The Force Returns

Rating: 9/10 (16 May 2002)

I watched "The Phantom Menace" for the first time in a long time on May 16, just hours before going to see Episode II. I was pleasantly surprised. I thought perhaps that everyone (including myself) was unduly harsh in their criticism. Even Jar-Jar didn't seem all that bad. Then I went to see "Attack of the Clones"....
AOTC is so much better than its predecessor in so many ways. The acting, the visuals, the story, all are a major step up from the shaky Episode I. One may hear a lot of reviews complaining about terrible dialogue. It's nowhere near as bad as all that, perhaps because the main actors bring it to life so well. Ewan McGregor is quite splendid as Obi-Wan. One could sense great things in him in Episode I - here he is given much more to do. He has a wry sense of humour in some scenes that really endears himself to the audience, much more so than Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. Anakin starts showing the evil side of him that eventually leads him to become Darth Vader. Christensen pulls it off wonderfully. He is a very talented young actor, and shows off some impressive stuff in this one. His actions, and especially his reactions, during his most angry scene in the film (no spoilers here), are among the best of the entire series. And that brooding stare of his.....oooh. Speaking of "oooh", Natalie Portman is positively ravishing as Amadala. A fine performance also, but the sight of her in a midriff-baring white jump suit rivals Princess Leia in the metal bikini.
The story is surprisingly adult and complex. There is a genuine eroticism between Anakin and Padme. The splitting up of Obi-Wan and Anakin also gives the film a chance to develop two story lines. There is a real sense of intrigue about this film, the details of which must be seen to be enjoyed.
Of course, the visuals are immaculate. But that's what we all have come to expect from the Star Wars films, haven't we? What sets (and has always set) George Lucas apart form other sci-fi directors is that he never dwells on the settings or special effects. The impressive settings are given no more weight than if it was filmed on a city street or minimal location. I still feel that the new trilogy would be better suited with someone other than Lucas behind the camera, but this could be his best directorial effort yet. His innovative use of "hand held" camerawork for some of the digitally rendered fight scenes really legitimizes the vast amount of computer graphics in the film. They are so good that one doesn't even notice. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
All this and I haven't even touched on Jar Jar Binks' cameo appearance, C-3P0 and R2-D2, and Yoda's memorable "performance". This film is on par with "The Empire Strikes Back" (both also have an awful title) in that it is much darker than the film it follows, and also much better. It also really sows the seeds of intrigue for the next one. Having watched "Attack of the Clones", Episode III could be the best Star Wars film ever.
See you in 2005.