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AOTC is slowly becoming my favorite film. Is it for anyone else?

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by DarkLordoftheSith14, Sep 13, 2007.

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  1. DarkLordoftheSith14

    DarkLordoftheSith14 Jedi Master star 1

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    Nov 26, 2004
    When I watched AOTC for the first time there was something about it I loved. I couldn't figure out what it was and still can't, but something about that film is just so good.

    I think it has one of the coolest planets of the Saga, Kamino. I love this planet. The design is very futuristic, and very alien. It is the opposit extreme of Coruscant. Coruscant was overtaken by cities and nature is fighting to survive. On Kamino, nature has taken over and the civilization is fighting to remain. The Kamino inhabitants are just so awsome. They are very alien in natur, and are very friendly. They are also very smart. This is something I especially like about them, because I love science. I would love to be able to talk about science with a Kaminoan. We are intoduced to Jango Fett by them and we are introduced to the clone army.

    The films opening, while slower than the other films, is very political. The older I get the more I love studying government and politics so my love for the political aspect of this film increases. The politics ground this film in a reality that I can relate with, because everyone is effected by politics.

    We get Anikan's first step to the dark side. I figured before AOTC came out that Anikan would fall to the dark side due to something bad happening to his mother. Since Anikan begins his path to the dark side due to the death of his mother, I wasn't disappointed with how George had it happen.

    I love the mystery aspect of the film. This film is the mystery of the saga. I like how Obi-Wan has to investigate and track Jango Fett.

    Dooku is an amazing character. Through the whole film you don't really know whether he is Sith or not, and then you get your answer at the end when he uses lightning and ignites his red saber.

    Also, the conversation between Dooku and Obi-Wan on Geonosis is one of the best character interactions in the entire PT, and possibly Saga.

    This film has an amazing ending. The arena fight that then leads to a bigger fight involving the clones is so awsome. Then you get a very realistic lightsaber fight between Dooku and Obi-Wan. I know people do not like the Lightsaber fight in AOTC, but I think it is the most realistic of the PT. There isn't any huge arabatics or jumps or falls. It is also in one room. In a sword fight jumping around and doing flips would leave you vulnerable. Staying grounded and maintaining you center of balance is safer. This lightsaber fight is just more realistic looking to me.

    I know some people don't like the love story, but that is not the only part of the movie. There is a great story. Plus, I don't understand what people mean by there being wooden dialogue. I don't notice teh wooden dialogue. I think some people just get hung up on the little stuff, and miss how good this film is.

    Does anyone else feel the same way about this film?
     
  2. Darth_Laudrup

    Darth_Laudrup Jedi Master star 4

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    Jul 7, 2004
    There are good things about AOTC (The chase on Corruscant & the Geonosis battle & Kamino for instance) but I still think it is the weakest part of the Saga.
     
  3. anakinandpadmedoomed

    anakinandpadmedoomed Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Jun 27, 2007
    AOTC is my favorite of the saga ,but it seems rather rushed as far as storyline is concerened.
     
  4. Master_Starwalker

    Master_Starwalker Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2003
  5. mandragora

    mandragora Jedi Master star 4

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    May 28, 2005
    Well, my favourite movie keeps changing ;)

    But I also like AOTC very much; I think in terms of metaphors and symbolism it is probably the strongest of all six movies (Trull's and Begor's reviews made a good point on this). And I also find the visual images very powerful. Some of the action scenes are a bit overdone for me, but all in all, it's always been in the upper half of my "favourite list".
     
  6. Master_Starwalker

    Master_Starwalker Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2003
    AotC I think feels the most like the old adventure films Lucas loved when he was younger other than possibly A New Hope. I like it, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite.
     
  7. DarkLordoftheSith14

    DarkLordoftheSith14 Jedi Master star 1

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    Nov 26, 2004
    That is one of the things that I like about it. It is feels different than the other films. To me it feels more like space opera than any of the other films.
     
  8. MatthewZ

    MatthewZ Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Sep 21, 2003

    I'd say it's my favorite of the PT. Very grandeious and sweeping. Great imagary, use of color and music.
     
