viernes, 31 de mayo de 2013

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones continues the story that was begun and established with Phantom Menace. George Lucas was determined to continue, regardless of what the critics and the public thought about it. 

The film takes place ten years after the events of Phantom Menace. It's drawn significantly closer to the inevitable events that will spell doom to several of our heroes. Palpatine, now having been Chancellor of the Republic for a decade, has every intention of furthering his quest for total and unlimited power. While the deeper implications of how the Sith Grand Plan is enacted are talked about in Star Wars: Darth Plagueis, we know that Sidious has taken at this point a new apprentice, Count Dooku, or known now as the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus. Tyranus was once a Jedi, none other than the master of Qui-Gon Jinn. The death of his apprentice, combined with a lack of faith in the Jedi Order and the ongoing corruption in the Senate convinced Dooku to join the dark side.

Dooku has every intention of ruling the galaxy with an iron fist along his master. Too bad for him that his fate was already sealed once he became the apprentice of Sidious. Palpatine only needed Dooku until Anakin was old enough to be turned to the dark side. Anakin was to be the ''Ultimate Sith''.

Palpatine has only one goal in the entire film: start the Clone Wars. Dooku has already become the leader of the Separatists and has seceded thousands of systems from the Republic. Sifo-Dyas had already created the Clone Army under the request of Hego Damask (Darth Plagueis) and had been assasinated by Dooku shortly after the creation. Dooku then went off to erase Kamino from the Jedi Archives, in order to keep the army a secret until the time was right.

As more and more Senators become aware of the army the Separatists are building and the threat they  pose to the Republic, the Military Creation Act starts to take strength, since the Jedi aren't enough in numbers to protect the Republic. Padme, now Senator of Naboo, goes to Coruscant to be against the act, when her ship is bombed after landing. This leads to a chain of events that make Obi-Wan go to Kamino and find out who is the mysterious bounty hunter sent to murder Amidala. He leaves his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo, in order to make him go in an assignment of his own.

What follows is a nice backdrop between a romantic, beautiful, almost dream-like scenes involving Anakin and Padme, and a more mysterious and dark tone to the story, as Obi-Wan seeks to unravel the mystery of the assasination attempt, which leads him to the clone army in Kamino and the discovery of the bounty hunter Jango Fett. He realizes that their is more going on that what can be perceived, and in a desperate chase to get some answers from Jango, he tracks him down all the way to the droid foundries of Geonosis. Obi-Wan gets confirmation of the creation of the droid army and every intention they have in attacking and overwhelming the Jedi. This is when Palpatine tricks Jar Jar into helping him, as he gains emergency powers and authorizes the use of the recently discovered clone army.

Anakin is still the only hope the galaxy has of being saved, but things only appear to get more complicated for him. His inability to save his mother from death makes him go through fear, anger, hatred and suffering. His love for Padme and his obligations to the Jedi Order only make him more conflicted in the inside.

As Obi-Wan, Anakin and Padme are about to be executed, a series of events to save them occur, all of them leading to the start of the Clone Wars. Dooku returns secretly to an abandoned warehouse in Coruscant and meets with his master. Palpatine has accomplished his goal. While Obi-Wan is happy that the Clone Army gave the Republic a victory, Yoda realizes that the shroud of the dark side keeps falling, and that the Sith have some involvement in these series of events. Anakin and Padme quietly get married next to a beautiful lake, looking at the sunset.

Attack of the Clones is a lot like it's predecessor, with the exception that this story is darker but at the same time, it's more hopeful. Another great Star Wars film that get's bashed more for emotional reasons than anything else. It's still remembered rather well, by folks like me how went to see it in theaters when they were 8.

Finest Moments of the Film:

1. Yoda and the Younglings. It's one of the most innocent parts of the film, and certainly a great one.

2. When Obi-Wan and Lama-Su see the clone army training, followed later by Jango's duel with Obi-Wan. One of the best fights in the saga.

3. When Anakin is on his speeder bike and Duel of the Fates plays. It makes you think of the conflict he feels himself.

4. The scene where Jar Jar gives emergency powers to Palpatine. The speech he gives is so inspiring, it makes you believe for a few seconds that he has good intentions. Almost.

5. The fight in the arena on Geonosis, followed by Yoda's fight with Count Dooku. I always imagined that Yoda was an excellent swordsman before I saw the film.

6. The marriage of Anakin and Padme. If you don't think that's romantic, I don't know what is.

Rating: 10/10

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