Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones 2002 Screenplay written and directed by George Lucas
I am reviewing the Star War films in the order made since all nine are completed. This is the fifth for me but the second chronologically. As a writer I’ll focus on the plot and characters.[image error]
We are expecting a Clone War since Obi-Wan mentioned he fought in them with Anakin. I think the first movie should have started here instead of 10 years previously. Throw your readers into the conflict from the first page.
Plot: Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is leading the rebellious solar systems threatening to leave the Republic. Grand Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) says he will keep the Republic united. Senator Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) is voting at Coruscant and is against creating an Army of the Republic to assist the overwhelmed Jedi. Her decoy is killed upon arrival showing the threat to her. Palpatine orders Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) to guard her, and they fall in love.
The romance is uncomfortably awkward because Anakin is obsessed with Padme like a stalker. He comes across as childish and creepy. It would have been better with a meet cute instead. Anakin keeps dreaming about his mother. He promised to free her and its been 10 years. Why didn’t he go back sooner? When he murders the Tusken Raiders, Padme should have run away as fast as she could. Does her love blind her to the truth of his character? Writers need to explain faulty thinking. Flaws can explain certain behavior, but they need to be introduced before the crisis. We don’t know that much about Padme (those scenes were cut) to understand why she thinks Anakin is the only man for her.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) discovers stormtrooper clones were ordered to begin growing 10 years prior by a Jedi in the Republic. In a nod to Boba Fett because they all look like his father Jango Fett.
Count Dooku tells Obi-Wan the Republic and senate are under the control of Darth Sidious, a dark lord of the Sith who has clouded Jedi’s senses. They are warned and still don’t act – the Jedi are part of the problem. Dooku wants Obi-Wan to join him and destroy the Sith. He refuses and Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme are sentenced to death in the coliseum.
Padme shows she can fight. She also confesses her love to Anakin. This near-death experience makes them throw caution to the wind and they secretly marry after surviving the ordeal. Normal romances have happily-ever endings, but we know this romance is doomed.
Problem: Anakin dreams about Padme dying in childbirth. This is a story where a man who is quadruple amputee and charred by volcanic fire is encased in a new suit and lives for another 20 years. Get your wife a good doctor, and she won’t die. Don’t turn into a monster, and she won’t be heartbroken. Writers, don’t force a reaction to an imaginary problem. I really hated the weak reason Lucas used to turn Anakin to the dark side. Test out ideas in your writing on trusted readers. We don’t always see flaws in our own writing.
There’s a big debate about politicians being corrupt in this story. Anakin defends Palpatine, who has befriended him or is he manipulating him? Palpatine gets his grand army of the Republic. The war has begun as planned. Dark side – lies, deceit, greed and mistrust are his ways. The Clone war begins with stormtroopers marching before Palpatine. This foreshadows who he is which is revealed in the next story.
A limited series like these three can get away with withholding important information until the third book but give hints in the first two. Try to keep each story in a series independent of the others so that readers don’t have to read the other books. Have some secrets to maintain interest in the series. Make the reader turn the page to find out what is going to happen next. Focus on the favorite characters and show growth in each book.
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