  9. anakinhasamullet

    anakinhasamullet Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Sep 15, 2006
    AOTC has always been my favorite movie of the PT. Out of the whole saga it falls third behind TESB and ANH. I'm pretty sure it comes from the fact that the movie has all the elements of STAR WARS. TPM had Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Palpatine but as soon as AOTC came out we were reintroduced to a more Emperor looking Palpatine, we got to see the Empire again in the form of Republic cruisers and Clonetroopers. And we got to see a more Original Trilogy esque Sith Lord in the form of Count Dooku. (meaning that we get an old white guy much like Vader and Obi-Wan) On top of all this the movie has an excellent story which is where TPM and ROTS seemed lackluster. Since TPM had the Trade Federation (UPS) going to war with a single planet of the Republic (Wisconsin of the U.S.A) it left viewers wondering a couple of things. 1. Why did they have an army in the first place. 2. Why were they invading Naboo in the first place. And ROTS had several plots running threw it that just sort of ended with Ani going around killing everybody. Oh' and the last hour was a giant montage. But AOTC seemed to be the most like the original trilogy and I'm pretty sure that's why everybody likes it. (or at least should like it)
     
  10. DarkLordoftheSith14

    DarkLordoftheSith14 Jedi Master star 1

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    Nov 26, 2004
    One thing I also liked about AOTC was that it could go almost anywhere.

    When you walked out of TPM you kind of new where AOTC might go, but nothing was for certain.

    ROTS on the other hand was at a disadvantage. People have known what would happen in that movie for almost 30 years. TPM you knew that they were going to find Ani, and he would become a Jedi.

    Also, Palpatine looked and was awsome in AOTC. He looked very old and decrepit in close-ups.You could see the Emperor showing through, and he seemed more subtlely manipulative. In ROTS, George changed his mind and made him look younger, and he seemed less subtle. I think Palpatine was at his best in AOTC.
     
  11. darth-amedda

    darth-amedda Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Aug 8, 2003
    Yes, while ROTS is probably the best of PT, AOTC remains my favourite.

    I am aware of its flaws and I would prefer if some things have been made in a different way, but still I think it is the most underrated episode.
    It is the closest to ANH, regarding mood and style. I agree that it is the "popcorn flick" of SW, filled with cheesy, old-fashioned references, but - as in ANH - used in a very tasteful way.

    In fact it has everything I might expect from SW movie - mystery-detective plotline, Coruscant chase, Kamino, Tatooine scenes, the arena confrontation (completely over-the-top, very self-indulging, but great fun, very SW-ish) and the clone war on Geonosis, with dust and zooms (visually it is probably my favourite part of the saga).

    And I have no problems with love story - for me it fits general style of SW (in ANH there were also several "cheesy" and "lame", old-fashioned moments, almost embarassing for common viewers; and somehow it wasn't disturbing for those, who enjoyed the film).
    It's also worth to add that Across the Stars was great musical theme.

    DarkLordoftheSith14 is very right saying that one of the advantages of AOTC was that "it could go almost anywhere. When you walked out of TPM you kind of new where AOTC might go, but nothing was for certain".

    Generally AOTC has also probably the most climactic narrative structure, impressive style, mood, scope and astonishing visuals.
     
  12. anakinhasamullet

    anakinhasamullet Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Sep 15, 2006
    I had totally forgotten about the Tatooine scenes. It was great to see the homestead again and then seconds later see Anakin flying the swoop through the old podrace curcuit from Episode I. I think AOTC did a beter job of relating the prequels to the originals than EPisode III did.

    And I don't think anyone hated the ending when we got to see platoons of stormtroopers (or clonetroopers if you prefer) loading onto giant ships on Coruscant.

    I think the main reason people like AOTC is because it's the one that's remeniscient the most of TESB. We got to see a Fett, stormies,an asteroid field. And it's the most science fictiony of the three Prequels. We got Roswell looking aliens on Kamino, we got to see Bug People on Geonosis, white uniformed soldiers fighting outside where they blend in with absolutely nothing. And it had a great story.

    AOTC was just a fantastic movie. I wish ROTS could have been as good.
     
  13. DarkLordoftheSith14

    DarkLordoftheSith14 Jedi Master star 1

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    Nov 26, 2004
    The swoop scene with Anikan is such a powerful moment. I don't understand why some do not like it. The music is powerful, the way the lighting is done with the suns setting in the distance, and the look of determination on Anikan's face make that scene very powerful.

    I loved the clones loading up to go to war at the end. The wedding at the end was very nice too, because while it is a happy moment everyone who knows anything about the OT knows it is not going to end well.

    This film was very connected with the OT. I would like to see it become the ESB of the PT. Some people didn't like ESB when it first came out, but now it is the favorite of the OT for most. It would be nice if AOTC could achieve this. Eventually people will get tired of complaining about the suppossedly wooden dialogue and the weak love story and then this film can be given a more objectional rating. The bashing of this film got way out of control, and this film deserved a better rating, because it is a good film.
     
