Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Lucas once again follows the pattern of a three act opera as he did with the original trilogy. Act one is where you meet the characters and act two is where the conflict grows. 2002 was the year of the sequel with the releases of this film, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, “Men in Black II”, “Spy Kids 2”, “Stuart Little 2”, “Goldmember”, a Star Trek film and of course “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” among a few others. I feel that this contributed to the rejection of “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” by hard-core fans. As for myself, I enjoy the film just like “The Phantom Menace” even though "Attack of the Clones" has lost some value over time. The special effects increased in complexity since its predecessor and the story leads us towards the final film in the prequel trilogy with the level of drama that die-hard fans impatiently wanted from the start.

This Star Wars film reflects the time before the civil war of the United States as well as other moments in history. This is the only Star Wars movie by the way where after the opening text, the “camera” tilts and pans up instead of down. The film story contains a mystery: who is trying to kill Padme? The smart people in the audience have an idea of who and why but the specifics are unknown. Later it makes perfect sense as Nute Gunray is out for revenge. Considering that this film takes place a decade after the last one, many of the characters needed to be aged. Thanks to her wardrobe, Padme is portrayed as a woman as opposed to a young but mature teenager. Natalie Portman started going to Harvard around this time and she was now nineteen so this also helped in increasing her character’s womanly nature. Palpatine has been given grey hair and more wrinkles. When I saw the “Episode II” version of Palpatine on a magazine for the first time, I saw hints of the Emperor from the old films. Obi-wan, now a Jedi Knight, is also starting to look like his original trilogy counterpart. Another thing that is done is that Anakin is still made out to be younger than Padme, a least a little bit. Padme has become a woman while Anakin still appears to be younger than 20. It was important that Anakin be taller now than Obi-wan and I love how Anakin’s robe moves and looks more like a cape. These two design elements serve as foreshadow. The film fittingly introduces Senator Organa at a time when democracy in the Republic is in jeopardy and I like how Jar Jar is the Gunguns’ representive in the senate. Why does Palpatine suggest bringing in Obi-wan and Anakin to protect Padme? My guess is that he desires Anakin to have a big role in the beginning of the clone wars. I wonder if he expected Anakin to fall in love. He used that secret nonetheless in the next film. Despite the friendship that both Anakin and Obi-wan share, there is obvious conflict in the teacher/student relationship. Anakin does respect Obi-wan as a father figure and they share a laugh in their first scene. Anakin’s pride and rebelliousness however contrasts Obi-wan’s character. By the end of “Attack of the Clones”, Anakin does fit the description of “a young Jedi…who was a pupil of [Obi-wan’s] before he turned to evil.” A fun fact concerning the creation of the chase in Coruscant is that in the anamatic of this scene during pre-production, they used Luke’s old landspeeder from the Lucasfilm archives as Anakin’s spacecraft and George Lucas’ Ferrari as Zam’s ship. Anakin has moments of fun in this chase and it shows how in some ways he is still naïve and immature. It is funny how easily Obi-wan catches Anakin’s saber during the chase. I love the ironic line “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be the death of me?” I also find it funny how Obi-wan goes for a drink in the club. It seems quite out of character but in reality, he knows what he is doing. The club itself is reminiscent of bars and big city clubs in real life. The scene also concludes like a western with Anakin saying “Jedi business. Go back to your drinks.” There are a few cameos in this scene of Lucas’ daughter, Ahmed Best (Jar Jar) and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO). It becomes apparent that Palpatine has been mentoring Anakin in these ten years. The scene between them has foreshadow. Palaptine’s flattery gives Anakin pride and adds to his arrogance.

