A Solid Continuation

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2006)

OK, I have to say this - In all of my movie reviews on this site, I'm expressing my opinion, which I am entitled to. These reviews are my opinion only, and nothing else. So let's dig in, shall we? This movie was a solid follow up from TPM. It contained (1) the beginning of the clone wars (Who didn't want to see that?!), (2) it also contained an older, more whiny, evil Anakin. Along with that, (3) we got so see where the Stormtroopers originated along with (4) Boba Fett. Okay, so this movie sounds pretty darn good just by reading that paragraph!
(1) THE BEGINNING OF THE CLONE WARS - I'll never forget sitting in the theater in the summer of 2002 and watching the clone wars unfold on the big screen. I don't think I blinked through the whole thing. I thought that the special effects were amazing. To see those giant tanks get blown up and hearing the surround sound of the sequence. It was truly a wonderful, exciting experience. I'm my opinion, the "Clone Wars" from Episode II was probably one of the greatest moments in the Star Wars saga (Not the greatest, tho). And to see all the battle droids, destroyer droids, and super battle droids, along with all the Jedi, and the Clone Troopers battle against each other was simply the best. The animators must of spent the better part of a year making this sequence. I thought that the "Clone Wars" delivered big-time, and was one of the reasons that made AOTC the great film it is.
(2)ANAKIN - Okay, I'll admit, Anakin could have been better in the film. But I still think that Hayden did a great job. I don't think that the reason people hated Anakin was because of Hayden's performance, rather because they were expecting to see an Anakin who didn't care about anything, and wanted to destroy everything in his path. But this is not how George wanted Anakin to be. How on earth could he fall in love with Padme in AOTC if he was evil? Anakin was supposed to be the whiny little brat he is in Episode II. That is how he really became evil. He never woke up one morning and decided "Hey, I think I'll become Darth Vader today and kill everything I see!". This was how George wanted Hayden to act the part of Anakin. Anakin was supposed to be whiny. And I agree with it. Anakin had to have feeling and emotional stress in Episode II, that is what the whole saga is about. It is about how Anakin tragically turned to the dark side through his confusion of love and loyalty. It is not about how Anakin 'woke up one morning and decided to kill everything'. How would that work to create and good, solid story? It simply wouldn't. I think that Anakin;s character was great in Episode II, but never the less, he could have been better in terms of his tacky, and cheesy lines. I think that the "I wish that I could just wish away all my feelings" line was the worst line in the whole Star Wars saga.
(3) ORIGINATION OF THE STORMTROOPERS - I thought that the Clone Troopers were done nicely in this movie. But I didn't like the fact that not one single Clone Trooper costume was created for an actor in the movie. All the clones in this movie was created digitally, and I thought that it never put any feeling in the clones. But I did love the back story of the clones, and it was certainly nice to see the our beloved Stormtroopers originated. Although not all the Stormtroopers in the original trilogy are clone. It says on the Star Wars official website in the data-bank that after the formation of the Empire, recruits were make for stormtroopers along with clones.
(4)THE BOBA FETT THING - So Boba's daddy was the person that the Clone Troopers were cloned after eh? And this was all part of George's grand vision that he had back in the 70's and 80's eh? I don't think so. On the bonus disk of the original trilogy DVD's, good ol' George said himself that he never intended Boba Fett to become as recognizable and famous as he did, so how could Boba Fett and his father to have such a dominant role in Episode II? Anyways, all that mumble jumble aside, I think that Boba Fett was only put in Episode II for George and his team to make an extra buck, but I still enjoyed seeing more of Boba Fett.
In conclusion, Episode II is probably on of my favorite Star Wars films out of all six. And I think that as time goes on, more and more fans will begin to see the film for what it is, and accept it as a classic, and a rich part of the mystical Star Wars saga. Steven Crummey, 16