  14. tuskinraiderfromhell

    tuskinraiderfromhell Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Dec 14, 2004
    What do I love about this film well......everything, but the part that I seem to watch the most on DVD is when Yoda shows up with the clone army on Geonosis. The last 50min. "WOW" the most intense ground battle of the Saga, once they get to the droid factory until the Yoda/Dooku fight, pure bliss. If I had to, I would probably pick this as my favorite ground battle in the entire saga. Anakin's confession as well, great SW moment, well done Hayden. I love the whole Coruscant part of the film, the chase through the city, Dex's dinner great little scene. Kamino, the Cloud City of the PT. Even the love story, yes love story I really enjoy. I believe in Anakin and Padme's chemistry, I thought they did a great job.
    AOTC is just an AWESOME movie. All the films in the saga are. It's hard to pick a favorite. I really don't see them as six movies, or two trilogies but as one 14hr long film. I must say, I feel (at times) that TPM is the most underrated film in history. And AOTC is the most underrated film in the history of Star Wars. I hope as the new generation of fans grow up, that this opinion will change. All six movies deserve the title of "classic". In my opinion.
     
  15. MOC Vober Dand

    MOC Vober Dand Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Jan 6, 2004
    Not my favourite by a long shot, but there are some aspects that I like, which have been well described above.The mystery aspect, the ground battle, the matinee feel etc.
    For me, though, AOTC is blighted by the execution of the love story which is supposed to be at it's centre. Don't want to labour a much laboured point, but the writing and acting of some of those Anakin / Padme scenes is truly awful.
     
  16. Master_Starwalker

    Master_Starwalker Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Sep 20, 2003
    I think either Star Wars or AotC is the most like a classic space opera, with probably AotC getting the nod due to the title and how Obi-Wan is basically serving as the swashbuckling adventurous hero in the film.
     
  17. jedi_jacks

    jedi_jacks Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Jul 17, 2005
    I find it the most laid-back film of the series, the most relaxing to watch. Plus, it has a good ending. The only time it felt like a real star wars movie to me was, on Tatootine, Anakin says something like, "you heard Master Windu, I'm under strict orders to stay here / watch you" and Padme says something like, "you were ordered to protect me and I'm going to Geonosis / save Obi-Wan" and then Anakin smiles. The first time I saw that, I was thinking, alright a caper! But then Anakin and Padme didn't last 15 minutes on Geonosis, so that feeling didn;t last long. But overall, I think I leave AotC on in the background the most of any movie I have.
     
  18. DBrennan3333

    DBrennan3333 Jedi Youngling star 4

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    Nov 5, 2004
    I definitely agree that ROTS was, in a sense, more limited than AOTC (and TPM for that matter, too). Lucas has said that 60% of the prequel story was packed into ROTS, so that left a whole lot of space for improv and exploration.

    So in addition to being inherently open and fun, I also think that AOTC was very interpretive. The acting, because it's so darn stiff and blank, can be construed however the viewer wishes to. And the planet-hopping is kind of cool and just doesn't give you time to really be critical.

    But....I still think that AOTC and TPM are the worst of the saga.
     
  19. anakinhasamullet

    anakinhasamullet Jedi Youngling star 1

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    Sep 15, 2006
    People keep getting on the atcing of AOTC. And I'm pretty sure we all know the scenes that everyone is refering to, THE LOVE SCENES.

    Now I'm not quite sure what Natalie Portman's problem was. She's good in most everything else she's in (or at least the other movies I've seen her in... Closer, Mars Attacks, And that one with the guy from Scrubs) so I'm guessing she's just one of those actresses that needs a lot of imput from the director. And "faster and more intense" probably just wasn't cutting it for her.

    What helps me with Hayden's dialogue on the other hand is simple. I just pretend James Earl Jones as Darth Vader is delivering it. As we all know Darth Vader didn't show too much emotion or excitement when he spoke. Now you may be displeased that even young Anakin spoke like that but as we've seen from the prequels he in fact does. Try to apply that to his wooden dialogue and you might find yourself impressed at how close to Vader's tone the young man got while still showing the proper facial expressions to express the correct mood.

    As far as everybody else. Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, and whomever played the Lars' did fantastic jobs.

    AOTC is a great film and I'm pretty sure given time it will be regarded as the TESB of the prequel trilogy.
     
  20. zombie

    zombie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 4, 1999
    I'm sorry, Star Wars is my favorite film and I'm as big a fan of the series as you will find but AOTC has some of the worst acting, writing and directing in any movie I've ever seen; I'm quite embarrased by it, I actually feel uncomfortable watching parts of the film because its so bad. People harp on bad sci fi movies like Wing Commander and Battlefield Earth, and they should, but even those movies have writing and performance twice as good as Attack of the Clones. What Clones does have going for it is an incredible world, good effects, an interesting plot and some solidly-crafted action sequences but you know those things are kind of the window dressings, and even the plot is totally convoluted and poorly told in many places. I really don't understand how some people like this film so much; I think a lot of it has to do with it being Star Wars and being a fairly pivotal episode in the total arc that has a lot of interesting elements. People seem more impressed with the subtext of the film, in other words what they project or think is in the film, rather than the text itself.
     
