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The Review-
In this second installment, it is ten years
later and plots are a foot to break apart the Republic, with
the ultimate goal down the road (in the next installment of
the Star Wars saga) of transferring power to an evil Sithe wanna-be
emperor, creating an evil empire that the children of the next
generation will suffer because of and fight against.
Because of an important vote pending in the
Imperial Senate, Senator Padmé Amidala's ship is seen landing
on the deck on the planet Coruscant, the home of the Republic.
At this time, an assassin-laid bomb explodes, hurting /killing
her entourage. Luckily, Padmé Amidala was in another smaller
plane. Alarmed, the Jedi Council, at the urging of Chancellor
Palatine (Ian McDiamid), sent Jedi Obi-Wan Kanobi (Ewan McGregor),
and his apprentice learner, the now 19 year old Anakin Skywalker
(Hayden Christensen) to protect Senator Padmé Amidala (Natalie
Portman).
The audience recognizes that there is a friction
that exists between Obi-Wan and his apprentice learner, Anakin
Skywalker, who impatiently, perhaps arrogantly thinks that he
has the skills to take the Jedi test. Anakin is frustrated because
Obi-Wan thinks that Anakin has a lot to learn first. Anakin
feels Obi-Wan is holding him back unnecessarily. After all,
the political wily Palatine had said to him, "You don't need
guidance Anakin. I see you becoming the greatest of all Jedi."
One evening, while these two are protecting
her, another attempt is made on her life sent by a capsule-
carrying remote, that deposits two poisonous worm-like creatures,
in her bedroom as she slept, which starts an exciting action
sequence. Luckily for Amidala, Obi-Wan and Anakin stop arguing
just in time to rescue her from certain death. After Anakin
kills the crawling nasties, Obi-Wan hangs onto the remote, as
it flies back to the assassin who sent it. When she sees Obi-Wan
hanging on to it, she shoots the remote, sending Obi-wan flying
downwards into traffic.
Thank goodness that Anakin shows up in a speeder,
and catches the free-falling Obi-Wan, who is slightly disgruntled
that Anakin took so long. They then pursue the female assassin
in a wild speed chase through city air traffic. After losing
the assassin's speeder, Anakin free falls downward and falls
onto the top of the assassin's speeder, and manages to disable
her craft before being thrown free. Obi-Wan and Anakin track
her down to a futuristic bar, where they wound her, capture
her and start to interrogate her when she is killed by a mysterious
dart., shot by her boss, another unscrupulous character, dressed
in space armor, who rockets away. Obi-Wan suspects this character
to be a bounty hunter, hired to oversee the attempted assassination
attempts.
Afterwards, Obi-Wan and Anakin are temporarily
separated when Obi-Wan is assigned to find this bounty hunter,
and Anakin is assigned to escort and protect Senator Padmé Amidala,
traveling with her back to her home planet, Naboo, with R2D2
to help. Uh oh! You know that these two are going to get into
trouble big time; not only emotionally but will find themselves
in dangerous pickles. Both aren't known to follow the advice
of their superiors. Their forbidden love will grow, and Anakin
will suffer a personal tragedy on Tatooine, which pushes him
towards his inevitable walk toward the dark side of the force.
They also wind up joining Obi-Wan as fellow prisoners, facing
death, when they try to rescue him.
Soon after, Obi-Wan is on the trail of this
bounty hunter. From an old friend that owns a futuristic cafe,
Obi-Wan learns that the dart that killed the assassin came from
the planet of Kamino, whose existence was mysteriously erased
from the library's maps of the heavens. This doesn't stop Obi-Wan.
With the help of Yoda, he finds out where this planet is located.
He arrives on Kamino, and is in for a great surprise. He finds
that the people there were expecting him, and were pleased to
show him a huge clone army, that was ordered 10 years earlier
by a Jedi. Obi-Wan asks to meet the human who was cloned, which
happens to be a slimy character, bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temuera
Morrison), who Obi-Wan immediately knows was the one who had
hired the assassin.
