Rebel Rumblings

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Mixed feelings are going on about Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (AotC) which comes out this May. Some people are playing it safe spoiler-free, some people are spoiled and can't even walk to class without having images of lightsabers clashing in their minds . Others are down-right skeptical, and there are even some who are turned off by the mention of "Star Wars" yet most have never even seen it or given it a chance to experience it's magic.

A few select insiders have read the script, entirely. One of them, a guy that goes by "Moriarty", has written a *review* in which he addresses some concerns. Everything he writes goes along with the facts and details that come with the trailers, info from the official site, as well as "insider information" from various insiders. I've been piecing parts of what's true, what isn't, and what might be, so I and many others have a good reason to believe this guy isn't a hoax and has read the script, and does know what he is talking about. I won't link to it because it does have some heavy spoilers, if you are interested in the link email me. Otherwise I have picked out important issues from his essay that serve as **MINOR SPOILERS**, giving you just enough information to decide or perhaps rethink your perception of what Episode II: Attack of the Clones will be like.

Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has read the script (1 time unfortunately, scripts are hot material) and kept up with spoilers. Since he got to read it though, he has been in contact with another close friend that has read it as well and they have been discussing it and putting a lot of thought into it before writing this review. However, this is not the same as seeing the actual edited footage itself obviously.

So without anymore introduction, here are some clips from Moriarty's review:

"There is a major tone shift between THE PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES, but it's not what I expected. Many fanboys have already prematurely declared this the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK of the prequel trilogy, but I don't think that's a fair comparison. It only works on the surface. We've got bounty hunters and asteroid fields and industrial planets and battles involving walkers and a strong romantic subplot, and those comparisons might make you think that the films were similar. EMPIRE was about how an arrogant, victorious Rebellion got handed its ass by the Empire, still strong, still capable of summoning massive wrath and force. It's a crushing defeat in slow-motion, even as we see Luke Skywalker confronted with the temptation of the Dark Side, something he learns has been a problem with his family. ATTACK OF THE CLONES is about how the proud Republic is destroyed from the inside by a cancer of evil, and how the goodwill of the Jedi is turned against them, used to destroy their reputation and disrupt their unity, even as we see Anakin Skywalker confronted with the temptation of the Dark Side, something he seems almost powerless to fight. The original trilogy was about redemption and victory, which means that by necessity, this trilogy is about tragedy and failure. To see Lucas being true to that gives me great hope that EPISODE III could be the triumph that fans of this mythos have always wanted to see, an almost operatic conclusion to the saga. He's definitely used ATTACK OF THE CLONES to lay out all the pieces needed for the puzzle to come together."

"Even at the ending of this film, an ostensible victory for our heroes, there is an action of utter defiance that seals the fate of Anakin and those around him. It is something that would be joyous, even beautiful under other circumstances, but to me, it's a horrible image, cut straight through with sadness because we know where this is going. We know how bad things are going to get. And I would give anything to be able to change things for these characters. I like them enough that I don't want to see them go through the pains and sorrow ahead. To my way of thinking, the fact that I care this much about where this story is heading is a mark of just how well ATTACK OF THE CLONES works on the page."

"And if you don't care about any of this... if story and character are just a distraction to you and all you care about is eye candy... well, this movie should still make you stand in the aisles and scream like a 14 year old girl seeing The Beatles on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW. The new worlds we visit, the new machines we see, the new aliens we meet, and the new characters who are introduced are all written with the sort of mad, fevered imagination that made our first taste of this universe so potent back in 1977. EPISODE I had so much work to do to set up the world that it doesn't surprise me that Lucas forgot to have fun with it. This time around, he seems to have remembered just how much he enjoys this world he's created. Even the smallest of supporting characters are interesting, well-realized on the page. One of the things that made me happiest was seeing that he allows C-3PO and R2-D2 to spend part of the film together, and they fall into their familiar comic rhythms with an enjoyable ease. It should make you smile ear to ear to see them first discover each other as foils."


"And how about that title? Let me say this... having read the script, I can't imagine another title for the movie. When you see it, you will understand. ATTACK OF THE CLONES, indeed."

