CGIsm

Why is the famed cinematic franchise of Star Wars so loved? This is a question which I believe possesses numerous answers and opinions all of which are appreciated. Whereas others love them because of their tuned affinity in deconstructing the values and noticeable aspects of stories – of which we’ll get to discussing down the line of further reviews – many adhere to the universe of Star Wars due to it’s immersion and amalgamation of fantastical elements and characters that felt relatable. For myself, it was a filmic series that I grew-up with as a child; first watching A New Hope and later being so fixated on the stories and adventures it presented to me. Despite its recent animosity and division of quality and story-telling in the latest cinematic endeavours, it’s a franchise which, to this day, still enchants young and old alike. It’s cultural impact is unparalleled to say the least, what with it distributing other forms of media since its inception in 1977. Yet, from my personal perspective, this phenomena came intro fruition at the time of George Lucas’ second entry of the prequels, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones; a sci-fi feature which, like The Phantom Menace, brought forth an increased emphasis of thrilling action, but severely diminished in relation to its ponderous plot points and excruciatingly awkward writing and characterisation. However, how does it compare to the hogwash of Episode I?…

Set ten years later after the events of The Phantom Menace, the Republic continues to be mired in strife and chaos. A Separatist movement encompassing other hundreds of planets and powerful corporate alliances poses new threats to the galaxy that even the Jedi cannot stem. These moves, long planned by an as yet unrevealed and sinister force, lend to the beginning of the Clone Wars and the beginning of the end of the Republic… 

Upon watching this film and reflecting on what Lucas bestows in terms of story and formality, whilst there’s some fluency and necessary urgency to perceive through Attack of the Clones’ first and final acts, it can’t be helped to fathom how much of the same awkward tropes that were ever noticeable in The Phantom Menace plague are clearly visible in Lucas’ continuation; a continuance which is supposed to delve into the character of Anakin Skywalker in a compelling way. Yes, as much as Lucas makes amends in regards to providing an opening first act that see’s our central protagonists propelling themselves in the midst of an assassination attempt on Padmé and the mysterious exposure of the Republic’s Clone Army, much of this promised intrigue is excruciatingly subdued by the rather uncomfortable duo of uncomfortable dialogue/delivery and execution of Computer Generated Imagery which effectively disconnects you from what is being displayed. Although it may seem like referring to Attack On Clones’ CGI deficiencies may seem like a tired argument to bring forth in this review, considering how audiences and critics alike have referred to such specific criticism ever since the said films cinematic inception, it’s an aspect nonetheless which results in the features attempt in providing a captivating story-line which see’s Anakin conforming to his long-after desires to be moot. Especially when we’re viewing nonsensical sequences of characters casually walking and talking in front of what now looks like to be a backdrop that you would normally see within a PlayStation 3 game. As much as these moments are there to provide context in relation to either the character of Anakin or whatever business is going on with the Republic, these said walking/talking sequences are ultimately pointless to the grand scheme of things and don’t surmount to any of the littlest significant story details. They rather halt the far more compelling aspects of the narrative and are left bemused as to why certain events are taking more time than they should. One of the biggest problems to notice of within The Phantom Menace was the begrudging manner in which it delved into a story-line that felt taxing thanks to its emphasis on trade negotiations and political intrigue with a few snippets of pod-racing and the general ‘hello, I’m here and cool’ appearances of Darth Maul. With Attack of the Clones, while there is far more intrigue in terms of the adventures that the likes of Anakin and Obi-Wan are plunged into, with the young Padawan learner looking and falling in love with Padmé and Obi-Wan tracking down those responsible for the attack of the said Naboo senator, Lucas can’t help himself but detract away from what’s needed and instead fixate on unnecessary detail which is frankly wasteful. However, what’s equally amateurish is the uncomfortable writing; whether it’s the predicaments that the characters are faced with or what these protagonists actually say to one another. Indeed, while there’s no real level expectancy of written dialogue that parallel the literal standards of Tolstoy or Shakespeare, some of what the characters say and subsequently do really boggle the mind. Whether it’s Obi-Wan making a quick ‘quip’ about Anakin jumping down by saying. “I hate it when he does that!” which is a confusing line since there’s no evidence to suggest that Anakin is this reckless right from the start of the film, to the infamous pick-up line which Anakin says to Padmé, “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse, and rough, and irritating and it gets everywhere”, it’s these instances which make you dumbfounded as to how Lucas initially came-up with great characterisation in the forms of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in the Star Wars films that came before. What made these said characters so memorable compared to those that reside in the prequels is their interaction with one another; how relatable they comically or angrily coerced between themselves in a particular moment that outstretches our own reality. As much as there is an argument to be made that there are moments such as this in Attack of the Clones, it’s the combination of the writing and delivery of these gawky lines that subtly distance your engagement and sympathy for what the likes of Anakin or Yoda go through. The only reputable aspect to grasp from the context is Lucas’ attempt in making the character of Anakin malevolent, which was necessarily needed in juxtaposing his buoyant counterpart from the preceding tale. Sequences such as Anakin maliciously killing the Tusken Raider’s in revenge and the subsequent outburst – which admittedly seemed overdone by Hayden Christensen –  is a good intention of these methods, but its thanks to Lucas’ overreach in other contextual areas will greatly dissipates this potential. 

