Episode II

[Dave Monroe]

Planning on seiing it again tomorrow, but ....

--- The Great Quail <quail at libyrinth.com> wrote:
> So, I saw "Attack of the Clones" a few days ago, and
> I have to say, I thought it wasn't that bad! It was
> *certainly* better than the Phantom Menace, that's
> for sure.

... but is that what we're down to now?  Sheer relief?
 "At least it's better than Episode I"?  It's time to
save Star Wars from George Lucas ...

> I have to admit, I was really worried about it,
> primarily because I thought that the kid playing
> Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) would be lame

> I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that in 
> context of the whole movie, he did a good job.

Would be?  A sinking tide lowers all expectations,
apparently ...

> I thought he'd be played as a Dawson-Creek style
> teenager 

He looked more "Saved by the Bell," but ...

> But from the very beginning, his character was a lot
> darker than I  was expecting -- he does some rather
> surprising things, and he actually espouses the
> political viewpoints I would expect from a 
> young Darth Vader. (Or Brock Vond!) (I though the
> politics overall were fascinating ...

Now here's where Episode II REALLY got on my nerves. 
not only the blatant and clumsy "foreshadowing," not
to mention "characterization," but also the
make-it-up-as-you-go-along politics.  An elected Queen
(?!) now a presumably elected (?) Senator who appoints
(?!) a replacement (which at least got Jar Jar Binks
out of the way [!!]).  This whole Trade Federation
thing (Trading what?  A federation of what?) with a
prime minister (who does what?) who, ten years later,
just so happens to have been left over from the first
film (and why WAS Naboo so damn important in the first
place?).  And so forth.  It's really not so much the
plausibility of all this I have problems with--I mean,
we're not talking Asimov or Herbert, much less
Shakespeare or Tolstoy, here--as it is the sheer
arbitrary convenience of it all.  I've never had the
impression that Lucas really bothers much to think any
of this through.  He knew well enough to have other
people write and direct ESB and ROTJ (and THAT was
directed by David Lynch in an alternate universe ...)
...

> the dialogue, which while better than Episode I, 
> still had many cringe-worthy elements.)

Well, you can guess I agree here ...

> Ewan McGregor has grown into the role ...

He does sound eerily like Alec Guinness at times ...

> And a greater attention to humanity was brought to
> secondary characters as well -- Jango and 
> Boba Fett were actually sympathetic, and Christopher
> Lee's Count Saruman (Oops, "Dooku") was a much
> better bad guy than the underdeveloped Darth Maul.

Another irritant in my moviegoing eye, all these
potentially interesting, great, even, characters who
show up, MAYBE get a line or two, and then, in many
cases, simply killed off.  Not even any back story to
speak of.  

And "Dooku" is just a plain bad name.  But I'd love to
see a young Captain Ackbar show up in the next one
(one of the great details of the original trilogy,
that Winston Churchill impersonation) ... 

> (But at least there were Jawas! More Jawas!!! ...

Agreed.  But why no unmasked Tusken Raiders?  Reminds
me, though, bonus points for the pitcher of blue
drink.  That's a deficiency we noted immediately in
The Phantom Menace ... 

> Needless to say, the special effects were fantastic

You got me there, though they eventaully became
routine after repeated exposure ...

> And the final battle -- heh heh.

The only truly great moment here ...

> I wish that Yoda would remain a muppet, though --
> the CGI Yoda doesn't seem quite real enough,
> although later he gets to do some pretty cool 
> stuff. I just think the muppet Yoda has more
> personality and warmth.

Maybe Frank Oz et cie. might whip up an Anakin
Skywalker for the next one?  But agreed again.  But
what happened to the feamle Yoda Jedi from Ep. I?  Or
that long-necked guy (from Kamino, I'm assuming)?  I
figured he'd HAVE to be a total badass, having kept
that neck unsevered.  Nonetheless, planning on going
back tomorrow, so ...

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! Music Experience
http://launch.yahoo.com