In a Galaxy Far, Far Today...

Rating: 8/10 (19 May 2002)

Now that I have seen Attack Of The Clones twice, I have decided to give my spin on the movie, and the whole Star Wars phenomenon, for that matter. I think I have read every IMDB review of Attack Of The Clones, and while I appreciate conflicting opinions, and multifarious theories on the movie; nevertheless, I believe that perhaps, we as a whole (the long time fans), have been missing some various points concerning our movie watching habits and the perceptions of our youth that drew us to the movies in the first place.
I have tried so much to not pick apart Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, and I have good reason for not doing so. When I first watched Star Wars-A New Hope in 1978 (I was too young in '77) I saw it as most little kids did: full of wonder, through the eyes of a child, and Lucas made me believe that it was real, or almost a real happening, `a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.' It was not selective perception in 1978, 1980, and 1983, that made me love the movies so much; nonetheless, all of us grew up, and became adults, and now we see through filtered lenses, and no longer through the original eyes in which we first witnessed out beloved Star Wars movies. We never questioned, for a second, `is this what George Lucas wants us to see,' or, ` is this Academy Award material?' We simply watched and believed, as if somebody had opened up a window through the past, and let us all witness a beautiful story. The person who opened the window and let us look in-to believe-was George LucasÂ…and he has not treated our eyes and imaginations any differently in 1999, or 2002.
I am really beginning to believe that it is us, the fans and moviegoers, that have changed and not Lucas. Therefore, why pick apart these films and spoil them for ourselves-totally unlike we did when the movies first came out? Lucas has always had a very simple story to tell us, something fantastical and innocent, and we have turned around and made it into something it is not. After all, it is George Lucas's story and not ours. It is his baby; and do we tell the parent of the child, `why is your baby's eyes blue,' or `how come you didn't name it such-and-such, or this-or-that?' Do we ask God, or the universe, why are there mosquitoes, and why is water wet? No, most of us just accept these things for the way they are and move on. And, if we do ask these redundant questions enough times, and always hear no answer in reply, then we can drive ourselves crazy and miss out on the simplistic miracle of life.
Every time Lucas put out another Star Wars movie, he is opening the same window he has always opened, as he did with every movie; it is just a different time and place that we are watching. Very simple. Take them all as the `truth' of the Star Wars universe, through the magical portal of movie making, and try to believe as you did as a child.
Too fast, too slow, not enough action, CGI flubs, blue-screen disasters, corny dialog, poor acting-nothing has changed since day one, and it will never change: Remember, these are not 21st century humans we are suppose to be watching on screen, but beings from a different time and place. Evidently, they interact, and speak a bit differently from the way we do (judging from all the Star Wars movies, past and present), yet they have enough `earthling' characteristics that allow us to relate to them. Completely unlike our time and space. I, as well, would have liked to have seen a planet Wookies, and not Ewoks, but that is not the story that was told. That is not what happened.
Attack Of The Clones is the movie to watch at this present moment (old fans and recent converts alike). We are blessed to be a part of history. Not movie making history, nor a deep lesson to be learned, but the history of ourselves, and can we really be taken back `a long time ago,' and `in a galaxy far, far away,' even though it appears that we might have lost touch with our youthful magic. Just ask a 7 or an 8 year old if Phantom Menace or Attack Of The Clones are good movies. I bet you will not hear the same over-analysis that you hear from so many hardcore fans (even if the kids prefer Harry Potter or Lord of The Rings-I bet they would even prefer any of the new corny dialog in the new flicks over that of Return of The Jedi). By all means, analyze what you will in the movies, but please try to recapture some of the unsullied enchantment that has always made the story as a whole so appealing. I mean, Oasis might not be the Beatles, but that does not mean that Oasis does not write good songs.
Having said all that, that does not cut out the factor of preference; thus Attack Of The Clones has realigned my new favorites, from best chapters to worst chapters (although they all serve their purpose well): The Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope, Attack Of The Clones, The Phantom Menace, and Return Of The Jedi.
Peace.