. ROTJ is the end of the ride, which goes out with a bang, everything comes to a finale. And the end of ROTJ special edition is like a look back at many of the places you've been, much like the photograph section at the end of the ride. A crazy analogy yes, but it gets the point across.

UNNERVING

Contents:
1) Anakin's relationship with his friend and mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi
2) Anakin's relationship with his infatuation, Padme (former Queen of Naboo, now Senator)
3) The final battle
4) Anakin's visit to Tatooine

Right from the get go with the assassination attempt on the Queen's landing platform the movie gives the audience a sense of unease. The unease continues with Anakin and his relationships with Obi-Wan and Padme. 1) I love the first time when we see Anakin and Obi-Wan, how they are in an open elevator, reminiscing, as it ascends. It's perfect symbolism of a growing friendship, although one with flaws, as a towering Anakin struggles underneath his master's command. Anakin is clearly more attuned to the Force, but still a Padawan. Further interaction reveals conflicting ideas about politicians, women, and the use of the Force are shown. It should make audience feel uneasy.

Then there's the second assassination attempt and the ensuing chase which develops more unease. But when Obi-Wan lops off Zam's hand, and the nightclub gazes on, only to have Anakin command them to "Carry on. This is official Jedi business." does the sense of unease come as a slap in the face. It's easy to see how the masses will support Palpatine when he orders the Jedi as traitors and the Jedi "Purge"begins (Episode 3 speculation.) This sets that up well. And when they drag her out of the club and interrogate her, Anakin yells in her face. It's the first outbreak of Anakin's anger and it's awesome. Any crap about Christensen being a bad actor is B.S. all the way. Even Christopher Lee has complimented his talent, said he was a pleasure to work with, and has great potential. You care to disagree with an accomplished actor like Lee? OK...to each their own I suppose.

2) I think it's the relationship with Padme and the romance dialogue that sours peoples' opinions. Although keep in mind critics called Han Solo's lines in ESB hokey, and now all the sudden they praise them, wishing AOTC could be like it. Hypocrisy at it's finest folks. I think to view the romance correctly, you have to view it in context. This is not a relationship that is going to last! This is not a "And they lived happily ever after" relationship! This is one that was destined to be doomed before it even began. The audience is supposed to feel unease about it. What is PURPOSEFULLY (hint hint) wrong with this relationship??? It's fake, it's rushed, and it's one-sided.

Fake. Do the lines Anakin gives to Padme make you roll your eyes? Check. Yes, they are supposed to. Anakin and Padme are elite in a lot of ways. Han Solo, down-to-earth, love-talk won't cut it with Padme. More on this elite idea next post. (And Shralp, George Lucas has been married ) It's so fake. On the surface, it's old-timey, courtly love talk, and below that it's a lot of emptiness. It's not supposed to feel right. It is supposed to feel uncomfortable.

Rushed. Way too rushed. Anakin may have been thinking about her these past ten years since TPM, but honestly she has not. Rushed, but sadly still believable. Take a look at "dating", the so called "engagement" process, any day time talk show, and the divorce rate of today's times. Enough said. When the audience sees Anakin and Padme getting married at the end, alarms should be going off in their heads. His robotic hand holding hers seals the deal with ultimate unease.

One-sided. She tries to resist, but breaks down. Why? Padme has been shown to be a strong-willed young woman (look where Leia gets it from.) How can Anakin win her over? How can she love him? Especially after his Unnerving, with a capital "U" (again, awesome performance), confession of the Tusken slaughter. Before then, she gets caught up in the passion. But once his mother dies, she fills the void. I think her relationship to him is built more out of pity and compassion, then love. Now it might develop into real love later on, in a forced sort of way. But it's going to be too late then .

3) Another tension-filled moment with unease is the argument between Obi-Wan and Anakin when Padme falls out of the gun ship at the end. Awesome acting. And then there is this unique shot of Padme as a clone trooper comes to help her up, out of the sand. It's looking down on the two, and Padme is down on the ground, and the clone trooper is approaching her. But what is so eerie about this shot is the way it looks. Padme has left a trail behind in the sand, where she rolled down the dune. The clone trooper has left a trail as he walks to her, but he is walking rigidly to her, and his trail is a line of perfect little footsteps in the sand. In contrast is her trail, a rugged, struggle through the sand. Hers is so human. And the clone trooper's is so perfect compared to hers, that it is too perfect, it's trying to be so human, that it's not. It's fake and it's unnerving. What does this say about cloning and trying to impersonate humanity. I'll let you decide for yourself, but the fact remains is that this is an awesome shot. I would have thought that the highly educated "critics" would have picked up on this. I guess not. Too busy taking cheap potshots at Lucas, the most successful independent film maker, in their so called "reviews".

Okay, back to the war. This isn't my idea, but another fan came up with this and I have to agree, it's an awesome concept. Notice that in TPM's land battle, the Gungans are on the left, the battle droids on the right. Again in ESB's land battle, the Rebels are on the left, and the Imperials are on the right. We are more comfortable with whoever is on the left, because they move left to right. Just like how we read, left to right. It inherently seems naturally. But the bad guys, battle, from right to left, backwards. And so they give off a feeling of unease. Now in AOTC's land battle on Geonosis after the arena, the Jedi lead the Clones to battle the droid armies. But look what side they are on! The Jedi are fighting alongside the Clones from right to left, a position that belongs to the bad guys. It should make the audience very uneasy seeing the Jedi lead the Clones into battle. Obi-Wan fails to see what the Jedi have been forced in to doing, Yoda recognizes it -- "Victory? A victory you say Master Obi-Wan? Heh ehh. No victory, a defeat it was. The shroud of the dark side has fallen, only begun this Clone War has." Notice the only chair in the council is Yoda's and that Obi-Wan and Mace Windu are starring off into the skies of Coruscant at dusk. It doesn't get anymore blatant than that.

4) Anakin's return to Tatooine parallels a lot of ANH. Obviously the Lars homestead is the same in both movies. But look at where Anakin is portioned in his scenes at the homestead. When Anakin first hears about his mother's abduction and the Lars' failed attempt to rescue her (Cliegg loses his legs) he is sitting at the table in the exact same spot Luke sits in ANH where he argues with Owen about going off to the Academy. Consider that the room Anakin breaks down in, confesses to Padme, and is comforted by her, is the same room Luke sees the hologram of Leia when he cleans the droids, R2-D2 and C3-PO. Consider that when Luke looks off to the horizon at the twin suns of Tatooine, he is standing in the exact same spot his father stood in when he returned to the homestead with his dead mother and glarred off into the horizon in deep thought. Consider that when Luke looks off, the majority of the camera time focuses at what Luke is looking off too, the great unknown. And that when Anakin looks off, the camera focuses on him looking off, but not from his point of view. Instead, the angle focuses on the exaggerated shadow that Anakin gives off because of his portioning in front of the homestead. The camera focuses back on him. Powerful, very powerful. And very well done.

Conclusion

Next post I'll get into the "pathetic" aspect of AOTC and because it relates to my points, I'll answer Tal's question about Anakin and saving his mother, as well as someone elses' (I saw it, and remember it, but can't find it) question about why Jedi are preferred to be young when they begin training.

Let me know what you think so far. And sorry to disappoint some of you, but I absolutely love this film! Not hate it.

 

YES!!! YOU'RE SO RIGHT!!!! SO DEEP!!!! Lucas is one of the smart people!!! Critics are too stupid to understand. but we understand, We know.

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU Man You rule!!

PS I used bold as people said