Fun and intriguing, but flawed.

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2018)

It took me ten years to come around to this movie. But now that I have, I've acquired a far greater appreciation for George's sophomore installment into his prequel trilogy. It's actually a blast to watch nowadays.
You can immediately observe a deeply psychological trajectory between the two lead males in this story. A specific event from the last movie has informed their relationship, and now it's clearly not what we thought it was in the original trilogy. For some, that's immediately sacrilege and a destruction of a concept they've held for 25 years based on the story an old man told Luke in the original film. For others, this is a brilliant subversion that speaks to the old man's twisted philosophy and acknowledges the flaw in a character as such rather than the questionable "wisdom" many fans have mistakenly taken to heart for a quarter of a century.
This relationship is a presence that bookends the film.
Star Wars is wonderful at building characters out of exciting and tense situations, and this episode is no exception. The action scenes give us a solid idea of how padawan Anakin and his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are faring since we left them ten years ago at the spark of their lifelong rivalry. Their relationship is certainly entertaining and relatable, which is a sharp turn toward pop-culture appeal after The Phantom Menace abandoned it. The action itself is tense and visually mind-boggling... you'll really get a sense of vertigo watching the opening action sequence on a high quality screen. Imagine if we had a 3D rendition of this film.
The first act consists of action, character, and plot set up, and it's all a fantastic orchestra of sight and sound. The second act delves into some shakier territory. While Obi-Wan embarks on a genuinely gripping mystery plot line - complete with warm friendly interactions, casual racism, awkward politeness, uneasy confrontation, and eventually some of the best action in the saga, ending in a delightfully mysterious stealth mission - Anakin is charged with providing audiences with a compelling romance effort... which is honestly hit and miss.
The miss is awful and quite embarrassing to watch, but many fans will use that to condemn this star crossed romance in its entirety, which just isn't fair. In fairness, I think there is some genuinely heart-warming and charming interaction between Padme and Anakin in this movie. Upon further inspection, it seems what works depicts the romance as a temptation and a mistake for both characters involved. The better romance scenes depict naivete, moral compromise, and general ignorance for the sake of having a romance between two clearly romantically inexperienced people. Anyone who's been in that situation knows this isn't all that inaccurate. The not so great scenes make a strangely misguided effort to frame this as a dreamlike experience for the two lovers, as the camera lingers awkwardly at a sterile distance, watching as the will-they won't-they chemistry devolves into forced smiles and awkward stares... and wind chimes. Dear God.
As Anakin's story comes to a head, we are relieved of questionable romance and treated to a tragic consequence of the events of the last movie. This subplot is moving, and tragic, and it sets up a philosophical flaw, firmly rooted in Anakin's damaged psyche. We see more Vader-like qualities coming out of a teen aged Anakin Skywalker.
Out of this, we are treated to an amazing third act. Anakin and Padme's journey leads into Obi-Wan's plot line, and the result is a nearly fantastic action sequence that is the defining set piece for this episode. Unfortunately in a strange trade off for less Jar Jar Binks, we are subjected to a truly bizarre comedy gag that genuinely makes me wonder if someone laced psychedelic drugs into my drink. What should be a short and sweet example of the value of the unique strengths of this prequel trilogy is suddenly turned into a long, drawn out, tonally confused sequence of madness that's sure to fry the brain.
In short, C-3PO is the worst thing about this movie, from causing flagrant plot holes (granted they can be explained, but require a rather large suspension of disbelief) to suffering a fate worse than death for everyone involved.
The film ends in a rather anti-climactic saber battle, but some of the dramatic beats in the ending sequence will give you chills... or make your eyes roll into the back of your head because your childhood is dead and cynicism is your new god who you dare not defy for a little bit of fun. Seriously, there is nothing wrong with the big criticism most fans have of this end sequence. It's cool, if not a entirely unexpected and a little hard to believe... but it makes sense. Totally plausible.
The pacing is a little strange around the second act. There are certain scenes where dialogue is overstated and overindulgent, and the script clearly was in desperate need of revision. There are redundant scenes that seem to exist as a screen test for green screen sets that weren't taken all that seriously but thrown in anyway since they cost so much money to make, or else maybe George saw them as potentially "cutting edge" since that's something he's voiced he likes to do with his movies. These scenes don't warrant existing and should have been left on the cutting room floor.
This film is not as solidly crafted as The Phantom Menace or any of the original trilogy films, and for some that will make it hard to digest... it did for me. But it is far more oriented towards general audiences than The Phantom Menace's dry, heady experience. It is warm and human, fast-paced and exciting, and the most action-packed Star Wars to this day.
Ewan McGregor is a stand-out in the cast, dripping with charisma and wit as he emulates Alec Guinness to perfection. Hayden Christensen does well, but is misdirected in many areas. He is clearly emulating the Darth Vader we first meet in Episode IV, shouting in a loud monotone, begrudging incompetence and anything beyond his control. He truly is a stunningly accurate depiction of a teenage Darth Vader and a predecessor to cranky teenage Luke Skywalker from A New Hope, but for many that just won't be compelling to watch. Maybe it was too close, given how young the character still is - making it hard to take seriously, and potentially coming off as an insult to the original character. Natalie Portman is stunningly gorgeous reprising her role as Padme Amidala, and a joy to watch as she unflinchingly dives headfirst into action and takes firm control of every situation presented as a problem to her. Christopher Lee as villain of the week, Count Dooku, is spectacular... and one of the best scenes in the movie is between the two powerhouse standouts Lee and McGregor in a delightfully juicy back and forth over some of the more elusive plot points.
This movie is tragic, serious, and intriguing, but there is a lot of humor too... and great joy, it's that blessed Star Wars brand of humor; ripe with sass, wit, human nature, foreshadowing, and character. Overall this is the most fun of the prequel movies; complete with lightheartedly dark humor, some unconventionally human tension, and lots of brazen yet nuanced depictions of corrupt government. Tone is all over the place - in some places masterful, in others unfocused and sporadic.
The special effects have some of the best and worst in the prequel trilogy, which illustrates the flippancy George had towards the new effects department's plight. A lot of the CGI in this movie looks so real, and a lot of it could be used in a court case to make CGI effects in movies illegal. The set pieces in particular, while designed beautifully, can at times look worse than matte paintings in Return of the Jedi. At other times, it looks like characters are standing in concept art and it's absolutely amazing.
In my opinion, this movie could benefit greatly from a solid theatrical re-cut to make the flow better, because the pacing is headache inducing and the structure sags in the middle with a disjointed scattered focus. This movie had the potential to be a 10, but it undermines itself at every turn and shoots itself in the foot on multiple occasions. There are simple fixes to many of this movie's problems, and that for many will make it a frustrating watch.
What keeps this movie from scoring a 6 is the awe-inspiring and imaginative ideas, the human story, and a lot of genuinely well-crafted sequences and moments. Visual design, sound design, set design, and just a lot of all around heart in general. This movie powers through its many faults and earns its score at an 8 out of 10.