The film then splits into two plot lines just like on “The Empire Strikes Back”, which is the second film in that trilogy. In one plot line, we have Anakin and Padme’s relationship being developed. Padme is all business at first and therefore doesn’t like Anakin admiring her beauty. Because of the dialogue, it is illustrated that Anakin has changed the most over the ten years. He may still be immature but that is all that remains of the little boy from Tatooine. This silently addresses the casting change. It is also hinted that Padme likes to take action despite the opinion of others just like Anakin. This similarity in their personalities allows for a romantic connection. Their relationship doesn’t start off too well as Anakin mentions that he dreams about Padme. It is an awkward moment. Another awkward moment occurs when Anakin kisses Padme. Anakin is still naïve about such things and so his first kiss with Padme appears to be nothing more than experimentation. He is finally with the girl of his dreams and if she is going to let him kiss her than why not? The bigger question is why Padme allows it in the first place. It appears to be evidence that Padme does have feelings for Anakin that have surfaced once he came back into her life. She has just been career focused until they arrive at the lake. This romantic atmosphere that Padme has an affinity for allows their relationship to grow. When Anakin fakes being hurt, it is a great bonding moment. This picnic that Padme and Anakin have really portrays them as the characters I met on “The Phantom Menace”. Then we have a scene that I like to call the “star-crossed lovers” scene (the dress the Padme wears in this scene was designed by Lucas himself by the way). In this moment, Anakin declares his love for Padme and she reminds him how their love cannot work. This is the first time she verbally gives away that she has feelings for Anakin but her position as a senator and his commitment to the Jedi Code make them almost an impossible pair. Even though they could keep their love a secret, they both realize just how bad that could ruin their lives. What changes Padme’s mind? Part of it comes from Anakin losing his mother and murdering the Sand People. She pities Anakin because of the torment he is going through. Then when they are about to die in the arena on Geonosis, Padme has to be honest with Anakin. She wants to be with him and the chance that they could die motivates Padme to confess her love. She is tormented just like Anakin. Upon living through the battle of Geonosis, they would rather love each other in secret than be forced to be apart and ignore the love they have confessed. Their ordeal on Geonosis becomes the final element that compels them to marriage.

In the second plot line, Obi-wan’s investigates this bounty hunter who is trying to kill Padme and he uncovers something much more important. Dex is a fun character in that he is just like a truck stop owner. His place also reflects this connection to the real world. Yoda’s playful nature is seen in the class with the younglings and it is a nice reference to “Empire”. This clone army’s existence is mysterious. It is has been in production for years but for what purpose? I like how Obi-wan goes along with what the prime minister is reporting. The first shot of the clone army reveals that they are an early version of stormtroopers and it is a big moment in the film. The question is whether this army is bad or good? This moment in the saga also addresses why there are no droid armies in the classic films. Droids cannot combat as well as human beings and so clones allow for a mass, uniform army to be created and maintained without sacrificing performance. “Attack of the Clones” also provides the origin story of Boba Fett. We finally get to see what Boba looks like under his helmet due to the fact that Boba is a clone of his father, Jango. The fight between Jango and Obi-wan is fun. It is cool to see a Jedi in hand-to-hand combat for change. I like the nice touch of Jango hitting his head on the door of his ship as it closes. It answers for the stormtrooper who hits his head in “A New Hope”. The seismic charges that Jango fires in the asteroid field are cool because of the sound delay. We then come to the introduction of Count Dooku. Dooku’s conversation with Obi-wan is an attempt to convert Obi-wan to the side of the Separatists. Dooku lies at first about his role in Obi-wan’s capture and this makes the audience wonder whether Dooku has turned to the dark side. Maybe, he left the Jedi Order and is trying to separate from the Republic because of the corruption brought about by Sidious. Maybe, Dooku truly wants to destroy the Sith. By the end of the movie however, we get confirmation that Dooku is actually Sidious’ apprentice and has turned to the dark side.

