Monday, May 20, 2002
Today I decided to take a break from all of my book/Computer Paper writing and go see a movie downtown. Spiderman was playing at the local theater, but since Erika has shown some interest in seeing it (and none for the next Star War franchise film) I thought I'd check out "Attack of the Clones".
The coming attraction previews said a lot about the expected audience: Hey Arnold! The Movie (a cheap-looking feature-length kid's cartoon), Goldmember (the next Austin Powers movie), Like Mike (a kid-oriented basketball movie), Minority Report (Tom Cruise SF vehicle) and The Matrix Reloaded. In other words, kids and sci-fi fans.
There were plenty of both in evidence at the 12:30pm screening I went to at The Paramount downtown -- in fact the place was packed. I was amused to see a bunch of grey-haired men in their 50s who obviously came to see the movie sans wives and kids. I'm 20 years younger, but I fell into the same category.
As for the movie itself -- it is certainly a cut above "Phantom Menace". Part of the enjoyment comes from the politics in the film -- very much space opera-ish stuff, the wheels-within-wheels stuff neatly laying the back story the "main" Star Wars trilogy. All fairly predictable, but then we all know how it ends up, don't we?
As for the love story -- it doesn't really make a lot of psychological sense when you look at it. You'd think Amidala would do some serious re-thinking about ol' Anakin after he confesses to slaughtering a tribe of Sandwalkers ("including the women and children". Oh yeah, that says 'stable relationship' to me). The age thing is also weird -- she appears no older than in the last film, though we are told that 10 years have passed, so you'd think she see straight through his teenaged tantrums and see him for the boy he still is. The love scenes on the whole are mercifully short thankfully -- though Amidala's constant costume changes from scene to scene had me rolling my eyes after a while (she must have a secret bevy of clothing retainers tucked away wherever she goes).
I couldn't help thinking about this tongue-in-cheek article I read last week while watching the movie, entitled "The Case for the Empire". A former Queen talks earnestly about republicanism. Right. I have to admit that even with the obvious deficiencies of the evil Empire to come (i.e. blowing up a planet here and there), he idea of Queens and future Princesses fighting for Republican ideals does strike me as incongruous.
Not a lot of people mention this in their reviews, but this movie (as well as the last one) were marvelous when it came down to how they sounded. Though I'm not a huge fan of John Williams, he always seems to score the Star Wars movies well (albeit with a lot of recycling of themes used in the "main" trilogy). I also loved experiencing the sound of all of the critters in the movie, along with all of its mechanical sounds as well as the throbbing sounds of all of the spaceships (though to my mind they all sound a bit like they're all piston-driven). One of the best parts of the previous outing was the sound of the race, lending it greater authenticity, and helping to put you *there*.
Speaking of races, this movie doesn't lack for chase scenes or perilous situations the heroes have to get themselves out of. This plus the obligatory big battle at the end will satisfy most males in the audience. And though it was had for me to believe before I saw it, Yoda's sword fight with Count Dooku is truly "kickass".
There are plot inconsistencies you could drive a Federation Star Destroyer through (and these will undoubtedly become the fodder for Star Wars geeks for the next year or so until part III comes out), but on the whole I have to give Attack of the Clones a thumb's up. It’s rather like a roller coaster ride though – fun while you are on it, but nothing really stays with you (or me, at any rate). Of all of the recent “franchise” films, I’d have to rate this as a lower “movie experience” than, say, the Lord of the Rings movie.
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