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5.29.02
I love Frank Oz, who has filled up my entire life so far with wonderful voices.
So anyway, Henry and I are in deep email discussions regarding Attack of the Clones. Here are his complaints and praises:
Complaint #1
Did you believe for a moment that that pretty boy they cast as Anikin could possibly become Darth Vader? In Episode One he was a little kid, and that was fine because everyone starts out as a kid. However, the person who would become Vader would need to be a truly brilliant young man, not a surfer dude with poor enunciation.
Complaint #2
Amidala left Jar Jar Binks in charge while she was gone? Did I miss something?
Complaint #3
Certainly Amidala would have lost more clothing in the coliseum.
Praise #1
Unlike Episode One, I was not continuously reminded that I was in a kid's movie.
Praise #2
Yoda.
"Mmm! - kick your butt I will. Mmm!"
Praise #3
I thought it had great hardware and spacecraft, which is what I enjoy most about Star Wars.
And so I reply with mine:
Complaint #1
I feel Anikin and Amidala are very flat characters. They lack the spark that Princess Leia and Hans Solo brought to the original series. (Luke was never very interesting to me . . . all those Skywalkers are whiners, come to think of it.)
Complaint #2
I am left with a feeling that Episode 3 is going to have to be mighty compressed and/or frantic to wrap up all the storylines they've started.
Complaint #3
Popcorn costs way too much. (Not entirely sure can blame this on George Lucas, but will try anyway.)
Praise #1
Love Amidala's hair and clothes, and could hardly wait to see what she'd be wearing in each scene.
Praise #2
The whole thing was just great eye candy. I love the technology, although it kind of bugs me (Complaint #4) that this is earlier than the previous Star Wars but more technologically advanced because we are now more technologically advanced.
Praise #3
Jar Jar Binks relegated to cameo appearance.
So Henry replies:
I concur with your Complaint #1. I don't believe that they are in love, and I don't believe she is royalty. I think it's their voices. Natalie's voice is pleasant, but not patrician or regal, and he speaks like a Southern Californian skater guy.
Complaint #2 is probably right. Anikin is going to have to turn very bad very quickly. He's already married, but Obiwan needs to find him so evil that his children have to be hidden from him. I wonder if they have Amidala killed, and that supposedly puts him over the cliff. That won't work for me, because again I sense no deep bond between them. Maybe he reads the reviews of his Episode Two performance and that sends him over the edge . . .
I did not notice the tech disparity you mentioned in Complaint #4, but you're right. The Episode 4 hardware did seem much cruder. BTW, it doesn't matter how shiny the computer can render the Episode Two spacecraft, one cannot beat the old Millennium Falcon or TIE Interceptors when it comes to coolness. Nope, can't be done.
Amen on Praise #3. He's just irritating.
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