"Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones"

Title: "Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones"

Director: George Lucas
Producers: R. McCallum and G. Lucas
Editing: Ben Burtt
Composer: John Williams
Starring:
- Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Natalie Portman as Queen Padme Amidala
- Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker
- Ian McDiamid as Palpatine/Darth Sidious
- Christopher Lee as Count Dooku
- Anthony Daniels as C-3PO
- Kenny Baker as RD-D2
- Frank Oz as 'The Voice Of' Yoda
- Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu
- Temuera Morrison as Jango Fett
- Daniel Logan as Boba Fett

Plot and Critical Review: Ten years have passed since the invasion of Naboo, and the Galactic Republic is in turmoil. Former Jedi Master Count Dooku has organized a Separatist movement against the Republic, making it difficult for the Jedi to maintain the peace. The Republic contemplates creating an army to assist the Jedi, prompting Senator Padmé Amidala, former Queen of Naboo, to return to Coruscant to vote on the matter. She narrowly escapes an assassination attempt upon arrival. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine assigns Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to protect her. That night another attempt is made on Padmé's life, although Obi-Wan and Anakin foil the plot and subdue the assassin who is murdered by her mysterious employer. The murder weapon is discovered to be a poisonous dart manufactured on the planet Kamino. Returning to the Jedi Temple, Obi-Wan is assigned to investigate the identity of the assassin's killer while Anakin is assigned to escort and accompany Padmé to Naboo. Anakin, who has quickly fallen in love with Padmé, relishes the opportunity to spend time with her, although Padmé resists her feelings toward him as it goes against the morality of their respective careers.

In investigating the remote ocean planet of Kamino, Obi-Wan discovers that it has been removed from the navigation maps of the Jedi archives. Yoda reveals that such a thing could only have been done by a Jedi, suggesting a conspiracy. Obi-Wan heads to Kamino where he discovers that an army of clone troopers is being secretly produced for the Republic. A bounty hunter named Jango Fett has been employed to be the genetic template for all the clones. Obi-Wan tries to capture Jango after deducing that he is the killer he has been looking for. Jango and his son Boba escape, but Obi-Wan tracks them to the planet Geonosis.

Anakin, meanwhile, suffers from recurring nightmares in which his mother, Shmi, is in grave danger. In defiance of Obi-Wan's orders, Anakin convinces Padmé to accompany him to Tatooine to save his mother. There he finds her mortally injured by Tusken Raiders and she dies in his arms. Succumbing to a murderous rage, Anakin massacres the entire Tusken tribe. After burying his mother, Anakin tearfully confesses his crime to Padmé.

On Geonosis, Obi-Wan learns that Count Dooku authorized the assassination attempt on Padmé and that the Separatists are developing a new battle droid army. Obi-Wan relays this information via hologram to Anakin, who transmits it to the Jedi Council moments before Obi-Wan is captured. While he holds Obi-Wan hostage, Dooku reveals that the Republic is in fact controlled by a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious. While Anakin and Padmé head to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine is granted emergency powers to organize the clone army and send them into battle. Shortly after arriving on Geonosis, Anakin and Padmé are captured and sentenced to death along with Obi-Wan. Preparing for what could be their final moments, Padmé finally confesses her feelings for Anakin. The three are pitted against savage beasts, but manage to survive until Jedi Master Mace Windu arrives with a team of Jedi to assist them. The Jedi engage the battle droid army and Windu kills Jango in a brief battle. After a heated struggle, in which many of the Jedi are slain, Yoda arrives with the clone army and rescues the survivors of the battle.

As a large battle erupts between the Republic's clone army and the Separatist's droid forces, Count Dooku attempts to escape. Obi-Wan and Anakin corner him in a hangar and engage him in a lightsaber duel, but he outmatches and defeats, severing Anakin's arm in the process. Yoda engages Dooku in a lightsaber duel until Dooku escapes to Coruscant. The Jedi are now uncertain of what will become of the Republic now that the Clone Wars have begun. Chancellor Palpatine oversees the launching of massive clone trooper forces. Anakin and Padme are married in secret on Naboo.

Making a sequel is hard enough on its own. "The Dip" comes into effect and most directors find that they're not able to turn over the same amount of original material the second time around. New innovations may be put in place to make the sequel feel different (even though it is still bound by the style of the first installment), but if a sequel doesn't bring in adequate revenue and positive fan response the entire series can be in jeopardy. We don't have to guess whether or not George Lucas felt the pressure when he approached the production of "Attack Of The Clones". Not only was he trying to overcome the criticisms surrounding "Phantom Menace"; he knew that he had to improve upon "Phantom Menace" and use the "Attack..." to set up Episode III. This is a tremendous task for any director, much less the creator of "Star Wars" itself.