As touched upon already, what’s rather renowned in relation to Attack of the Clones’ critical mockery is its execution of CG effects; whether it’s to do with a the backdrops that characters are placed in or rendered figures which rather masks Star Wars’ magic in profoundly using fruitful practical effects. Indeed, whether it’s through instances where real-life characters are engaging with computer-generated figures, which is very prominent to see in Obi-Wan’s arc of the story, or moments of action – specifically the big arena fight sequence involving multiple Jedi – which don’t necessarily correlate between preceding moments of characters being placed in built-up/real settings, the implementation of formal tactics used by Lucas doesn’t always flow in the way in which you want it to. It’s as if he relies on this technical methodology more than the important aspects of compelling context and characterisation which are left to ponder. What made the original trilogy seem so viscerally was the manner in which it utilised its effects; how they were only used as a necessity to eclipse our own comprehension of a certain thing being presented. It was used a mechanism in the likes of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back which personified the given creature or effect of something extraordinary happening. As impressive as it is seeing an ambitious attempt in fleshing out the Star Wars universe through grandiose landscapes and settings that seem inviting at first glance, much of this can be perceived as a facade. Much of the same can be said in relation to the films inconsistency of plot events. On re-watching Attack of the Clones, there are certain junctures which do leave you baffled and question the characters decision and thought process of the future. For instance, the appointment of Jar Jar Binks as temporary representative of Naboo who grants Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers to do whatever pleases him. I mean….What?! How a character of his degraded stature got to that decision-making position is one thing, but to ultimately be responsible for basically the forthcoming civil war of the Rebels and the Empire in the future catastrophic landmark that is amusingly bewildering to comprehend. Then you have the likes of Obi-Wan knowing the dark secret of the Republic thanks to Dooku and Lucas himself saying that Jedi are forbidden to love just makes you want to stop the film and never watch it again to be honest. Even the mention of a master Sifo-Dias is an enigma!

What’s also considered to be convoluted and maddeningly conflicting is the characterisation and how both performance and writing let a lot of characters go to the way-side; in particular the embodiment of Anakin Skywalker. As much as it’s clear from the enactment that Hayden Christensen gives for the aforesaid character that he’s trying to adhere to Lucas’ concept of a character who’s maturing yet attuning to his naturally sinister side, the depiction itself doesn’t marry the inevitable denouement of Anakin. Whereas you expect to see a more brooding and coercive portrayal which fits in line with how Anakin ends up becoming in the later films, what you actually get is a delivery which seems rather desperate and try-hard to say the least. It comes across as babyish almost to the point where you think at times he needs a dummy to calm down, which I don’t think is the way he should have been portrayed. Yes, it’s again clear what Lucas’ intentions are of Anakin and how he’s slowly crossing over-the-line in falling in love and becoming more and more angrier at what life throws at him. However, in combination with some of the lines that Christensen has to deliver, it unfortunately falls short of its potential. Even the chemistry he has with Natalie Portman, who plays Padmé , seems forced. There is not a romantic word they exchange with one another that has not been long since reduced to cliché. Likewise is the character of Obi-Wan who, although is brilliantly acted by Ewan Mcgregor, also possesses distasteful mannerisms that seem oddly out of character from what was seen in the preceding feature. Moments of deconstructing Anakin’s progress as a Jedi and even being captured in the manner that he does seems out of place. The only real highlights as far as the characters are concerned is the inclusion of Jango Fett and the greater emphasis of Master Windu and Yoda. As much as I feel as though Jango Fett’s arc could have been expanded into the third instalment, his inclusion non-the-less is rather welcoming and adds great moments of tension; in particular the seismic-charge sequence in space. 

Although there have been many times where I have said this in many previous Film Reviews, it can’t be stressed enough how much a sequel can be one of the hardest productions for a director to comprehend. As much as you have to replicate the contextual and formatic ideas that worked in the first film, you also have to consider new concepts which would amalgamate well with the already established filmic formula. While Lucas attempts to do this in making Attack of the Clones a sci-fi adventure which emphasises greatly on its action and grandiose set-pieces, much of this attempt is faltered by a continuation of discretionary writing and acting that feel week and never once live-up to an expectation that would feel more forlorn yet fascinating; like previous Star Wars entries have been. It’s rather unsatisfying really knowing that Lucas could have done better in relation to his writing and how his addiction in creating depth results to a conclusion that is structurally messy and leaves important characters to feel not so imperative. It remains to be seen whether Lucas finally learnt his lesson in The Revenge of the Sith; a story which connects everything together…

On that note, it’s time for me to end this week’s Film Review. As always everyone, thank you for reading my latest Film Review of Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and if anyone happens to have an opinion in my review or on the film itself, you’re more than welcome to share your thoughts down below. For next week, I’ll be discussing the latest Pokémon: Detective Pikachu and how it compares to it’s animated roots and the likes of Roger Rabbit. With that said, thank you once again for reading my latest Blog Entry and I hope you’re all having a nice week so far! Adieu! 😃⚔👽💥👫💖 

★★☆☆☆ – Alex Rabbitte