After an exciting fight with the psychopath
Jango, and his creepy little cloned son, Buba (Daniel Lewis),
Obi-Wan manages to slap on a tracking device onto Jango's ship,
and tracks him to Geonosis. After nearly getting shot out of
the sky by Jango, Obi-Wan continues in his investigation on
this planet, figures out that the coalition behind the separatists,
led by the evil Count Dooku, were not only behind the assassination
attempts, but are creating a robot army there to attack the
Republic. Unfortunately, Obi-Wan is captured, but not before
he reports these disturbing facts to Yoda.
Well, the party of course moves to the planet
of Geonosis, with a spectacular fight scene or two in their
Roman-style arena, and elsewhere. The first clone / robot army
fight takes place on this planet as well with exciting, dangerous
light saber fights / gun battles between good and evil. All
this excitement, suspense makes a very entertaining, action
adventure yarn in this second episode in the Star Wars epic.
This is an entertaining, Science Fiction action
/ adventure film classic because of its well done screenplay,
its fine direction, great special effects, wonderful digital
photography, its moving, expressive John Williams musical score
and its great cast of actors and actresses. Comic relief is
offered by the dynamic duo, R2D2 and C-3PO, who first become
a team when Anakin and Padmé return to Tatooine.
The screenplay, by George Lucas and Johnathan
Hales was a clever blend of action adventure, humorous and poignant
dramatic moments, as well as a second storyline of a growing
love story, between Anakin and Padmé (which is an important
development, or else Luke and Leia wouldn't be born in the future.)
It is evident that George Lucas really knows
how to direct this type of film genre very well, bringing the
best performances out of his talented cast, to bring his saga
to life.
Ewan McGregor gives a great portrayal of a dedicated
Jedi Knight who has his hands full trying to guide / train young
Anakin Skywalker, and in carrying out this vital investigation
for the Jedi Council and Republic.
Hayden Christensen is very convincing as the
strong-willed, troubled Anakin Skywalker, who realizes that
he is gifted in the force, but is frustrated because Obi-Wan
is quick to point out big flaws in his character that need fixing.
His other problems are his love for Padmé, and an emotional
chip on his shoulder, left over from his past life. Christensen
does a great job giving the audience glimpses of Anakin's darker
side, as well as his strong points.
Natalie Portman is very convincing as well as
Senator Padmé Amidala, a young woman who bravely faces challenges,
and struggles against the love she feels for Anakin, because
she realizes it would cause both their downfalls.
Christopher Lee had a great time playing convincingly
the evil, dastardly Count Dooku, who is a servant of the wanna-be
emperor, who delves in the dark force, orchestrating events,
so he can eventually take over.
Samuel L. Jackson does a great job playing Jedi
Mace-Windu. He is convincing in the light saber fighting scenes.
My favorite scene with Jackson is when the Jedi come to Geonosis
to try to rescue Obi-Wan, Anakin and Senator Padmé Amidala from
certain death. As Count Dooku and his fellow separatists watch
from their viewing box in the Roman Arena, Mace-Windu strides
into their box, just as our three heroes are cornered and about
to be killed. Mace-Windu announces, "This party is over!" Shaft
couldn't have said it any better!
Ian McDiamid is excellent in his reoccurring
role as the slippery politician Palpatine, portraying a man
one can't quite trust completely. When it became evident that
the Imperial Senate was not going to be able to make a needed
decision, Palpatine, on an emergency vote is made Supreme Chancellor
Palpatine, with a temporary power to make decisions to see them
through this mounting crisis. Hmmmmm!
Yoda, with the wonderful voice of Frank Oz,
is represented visually through computer and digital means,
which gives his character a reality and freedom to show more
expressions, and participate in more life-like endeavors. My
favorite scenes with Yoda are when he is confronting Count Dooku
on Geonosis, after Dooku defeats both Obi-Wan and Anakin in
a light saber fight; (Anakin isn't a good team player). The
light saber battle between these two, Yoda and Count Dooku,
is quite entertaining, as Yoda flies around, in a spectacular
show of skill and prowess. This little guy can really move,
thanks to special effects / computer animation / digital recording!
The great Cinematography was by David Tattersall,
on a digital camera. If you haven't already, be sure to see
Episode II: The Attack of the Clones in a theater that has the
equipment to show digital films. The difference in quality of
the picture, between the traditional film and digital recording
is incredible! Digitally-filmed movies will be the wave of the
future.
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