It's possible that Lucas might have lost his touch as a cinematic director after his 16 year hiatus. His involvement with LucasArts, however, kept him on the front-lines of cinematic technology and when the time to begin filming "Attack" arrived, Lucas decided to use digital media only. He had hoped to do so with Episode I, but Sony was unable to build the cameras fast enough. "Attack Of The Clones" was the very first film to be shot using only digital cameras and media for data storage. While some directors still resist the use of digital technology in film-making, Lucas saw an opportunity to open the door to an entirely new style of cinematic production. He did it once in 1975 when he founded Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), why not do it again?

As innovative and ground-breaking as those technological advances were, they were not enough to save this movie from itself. Poor writing (due in part to J. Hales who Lucas hired to help finish the script late in the pre-production process), poor tempo, and groan-inducing attempts to "tie the story together" sunk this ship before it sailed.

"Third time's a charm!", right Uncle George?

My Rating: 5.5/10

Content to Caution:
V-2 - Different day, different droids being blasted. Violence and action consistent with the first film.
L-1 - No comment.
DU-.5 - No comment.
RT-1 - Some talk of slavery, and the race of clones (bred to be warriors) can be viewed as being slaves to their single purpose in life; die for the politicians.
H/S-1 - Just enough dramatic tension to keep us engaged.
CH-1 - No comment.
S/N-.5 - Anakin steals a kiss. The Force was with him.

The "Reel Revelation": "A Galaxy (Not So) Far, Far Away - Pt. 2"

Think for a moment of a few things you'd really like to have. Try to focus on material things, if you can. (I'd normally not say that, but it's worthwhile for the sake of the reflection.) What comes to mind? A new car? A home? A vacation? Of the things you've come up with, how many are actually attainable? I'd suspect most of your list is, but maybe you've thought of a few things that are outright impossible to achieve. How do you feel about that; knowing you'll never get what you want? This is a simple thinking exercise, but I suspect you can think of much deeper and more serious things (or opportunities, even relationships) you wish for that you also sense are out of reach. While we might not share the same list of things desired, but I think we can all share the sentiment of wanting something so badly but knowing it's out of our reach, that it's forbidden. Dare we admit that there's something dramatically exciting about wanting something we know we can never have?

Of all the plot devices employed in literature and poetry (then employed in film and so on) that capture our attention, forbidden love is probably the greatest of them all. The battle of good against evil, the struggle of the minority, and the pursuit of glory all make for memorable stories, but I cannot think of anything as captivating as that of forbidden love. The examples go on and on, but here are a few that come to mind:

- Romeo and Juliet - Forbidden by their families/social classes.

- John Smith and Pocahontas - Forbidden by social structures and worldviews.

- Love shared between man and deity (common in ancient mythology) - Forbidden by divine and natural "law".

Lucas tries his hand at writing a story of forbidden love between Anakin and Padme. They both realize that they cannot and ought not be together. Social classes forbid it. Religion (the "Jedi Code", in this instance) forbids it. Common sense throws up a STOP sign every time they entertain feelings of romance. And still they persist, choosing to "live a lie" instead of denying their feelings. Their know that their love is forbidden, but they chosen to ignore that "law" and move forward despite knowing that they risk everything for the sake of romance and companionship. The rest is history.

Impossible circumstances seem to restrict even the faintest hope of these lovers ever being together. It's a lost cause from the get-go, but it's a lost cause we can't get enough of! Why are we so interested? It's forbidden, after all; not allowed, prohibited! And yet these stories (among many others) are esteemed as some of the greatest ever told. But none of these stories come close to the tale of impossible love such as we find in the Bible. In those sacred pages we learn of a loving God who overwhelmed all odds and laws and rules to touch our world with His very self.

We learn of a God who dwelt among His people. Even when the Israelites feared the presence of God, they still knew that God was with them at all times.

We learn of a God who broke through social barriers, calling all people to Himself. He employed both kings and farmers to accomplish His will on Earth.

We learn of a God who broke through the barrier of Eternity itself and became a man, and that man, Jesus, walked alongside us.

We learn of a God who continues to call us to Himself each day, and we learn that God calls us to follow after Him even if this world forbids us to do so. Somehow the social pressures that tried to keep Romeo and Juliet apart don't seem so bad.

It really is a story of impossible love, the tale of God's love for us.

Will you embrace that love today?

Perhaps you've managed to tell yourself that certain things in your life are impossible, even forbidden. 'Oh no, i'll never do that...there's no sense in even trying' or 'I wish that I could, but I know i'd never be able to'. Ever heard those words come out of your mouth? I think I've said them once or twice (or 10 dozen times) myself. God might forbid us from doing certain things in this life. We don't know why, but sometimes it can seem as if there's a reason we're not able to get access to one side of the human experience or another. That might bring disappointment, but may we never become so discouraged that we forget that while God forbids us from certain things in this life (remember the list from earlier), He doesn't forbid us from Himself. We might not get our dream vacations or shiny cars or a dish washer that functions properly, but what we do receive is so much better;

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you." (John 14: 27)

Rest in that peace today, my friends.

See you tomorrow- E.T.