Here are my Thoughts on The Second Chapter of this amazing Saga.(Some Spoilers)

Rating: 10/10 (7 September 2002)

As we know, the prequels are set up trilogy style. It won't feel complete until Episode III. Episode I was setup, Episode II established the plot and middle grounds for the characters, and Episode III will finish it off.
In my eyes, each movie helps its successor and predecessor. I feel that without Episode II, Episode I wouldn't be much of a film, and perhaps that is why people felt like they didn't like it. And you know, that is just perfectly acceptable.
Now, we have Star Wars: Episode II- Attack of the Clones.
And with this second Episode, I feel that it actually enhances what went on with the events and characters of the first Episode, The Phantom Menace.
So now, we have Episode II- the clone wars have been started, Anakin and his fall to the dark side has commenced, THE LOVE STORY HAS JUST NOW STARTED, and many other things that will lead to conclusion in the next and last Episode of the prequel trilogy.
Wait- why did I capitalize THE LOVE STORY HAS JUST NOW STARTED?
Well, that leads me to my FIRST point of discussion-
The love story.
Many people have been led to believe that Episode II is the love story of the trilogy.
No.
It is the SETUP of the love story. As everything else in the prequels, it starts off happy and ends in darkness. We know what will happen to these characters, but how and why is a mystery.
Everyone complains that the love story in Episode II was shallow, poorly written, and poorly acted. Above all, cheesy and stupid. Well, had Episode II been the only love story, I guess you could say so.
In my opinion, I think the TRUE love story will be Episode III. Now, wait- Lucas said numerous times that this one would be a love story- but wait... did he ever say "THE" love story? No, he didn't. Episode II, in my opinion, just gives us the beginning of what will end up being a tragic love story once Episode III is said and done.
Episode III will show us all we need to see and have wanted to see- the clone wars, the Skywalker/Kenobi duel, the rise of the Empire, the fall of the Republic, ect. But I think people forget that Episode III will have Anakin and Padme- they will both be older, wiser, and more mature- and not so nervous around each other.
This should lead to a more mature love story- better acting, better dialogue, the works. I look at Episode II's love story as just being "playful."
We seen Anakin go from being a nice happy kid to a murderer.
Episode I: "Mom, you said the biggest problem in this universe is that no one helps each other."
Episode II: "There animals, and I slaughtered them like animals! I HATE THEM!"
Geez. Well now. Just adding one film to the mix does that? Imagin what Episode III will bring. The love story started out playful and immature, and will just be really mature and serious in the next one- and I feel that's what we wanted in Episode II but didn't get.
So why complain about the love story if we haven't seen the meat of it yet? Sure, complain as you will about the love story in Episode II, but I don't see the point in complaining about something you have yet to see.
That's all I wanted to say about the love story.
My next point of discussion is the Yoda fight and Count Dooku's character. Oh yeah, cool effects, nice, fast fight, wow that was awesome.
Yeah yeah.
Now let's REALLY talk about it.
Is there a meaning to the Yoda battle other than making audiences scream in delight at the fact that Yoda is onscreen with a lightsaber and he rocks at fighting, to say the least?
Yes, I strongly believe there is more to it than just that, and his name is Count Dooku. Silly name? Sure. But I like it. When I think about it, it does have sort of a twisted, evil ring to it, and I'm glad that is what Lucas named his character.
So, if Dooku is like the main villain of the prequel trilogy aside from Mr. Obvious, why did he get so little development in Episode II? Why so little backgroud? Dooku had virtually no background or development, other than the fact that he can survive an encounter with a mutated Jesus frog on acid with mad saber skills.
Episode II is setting the foundtaion for Episode III, just as Episode I set the foundation for Episode II. Count Dooku wasn't developed in Episode II because he will be focused on in Episode III. Why do I think this? Well, Lucas obviously kept his character secret until the crack end of Episode II- I think this was an AWESOME direction Lucas took. Instead of giving us his background and any development, he's letting the audience know one thing and one thing only- don't MESS with this guy. He left the Jedi Order a decade ago and has since then been training in the ways of the Dark Side- in the ways of the Sith.