***MINI-SPOILERS*** (Don't worry, this stuff isn't even the half of it )

On the subject of Jedi >>>>>
"Since I was a child, I have dreamed of seeing The Jedi in their full glory. And in this film, you'll see The Jedi in all their glory. You'll see them in a fight that is, quite simply, one of the greatest action set pieces I've ever read in a science-fiction script. You'll see more of the way the Jedi Temple works. You'll see children in training, and you'll get a glimpse of their history. You'll see that there are personalities, imperfections, friction. They're not some passive, bland, flawless superheroes. There's political infighting that has led a number of Jedi to leave the order over the years. I have no complaints at all about The Jedi or the way they're portrayed here. It's a dream fulfilled."

On the subject of Anakin and Amidala>>>>
"Here's the thing that scares me the most.
If there was anything that threw me in those first three trailers, it was the tone of the romance footage in the "Forbidden Love" trailer. There's a fair amount of it in the film, and as I read some of the scenes, I found myself wincing, imagining how wrong things could go. The way the storyline builds to its eventual finish, though, pays it off to such an extent that I think it ends up being worth the trip. The truth is that when you are young, you fall in love with a sort of reckless ferocity that frequently burns down logic and reason, and Anakin is in desperate need of a family..."

"If the chemistry between Christensen and Portman pays off, then this romance could ignite, and it could become powerfully affecting as it unravels later. If Lucas is unable to create a real sense of intimacy between them, then this is going to be the material that causes the most dissent this time around. I've got my fingers crossed."


On the subject of Jar-Jar>>>>
"You knew we were going to have to talk about him at some point. The good news is that there's very little Jar Jar in the movie. The even better news is that he's used just right. Also, Jar Jar's annoying speech patterns have been altered substantially. He's learned a diplomatic dialect that makes him sound much more conventional. His occasional slip is played for humor, but this is verbal, far more low-key than watching him step in shit or stick his tongue in power couplings. Overall, there's very little to worry about here."


On the subject of Count Dooku>>>>
"Did Christopher Lee sign some sort of deal with the Devil to guarantee that he was going to close out his career on an impossible high note? Playing both Saruman and Count Dooku is one of the all-time great one-two punches in the history of geekdom. Dooku is my favorite *new* character in the prequels so far. If the climactic lightsaber battle involving Count Dooku doesn't become one of the highlights of the saga so far, I will be shocked. As written, it's got all the mythic power anyone could want. Dooku strikes one particular blow that will bring fans to their feet, and there is an elegance to his evil that should make him unforgettable."

On the subject of The Dark Side>>>>
"When Anakin takes his first steps towards damnation in this film, it is surprising just how dark those steps are. It takes great restraint to define The Dark Side properly. Lucas doesn't fall into the easy trap of making it something flashy or superficial like magic powers. Instead, it's compromise and anger and fear that Anakin gives in to, and it's a lack of control that causes his downward spiral. The saddest part of all this is that he's being pushed toward it by unseen hands, and if he was able to step outside of his own frustration for even a moment, he'd realize it. Instead, Anakin lets himself be manipulated. He can't help himself. We see just how much he is held captive by his emotions in this film, and now it's obvious how Luke is his father's son. That impulsiveness, that impatience... it feels familiar."

"By making the greatest evil in this film something that we can relate to, Lucas takes an enormous risk. It's not popular to remind people of their own potential weaknesses. It's always more comforting to pretend that evil only ever comes from the outside, that it's something that can be fought back and killed, obvious because of how it looks. The truth is, we all carry the potential for great evil inside of us, just as we carry the potential for great good. Life is all about choice, and Lucas gently leads us down the path of compromise in this film. For escapism, this strikes surprisingly close to home."

Notes from me:

As I said, there's more, but it's both extremely spoiler heavy and vague at the same time. It won't make a lick of sense if you don't know certain spoilers. That is why I did not provide a link.

To clear a few extra points up here are some other facts:

-AotC takes place ten years after TPM. Anakin is 19 and Padme 24.

-Many people thought Obi-Wan got the shaft in TPM, especially on Tatooine, where he just stayed and watched the ship. Well this is definitely not the case in AotC. Obi-Wan severly has his work cut out for him.

-Many people wanted to see the Jedi (other than Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan) doing something besides sitting in chairs debating. Well have no fear, you will find it will be you who will have a hard time containing the excitement and emotion of the moment, sitting down in your chair as you watch the Jedi do their thing, including Mace Windu and Yoda.

-Clone Wars? What's the deal. We know they happen, but when. Well as you know, every Star Wars movie includes a huge battle. The battle at the end of this movie is the first of the battles of the Clone Wars, and calling it epic is an understatement.