  21. DBrennan3333

    DBrennan3333 Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 5, 2004
    First, I want to agree with Zombie's above post which (like my own) said that the aspects of AOTC that people most seem to like are the interpretive aspects - what they're projecting from it rather than what's actually there.

    The only thng these two movies have in common is that they're both the middle movies of trilogies and they both have "The" in the title.

    I'm glad you like AOTC so much, but it's....wacky to think that there's going to be some mystical rebirth where everybody thinks that their old thoughts of AOTC were wrong and that it suddenly morphed into a ESB-like masterpiece. It's just not that good.

    In my strong, strong opinion, the PT movie that will have the most afterlife is ROTS. As Lucas says, it has 60% of the PT story, it's the most loaded, and it's just, ya know, the coolest. (Just an opinion.)
     
  22. Cellist

    Cellist Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Jul 7, 2003
    I agree, although I'd say that the best parts of the film for me were Kamino (specifically the Obi-Wan vs. Jango fight), Tatooine (all of the Tatooine stuff is simply fantastic), and the Geonosis arena battle. Other than that, it's definitely the weakest movie of the saga.

     
  23. darth-amedda

    darth-amedda Jedi Padawan star 4

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    Aug 8, 2003
    I'd still defend it. Of course, if you compare AOTC with normal films like those made for example by Robert Altman, F.F. Coppola, Jim Jarmush or M. Scorsese, then you can't avoid noticing bad writing and acting. But for me it remains on average SW level. I might say that sometimes I really don't understand how some people can't notice embarassing acting in many moments of OT. Even Alec McGuiness hated and loathed his Kenobi role (much more than Ewan McGregor does).

    I guess if you want to enjoy these films you can't take them too seriously. And this wooden style may be justified when we remember that SW is one huge pastiche of cultural cliches. The Naboo lake scenes obviously have some 30s (or even older) feel (compare the balcony kiss with similar scenes from Gone with the Wind or from Valentino films)

    I think AOTC - maybe more obviously than the other episodes - is quite similar (ina a way) to the films made by Tarrantino. If you expect realism from Kill Bill, then you can't deny that it's a piece of crap. They are more like cartoons filled with human models. As I have already mentioned, if I want to enjoy these films I have to relief certain degree of self-indulgment and escapism. It's a matter of expactations and attitude. Then it's fun.
    I really don't understand how some people like this film so much.
    Well, I was trying my best to explain that.
     
  24. tuskinraiderfromhell

    tuskinraiderfromhell Jedi Youngling star 2

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    Dec 14, 2004
    I too will continue to defend ALL the Star Wars films. I wish I didn't feel I have too but, as long as people feel the need to continue to bash and rip apart and not let go and move on, I'll be there to defend the greatest films in the history on cimema! ALWAYS!
    All the Star Wars films, yes even the OT, received overly harsh criticism.
    If you don't luck sometime fine, don't waste your time on it, that's I what I think. There is plenty on things I don't like, and you know what, I don't waste my time on it. Life's to short to to dwell in the negativity of something thats just not for you. In my opinion anyways.



    Star Wars is suppose to fun and entertaining and make you think out side the box, if your not finding any of these qualities then perhaps some or all of the saga just isn't for you. (thats a generalization, I'm NOT referring to anyone in particular here)


    AOTC, like all the films, is worthy on the name Star Wars!
     
  25. zombie

    zombie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 4, 1999
    Of course movies like AOTC look like crap compared to an Altman or Scorsese film, but thats not an excuse--films like Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back or Serenity have incredible writing and performances, very believable and compelling. Those films are different in style in many ways to Altman or Scorsese but they are still 100% believable that the characters are real people and not comic-book cutouts, even though they inhabit a comic-book-like world. Thats the secret to their success. When you compare a film like Clones to a sci-fi adventure flick done right that came out at the same time--Serenity/Firefly--the difference is HUGE, and you really see what a joke a film like Clones becomes.

    As for Guiness, his role was terrific and not cheesy in the least--he only said he hated the role later on after Star Wars fans drove him crazy, he actually loved the film and was one of the strongest supporters at the beginning. In fact, the role was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor oscar, and Lucas was nominated for Best Writer and Best Director. Cheesy it was not. Its cheesy in the sense that its guys flying around in space ships and battling a doomsday device but its made believable by the reality of the characters and environment, and this is also what makes a remarkable creation like Serenity/Firefly so compelling, because we believe in the reality of the characters and environment, even if certain aspects may be "cheesy" or whatever. The fundamentalist stance exhibited by some posters above me here shows that its not even about whether the material is good or well-crafted, its simply a modus operandi of defending the material regardless simply because it has the Star Wars brand name on the box, which is fanaticism at its worst.
     
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