“Episode II” also has two subplots. One addresses the steps Anakin is taking towards the dark side of the Force. Anakin reveals to Padme that he favors a dictatorship more than a democracy. When he realizes that he has pushed a very wrong button, he turns it into a joke but we as the audience realize that Palpatine’s mentoring has already begun to corrupt Anakin. Obi-wan realizes this early in the next film. I like the shot of Anakin in the morning after his bad dream on Naboo. It mirrors and at the same time contrasts the first shot of Darth Vader on the Star Destroyer in “Empire”. Anakin and Padme then return to Tatooine and I like how the grown up Jedi Anakin intimidates Watto. After hearing that Shmi is free and married, Anakin doesn’t seem fazed by that new information. This would hopefully have been good news for Anakin because his mother is happy and no longer a slave but it doesn’t answer why she is in pain and suffering. I love the reintroduction of the homestead and the Lars family. It is nice to see Anthony Daniels back in the metal costume of C-3P0. The actors playing the Nars family were very well cast (this was Joel Edgerton's first major film role by the way). They very closely resemble the characters from “A New Hope”. I love the shot of Anakin’s shadow as he prepares to go and find his mother alone. There is no digital alteration and yet, he seems to be wearing a helmet as Padme reaches up to hug him. A very large step towards the dark side for Anakin is that he snaps in a moment of weakness and takes revenge. His fear of losing his mother has led to anger, then hate just like Yoda said. Anakin also suffers the guilt of killing so many creatures with rage. He also disobeys the Jedi Code and marries a woman at the end of the film. His rebelliousness is an awful flaw as is his desire for power. His pain from his mother’s death motivates him to never experience that again. He makes promises he can’t keep. He wants to stop death and also, he blames Obi-wan for holding him back. Despite these flaws, he knows he is doing wrong. As a Jedi, he understands the mistakes he is making. After having just done something so evil, Anakin is repentant and plans to obey Mace Windu by staying where he is. This is evidence of the good in Anakin. His loss of an arm in the climax also propels him slightly to evil because a physical part of his humanity is gone. The next subplot is Palpatine’s rise to power. By the end of the movie, it is obvious to the Jedi that Sidious is leading the Separatists through Dooku. However, there is new information that Sidious also has control in the Galactic Senate. We as the audience learn after the climax that Dooku, who has the new title of Darth Tyranus, recruited Jango. How far does Sidious’ influence stretch? Of course, we know the answer because of the other movies. It is tragic that Jar Jar is deceived into proposing that the Chancellor be given emergency power. This moment in the Senate mirrors Chancellor Hitler in 1933 and how he got more power in Germany. The same type of thing happened with Napoleon and at the start of the ancient Roman Empire. As a side note, it is interesting how Obi-wan’s ship is triangular in shape. Everyone on both sides of the clone wars is being manipulated.

The climax of “Attack of the Clones” has some cool moments. The arena scene mirrors the coliseum games of the ancient Roman Empire. This switches into an immense Jedi battle that was very cool for me the first time I saw it. Mace Windu with a lightsaber was a very welcome sight. Samuel L. Jackson wanted a purple lightsaber and got it. Some great moments include when Windu leaps over a droid and then deflects its own laser blast back at it, destroying it. I also like when Obi-wan kills the creature that was attacking him earlier and Windu’s defeat of Jango. The scene then transitions into the long awaited first battle of the Clone Wars. The appearance of the clonetroopers in salvation to the remaining Jedi is a contrasting moment because since “A New Hope”, these kinds of soldiers have been the bad guys. Dooku knows that this Clone Army existed and he lies about this to Nute Gunray to protect the identity of his master. The cameo of the Death Star is cool in this climax. The lightsaber fight is also fun as always but the fight between Yoda and Dooku is what this movie is known for the most. It does border on humorous but it is cool nonetheless. The clone army’s creation is ultimately connected to Darth Sidious but Republic took advantage of its existence. The Jedi feel that what Dooku says about Sidious controlling the Senate could be true, hence the army’s convenient availability. The diminuendo of “Episode II” contains the sad moment when you are reminded by way of John Williams’ classic march that an Empire has been formed. All that is missing is an emperor. During the release of “The Phantom Menace”, I thought that the Empire under the leadership of Sidious would fight against the Republic in the clone wars and take over the galaxy. This moment taught me the horrible truth and it is sad how this type of thing has happened multiple times in our own history. Senator Organa is depicted as not happy and this is a reference to the Rebel Alliance that he will organize one day.

