Back in Form

Rating: 8/10 (16 May 2002)

With a somewhat bland opening scroll I thought I was going to be disappointed. It sounded more like C-span than Star Wars. Then there were the first lines of dialogue between Padme and her chief of security that sounded as wooden as a high school production of a comical whodunit. I sat with disgust in my plush stadium theater chair with 32 ounces of artificially flavored lemonade drink and thought that its insipid flavor might be the most enjoyable part of this experience. Well, I was wrong! Yes, this movie has some faults that are easy to spot; they may even reach distracting and annoying to most fans of the Star Wars saga. However the compelling action, visual artistry, and mythic scope of the original movie are back and pushed up to modern standards. This isn't just Star Wars redone, but a Star Wars for those who came to the move to see the trailer for the new Matrix films. What is the Matrix you ask? Yoda is the Matrix! Yes, as you probably know by now, Yoda is a bigger part of this film and the little green sprite shows why he is afforded so much respect. Lucas has made a film that will satisfy all his fans on some level. Just remember when C3PO's highly annoying banter is making you hate what Lucas is doing, that the developmentally disabled guy next to me in the theater laughed his ass off. C3PO will quickly go away for at least a few more scenes of glorious Jedi combat, or perhaps for the harsh moment that turns the heart of a little boy named Boba so ice cold. When C3PO returns, or Jar-Jar, or whatever, just gloss it over and remember that it is not there for you. The rest of the film is for you. Stick to appreciating the parts you like and you will find this one of the most satisfying films in the series. If you go into this film hating Lucas for Phantom Menace, then you will find faults and you will hate this film. Just remember, had you never seen Menace, and if this had been the first film after more than a decade of waiting, that you would be singing Lucas's praises as the greatest producer ever. This film establishes several facets that the previous film failed to do. Most importantly is a couple of villains that are more than just the ugly and scary looking threat of Darth Maul. Sure Maul looked cool, and his moves were a highlight of Menace, but he was just another Jedi warrior with no real character, no real sinister side, a real one-dimensional bad guy. Here we have both Jango Fett, and Count Dooku/ Darth Tyranus. Jango is a proud father, a cunning warior, and a unique link to the original series. Count Dooku is a villain with charm who can cunningly use lies to seem to be a hero of sorts. Not only that, but his skills as a dark Jedi seem greater than our young heroes can match. In Menace we knew our hero's skills were greater than an inept trade federation, and even a more than fair match for Maul. There was never any threat. AOTC delivers threats that seems more dire and real. The next improvement is an Anakin that is just about perfect for his part. He is the essence of teenage hormones running amok and as rash and stupid as real teens are. To adult fans of the series the quick, rash, and sometimes nonsensical romance between Anakin and Padme may seem stilted and false. Just think back to when you were just learning to date and remember your own rash and nonsensical behavior as a rebellious teen. There is a bit (which would be a spoiler, I will just hint that one of Anakin's actions would probably wind up tried at a tribunal in The Hague) that seemed right for the development of Vader, but comes at a place in the movie where both the audience and Padme must gloss over it and still consider him a hero for the rest of the film. Finally we have a real increase in the wonder factor. Menace gave us a muppety two-headed alien announcer that talked like ABC sportscasters, more of the same old Hutts, and an annoyingly earthbound, and downright offensive, patois spoken by Jar-Jar. AOTC gives us a goul/insectoid run robot factory, a waterbound race of supermodel thin, globe-eyed scientists, and a capitol city/planet that takes off where Bladerunner left off. To be fair, Naboo still looks too much like the renaissance Italy right down to a gondola, and Tatooine isn't exactly a stunningly original local. You still can't ask for much more wonder than an all-out land battle between Jedi, droids, clones, and fearsome alien gladiatorial beasts. All in all Star Wars fans should rejoice and enjoy a fine addition to the series. If you find this film annoying and faulty, that perhaps you should sell your vacuum-sealed collection of mint in-package Star Wars action figures and go get a real life.