I can't wait for the new trailer coming out in March, and of course the movie in May. This is going to be sweet!


[This message has been edited by Big B (edited February 27, 2002).]

 

Okay... this was the first time I read any spoilers for the movie. I couldn't resist.
When Epi 1 came, I was as spoiled as a brat can be
The ideas presented are very interesting, and I think I will mail you for the link.

Ara
(Insanity, and hating school. Yuch....)

 

I don't care what the film is like. I'm watching it. IT'S GOT CHRISTOPHER LEE IN IT!!!



[This message has been edited by Christopher_Lee (edited February 28, 2002).]

 

Uhhhh, I don´t know.
- I Saw previews of AotC which I disliked very very much. (Too much typical hollywood features)
- I didn´t like the Phanton Menace that much. (That jamaican speaking JAR-JAR totally screwed up the whole movie, too high Disney features and all, not funny)
- I am a huge Fan of the old Star wars episodes, movies which are real epic and totally awesome.

I will probably still see the movie, but I don´t get my hopes up high.

 

Ugh.. episode 1 was so bad that I.. I.. arghh

Yet there is hope if this review holds true (which, btw, is pretty hard to believe)

 

More rumblings...

Yeah, it's hard to believe I know. But seeing is believing, and I present here a chance to see an official documentary with a lot of Samuel Jackson goodness and much more:

www.episode-x.com/episode2/files/makingof10.mov

(That's at episodex, a spoiler site, so I didn't link to it's main page for those who don't want to be spoiled.)

You can also get it here, but you have to become a member and have quicktime (it's free and you can see the other "The Making of Episode II" videos as well.)
http://starwars.com/

If you have a good connection then seriously check it out. You will not be dissapointed.


More good news is that the final trailer is officially coming out on the bigscreen with the new movie Ice Age on March 15th. But here's more, not only is the best saved for last (this trailer is titled "Clone War"), it's airing on FOX March 10th!?! Although this isn't the case of some random network sponsoring Star Wars, because FOX gave Lucas the chance back in the 70's to create this goodness we know as "Star Wars" . So on March 10th, the *full* two minute trailer will air between Malcolm in the Middle and X-Files, right before 9:00 PM ET/PT on FOX. Of course this isn't fair to the rest of the world, so it's obvious FOX will have it up on their website shortly thereafter, and from there it will leak across the web.

It has already been screened by a select group earlier today, in Europe I believe, and insider reports are coming in on to what it shows. I think some of you will be amazed. It's going to be fast paced and furious at parts so don't blink or watch it many times.


Also to Christopher Lee: Well I know who your favorite all time Star Wars character is going to be . From what I know, Count Dooku is the man. Now some might consider what I am about to say a **spoiler**, but I think for most, hearing this will bring much relief and make you want to see it more
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We all got pissed that Maul died. I mean he didn't have many lines, and wasn't much of a "character" in a lot of respects. Well Lucas did it right though. He wanted to portray Sidious gaining power, but at the same time, not having the right apprentices. But to have just one Sith until Vader comes along doesn't drive the point home. At the same time, having three, one for each prequel film, gets old as each time the Sith apprentice dies. So he went with the next best thing, Maul appears and dies in Episode I, and you guessed it...Dooku in both Episodes II and III! Then Vader comes along, and we see that Anakin is indeed the "most powerful Jedi" because he proves he can be the best Sith apprentice for ol' Palpatine/Sidious.

Maul is the flashy, fast-paced, villian who isn't big on words.
Dooku is the charismatic, charming, viper in disguise ('Dooku' means poison in Japanese I'm told). Don't judge him by his age. I have no doubt that Dooku could have Maul screaming for mercy . Through these two, aspects of the Dark Side are revealed. First we need to see the flashy, on the surface appeal of the Dark Side. Then we are prepared for the more subtle, deadlier aspects of the Dark Side.
And Vader of course, ultimately becomes Palpatine's best apprentice. Having two, portrayed the way they are, makes it all the more sweeter when Vader steps up to the plate. This is just one of the examples of how we thought something was stupid or could have been done better in TPM, that in the long run, has the best impact on the whole story itself. But there are even more, as time will reveal.

You have to realize, the split between "Originals" and "Prequels" is breaking down. This is one huge story focused on Anakin Skywalker. He was a kid in TPM, hence it's tone. He becomes a man, although an extremely troubled one, in AotC, hence it's tone: tension. Immense tension on all levels.