Torn Between Two Movies

Rating: Null/10 (17 May 2002)

How many things in life give you a visceral reaction each and every time you experience them? Seeing an overwhelming work of art. Catching a whiff of perfume or soap that an old flame always wore. Hearing a song on the radio that marked a significant event in your life. All of these things immediately take me back to the moment when I experience them. One of the other things is seeing the words `STAR WARS' outlined in blue scream onto a movie screen while the first few chords of the Star Wars theme music stream into my ears. When this happens, I am 10 years old again, in a dark theater in Pebble Beach, California. I am clearly not alone in this, as it is widely documented how the viewing of this film was a watershed event in the lives of so many people my age.
Last night, I experienced it again, as I viewed Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. I must admit, I came in skeptical with a 2-year-old bad taste in my mouth from Episode I. Unimaginative writing, bad acting by some, the overuse of CG, and Jar Jar all contributed to a little numbing of the nostalgia I felt for the storyline. However, I wasn't going to give up on the myth or the people who made it.
Read on without fear; I am not going to reveal any plot points or spoil the story for those of you who haven't seen it yet. What I intend to do is reveal my thoughts and experience, for what it's worth.

For me, Episode II was broken down into two aspects that have to be considered separately; dialogue and visuals.
Visually, George Lucas pushes the envelope. Like a kid who just discovered a new box of toys, Lucas presents visuals that haven't been seen before, and expands on the stuff that has. Towering, impressive pans of huge cities, thousands of clone soldiers marshalling for war, expansive views of the coliseum and senate chamber, and a detailed and complex sequence inside the clone factory demonstrate Lucas has a penchant for scale and a vision of the space in which his characters interact. But it doesn't stop there. There are unbelievable advances in the detail work as well. Close ups of Yoda make you wonder he is CG as you notice the detail of the hair on his head and the depth of his expressions. The days of Master Yoda, the sock puppet are gone. I am still torn as to whether that is a good thing. The way fabric moves over the bodies of the tall, slender creators of the clone army; quick zooms into speeding space vehicles; seamless transitions from live action to animation, all demonstrate advances in the technology and Lucas' ability to fully utilize it. Clearly he is in his element, and it shows.
I wish the storyline and dialogue had the same cutting edge vision. Although Episode II really begins to establish the foundation of the story we all know and love, it is bogged down in clichÃ©d dialogue, horribly obvious puns and references, and stiff, emotionless acting. The difficulty with acting against a blue screen is obvious, but beyond that, the chemistry between any of the relationships borders on indifference. There are numerous occasions where I rolled my eyes, squirmed in my seat, and one time where I literally laughed out loud in an inappropriate moment due to the canned words exchanged between the actors. Nothing cutting edge going on here.
What Episode II does deliver is, answers to many questions raised in the first Star Wars film. How did the empire come to be? What's up with the stormtroopers? Who is the emperor and what are his motivations? How does Luke end up on a moisture farm on Tatooine? On and on it goes. In addition, all of these answers are wrapped around some excellent action sequences that put the pod race in Episode I to shame.

All in all, Episode II delivers on everything it needs to, and sets up the foundation for what could potentially be the best of the series, Episode III. Bring your Star Wars knowledge with you, but leave your desire for edgy, inventive science fiction behind, and you will be fine.