As a fun fact, this is the only Star Wars movie to say “Directed by George Lucas” at the end. It is also the first movie completely filmed in digital HD video. The film also helped with the beginnings of the digital age that were initiated with “The Phantom Menace”. The special effects were worthy of an Oscar nomination but I support the win for “The Two Towers”. I like the complexity of the climax of “Attack of the Clones” but it does feel a little overwhelming. Now that time has passed, these special effects feel dated unlike on "Episode I". The reason for this was the increased use of blue screen and the new film format. "Episode II" sort of looks like a video game these days. The use of a CG Yoda was a big gamble. I do miss Frank Oz’s puppetry but we still have the original films for that. The first close up shot in “Episode II” really resembles the Yoda from “The Empire Strikes Back”. In the previews for this movie, I thought he was still a puppet so that is a compliment to the effects team at Industrial Light and Magic. Another great achievement in special effects was in the scene in the Naboo palace. Oliver Ford Davies, who plays Sio Bibble, was not filmed in Italy but on a blue screen stage. This is one seamless use of blue screen in my opinion. Moving on to casting, Christopher Lee really brings a fresh feeling of villainy to this trilogy so that is good. There are other new cast members in this film that include Temuera Morrison and Jimmy Smits. Hayden Christensen was cast as Anakin and he wanted to portray more of the darkness in Anakin but Lucas directed him to hold back. This was done so that Anakin’s fall to the dark side would occur more gradually and realistically. There must be subtext behind Anakin’s fall. I wonder what it would have been like if Colin Hanks or Ryan Phillippe had been cast as Anakin. An interesting fact is that Leonardo DiCaprio did meet with Lucas about the role of Anakin. A lack of sincerity in the romantic scenes of “Episode II” is the fault of Christensen unfortunately. This leads me to now address those fans that hate the prequels. I have identified six reasons as to why the Star Wars prequels are unpopular with hard-core fans, two of which will be given here. For the remaining four, please refer to my other reviews for the prequels. First of all, society in the 1970’s was quite different from the 90’s when the prequels began to be produced. As the release of the first ever Star Wars movie approached, the war in Vietnam was just ending and Watergate was fresh in people’s minds. The world was a negative place and the economy was inflated. Hollywood and the media reflected this time of turmoil as mentioned in my review for "The Phantom Menace". “Star Wars” was released at the perfect time to be a shining light back in the late 70’s because people needed something to lift their spirits. The late 1990's were a more optimistic time with the approach of the year 2000. The Gulf War was quite the success and the Cold War ended before that. It is true that not everything was sunshine and roses because Columbine occurred just before the release of "The Phantom Menace". While the world was devasted by September 11th, this occoured after the release of "Episode I". My point is that the world didn't need a Star Wars movie as much as they did back in 1977. My second reason is explained by an analogy. If story of the first six Star Wars movies were condensed chronologically down to a two-hour movie, the prequels would take up the first hour. Does anything good happen in the first hour of a movie when compared with the second hour? Obviously the best part of the movie is almost always the end. The prequel trilogy is not meant to outdo the original trilogy story-wise; it is meant to set up the original trilogy. If we go further with this analogy, “The Phantom Menace” would take up the first 20 minutes and “Attack of the Clones” the next 20 minutes. The first 20 minutes get your attention and introduce characters and settings. Then the inciting incident happens that sets the central story into motion. The Clone Wars are this initial conflict. The point I am trying to make is that smart storytellers establish subtext and drama rather than cut right to the chase. We knew from the original films that Anakin was a great pilot and the force was strong with him. Obi-wan then took up the responsibility of training him as a Jedi. That part of the story itself is one movie because there must be a space of time in between movies where Anakin is trained and gains experience. We knew that Anakin falls in love so that is another movie. Finally his seduction by the dark side of the force is so important to the whole saga that it needs its own movie. Those who were expecting “The Phantom Menace” to be just like “The Empire Strikes Back” forgot the linear arch of narrative drama because of their excitement (this will be discussed more in my review for "Revenge of the Sith"). Good stories have rising and falling action. “Episode I” and “Episode II” is where the action of the narrative is just beginning to rise.

Despite imperfections, I like this movie and several parts in it. The special effects are more overwhelming than those of the first film and that may have took away attention from the story unfortunately. Any elements of “Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones” that bother me however are mentally ignored so as not to ruin the overall experience. Excluding the anthology films, “Attack of the Clones” is my least liked Star Wars film and I admit that some other science fiction films are better than it. My opinion on this however is that “Episode II” is a connecting film. It is setting up the Star Wars prequel that everyone was waiting for: “Episode III”.

4.5 Stars out of 5