A Star Wars Celebration: Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones

 

           With the Twentieth Anniversary release of Star Wars Episode III, I figured since I since I didn't get the good chance to go back and review the second and most underappreciative sequel in the Star Wars Prequel trilogy. Attack of the Clones when it first came out I always remember how corny the whole love story between Anakin and Padme was and me who was more wanting to see Anakin become Darth Vader well, we had to get the best of what we can with this movie but granted when you think about it when you’re a teenager as well as a Star Wars fan, Natalie Portman gave you a real reason to love girls when you think about it because revisiting her with some of her outfits, there's no doubt I began to realize she would be my teenage crush. But more importantly revisiting Attack of the Clones gave me a whole realization that this was a great sequel to the Prequal trilogy and needs to be seen in a better light.

           Set Ten years after the events of "The Phantom Menace" the Republic continues to be mired in strife and chaos. A separatist movement encompassing hundreds of planets and powerful corporate alliances poses new threats to the galaxy that even the Jedi cannot stem. Though with the beginning of the Clone Wars, love evolves between Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) and Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christianson).

            I'll admit I was a bit weary into diving into Attack of the Clones mainly because it's been quite a long time since I watched the movie constantly and the last time, I watched the movie was back in 2011 when they finally released the movie on Blu-Ray. And for sure, I could of just dive into Revenge of the Sith but, it would be wrong and unfair. Sure the acting at times gets a bit corny and awkward especially when this was Hayden Christianson's first big role but through the course of the movie I began to realize that he was perfect for the role of older Anakin Skywalker, and sure you all are going to look at me crazy but he actually does a fantastic job playing Anakin as a young promising Jedi, who also begins to have anger issues but more importantly is torn between his feelings for Padme and reliving this movie I began to see that Hayden in this movie is every teenager whose torn between purpose and love. And what I like about Hayden's performance is that he does a fantastic job at playing a teenage Anakin, who wishes to be taken seriously but Obi-Wan is this dispended Jedi who of course lives by the Jedi code keeps telling him to not let his personal feelings get in the way, and I slowly see (and granted this is me watching this at 38 years of age) why Qui-Gon's death was the twist of fate, moreover you begin to realize that Qui-Gon should of taught Anakin to be a Jedi not Obi-Wan because Qui-Gon would of taught Anakin a better approach of being a better Jedi. While doing some research of the movie I began to see some actors that auditioned for the role of Anakin and with further hop will make you all realize that Hayden Christianson was the perfect choice for Anakin, one actor I would image to be an equal candidate was Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and then they're were actors that I wouldn't cast and that's Chris Klein and James Van Der Beek, but the one that shocked me the most was Mac from It's Always Sunny for which made me cringe at the even thought of that moreover I bet when George Lucas peaked through his TV and watched It's Always Sunny he realized that Hayden was always the first choice from the beginning, and there other actors I could mention but I'm going to let you all have fun in looking at the cut list, on who auditioned for Anakin Skywalker. And even seeing this with fresh eyes as well as watching the movie between the lines or scenes you slowly begin to see that the Jedi's way, was slowly beginning to be outdated, moreover in a sense corrupt because of their emotions as well as how they approached politics in general and this was coming from watching Tales of the Jedi moreover following through the perspective of Count Dooku and even rewatching the scene between Dooku and Obi-Wan, where he tells Obi-Wan about the Sith controlling the Republic and Obi-Wan just throws that belief a side, not even hesitating to ponder this thought furthermore that scene alone just explains the Jedi through the Prequels as being blinded by Palpatine throughout the movies. Speaking of Count Dooku, played by the late and legendary actor Christopher Lee, Tales of the Jedi and Attack of the Clones, gave me a clear and great respect for the character that for me at a young age wasn't all fascinating like Darth Maul or Darth Vader or even Darth Sidious. But more importantly with both films like Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, each antagonist is representation of Anakin Skywalker falling to the Dark Side of the Force, of course Darth Maul represents Anakin's anger, but it's Count Dooku who represents Anakin distrust with the Jedi but also represents their breaking point or what I like to say, one bad day. Dooku after the events of Phantom Menace as well as  the loss of his apprentice Qui-Gon Jinn it was his breaking point in betraying everything he stood for and although he was questioning everything in what the Jedi were supposed to be it was his greatest student, who was like a son to him that brought him to the edge of selling his soul to Sidious, and like Anakin witnessing the death of his mother as well as fearing the loss of his mother through nightmares as well as his visions were his beginning of his breaking point as we slowly see in Episode III and I think watching Tales of the Jedi and then watching Attack of the Clones I begin to understand what Count Dooku represents through the course of the Prequels trilogy. Furthermore, these were a lot of things that I began to slowly see after twenty-three years of seeing the movie and re-watching this movie all together I really misunderstood Count Dooku as a character. Going back to Hayden Christianson's performance in the movie sure it was at times hard to watch (which explains why he never got any work after the Prequels) as I remember, but the way he's able to have a hard time expressing emotions as well as not being sure on why the Jedi Council ideals are I truly believe is perfect especially after bringing his mother back from the Sand People and he breaks down with so much emotions as well as confessing to killing the sand people it's both great to watch and I don't think of any other way to direct that scene mainly because it's Hayden expressing anger but knowing it's not the Jedi way, and yet Natalie gives the greatest line through the whole movie "To be angry is to be human" because that line represents being angry at something isn't all bad as the Jedi would think or teach, and to be truthfully honest Hayden to me has always been the perfect actor to play Anakin Skywalker as well as Darth Vader no matter what the trolls say. I do remember before the film came out, about Yoda being digital and not a puppet anymore for which at the time I never understood why they would do that all because I was use to puppet Yoda, but until I heard that he was going to bring out his own lightsaber and duel Dooku, I'll admit was excited about this concept and when I first watched this epic fight scene I remember laughing through the screening almost like a crazy person laughing at anything and yet reliving this great fight scene always brings a smile, all because it's just great on so many levels. Attack of the Clones was great to relive from the young adult love story to Sam Jackson's great action sequence to even a short lived but great Jango Fett aka Boba's father, and I truly hope every Star Wars fan goes back to this movie and appreciate it as a great sequel in the Prequels trilogy because let’s face it the Prequels Trilogy is a billion times better than the Disney Trilogy.