We are established, from Episode III, that he is very powerful and well, very feared. He basically destroys Obi-Wan, takes out the Chosen One going ape crap on him with two lightsabers, and LIVES through a p****d off Yoda.
THAT my friends, is hardcore. This guy is an AWESOME villain and one heck of a formidable foe.
And then, he escapes- leaving the audience in question: no background, no development- he's just tough and well, you are stupid if you engage him in battle, unless of course you are green and 2 feet tall.
Lucas didn't want to show us anything except that. Lucas is setting the foundation for the true villain of the prequels- Count Dooku/Darth Tyranus. We get a glimpse of him in Attack of the Clones- the "glimpse" was a dangerous lightsaber duel. Dooku didn't take a scratch- he left Obi-Wan with a few marks and left Anakin without an arm. And as I said, confronted Yoda and survived.
That my friends, is a glimpse.
Most movies, unsequeled or not, usually introduces a villain and kills him off by the end of the film, right? And usually on top of that, we get good character background and development, right? Right.
Well, Count Dooku was already introduced to us in Episode II- okay- he's here, and he's powerful. Episode II already blindly gave us a bit of mystery on this character- and I believe Lucas will go all out with Dooku in Episode III.
What am I saying?
I'm saying for all of you that moan and groan about the love story, about Dooku's minimal character devlopment and background knowledge- just give it time! We have YET to see the love story in its full form, and we have YET to see Count Dooku's character! So stop complaining! We WILL get it- I assure you. Lucas just introduces those two key things in Episode II and for a reason- to get the audience READY for what we will see in Episode III. What I'm saying- as the prequels are "perquels" to the Originl Trilogy, I believe that Episode II is a "prequel" to Episode III, respectively.
Lucas recently stated that Episode III would begin with the clone wars and end about halfway through- then get personal with the characters, right? If this is the case, I mean, througout Episode III we will be getting a LOT more love story, a LOT more on Dooku- in fact, I think that aside from Palpatine/Sidious, Dooku will be the most focused character, villain wise, IN Episode III.
So his lack of character development in Episode II was done on purpose- Lucas doesn't want to give us too much yet- he's saving it ALL for Episode III.
So, in retrospect, if you were upset with the love story, just wait- Episode III will be the true heart of the love story- Count Dooku? Bah, we just got to see a glimpse of him. Wait until the next one before you bash Lucas' character development/storytelling abilities.
I think the Star Wars prequels are just as good as the originals. I don't think either group is better than the other. I think George Lucas is a respectable filmmaker. He has his flaws, but everyone does. You'll just have to get over that. The prequels too "new" for you? Well just know that I seen a bootleg of Episode II the other day and well, the picture quality was really bad, putting it on par with Original VHS copies- and I SWEAR it was like I was watching a film in the Originals.
I'm not saying that you have to watch a crappy copy for it to be good. I'm saying that technology has really advanced, and maybe that's why people cannot get a grasp on these new movies. After seeing that battered copy, I thought- you know, Lucas hasn't deteriorated as a filmmaker, it's just that technology has gotten so advanced that it makes the newer films look and feel different.
And like I said- before you say "well its pretty sad when a crappy version is better than a fresh one" Im not implying that. I'm just saying that picture quality can make a film have a totally different atmosphere. In this case, AOTC had that Original Trilogy atmosphere to it. Big time.
And I'm sorry to say but the battle at Geonosis was far more intense than any scene in the Original Trilogy, IMO. I love the Original Trilogy with a passion, maybe even more than the Prequel Trilogy so far, but I'd have to say I'm impressed that Lucas could actually make Star Wars fresh again after so long.
I just cannot figure out the hatred and negativity towards it.
I mean, I even tried to be more critical, and I STILL couldn't find anything bad enough to complain about. Sure, some of the lines were bad and some weren't that well delivered. But since when do a few bad lines constitute that the rest of the film was bad?
There was nothing in the movie bad enough to ruin the rest of the movie for me. I mean, I enjoyed a crappy bootleg version...
In Translation: I love this Film and nd SW Saga with an extreme Passion :)