So, I watched Episode II for first time in 8 months...

And I must say my opinion has evolved. When I saw AotC in theaters, I was so hyped up about a new SW movie that I really couldn't find anything to criticize about. Though I knew I liked TPM way better. As time drew out and the DVD was released, I started thinking of AotC as a mediocre SW film at best.

But just now I finished watching it and I cannot find much of anything to criticize. The film is beautiful, mystical and disturbing. It has become much clearer to what is going on. Perhaps it's because I'm spoiled for Episode III.

I'm able not to cringe at the love scenes because I now realize that they're demonstrating Anakin's emotional immaturity. It's not supposed to be like Han and Leia's cute little romance. Yoda also looks a hell of a lot more real compared to puppet. The mystery that it presents to the PT is also quite dark and enthralling. The music helps a lot. It's so strange to think I didn't like this film.

And to those who think Hayden is a bad actor, watch the confession scene. It is the only time I have ever gotten chills from a SW movie other than the Vader revelation.

1. The Phantom Menace
2. The Emperor Strikes Back
3. Attack of the Clones
4. A New Hope
5. Return of the Jedi

 

1. The Phantom Menace
2. The Emperor Strikes Back
3. Attack of the Clones
4. A New Hope
5. Return of the Jedi

. . would be my order as well.

I agree about AOTC. It gets better with age. Although I liked it from the get go, every time I watch it I like it even more. I just watched Episode I and II back to back a few weeks ago and they really hold up in sequence. I think my knowledge of some events in Episode III has added to my enjoyment.

-Otis

 

I agree about AOTC. It gets better with age. Although I liked it from the get go, every time I watch it I like it even more. I just watched Episode I and II back to back a few weeks ago and they really hold up in sequence.

Oh yeah I do agree with that. I also like AOTC from the get go. I have watched a lot as of late to.

 

I think my knowledge of some events in Episode III has added to my enjoyment.

Well that's not fair. Why do you tempt me?

Anyway,Ive said it before, I'll say it again, come Ep. III, Ep. II will be looked at with more wonder and embrace that it's a great addition to the SW universe.

 

Open Mind, give yourself to the 3SA. It is the only way you can satisfy your temptations. Would I be tempting you if I said anyone who looks at episode 3 info and spoilers and doesnt think episode 3 will be by far the best prequel is nuts? Episode 3 will by far be the best. The same leap that was made from TPM to AOTC will be made from AOTC to episode 3. Probably MORE.

 

I can honestly say that to most of the public, Episode III will be at the same level as ESB.

I think I'd be an exception. I am too nostalgic towards TPM, a lot of that is due to my age in 1999 and the lightness of the movie.

Episode III and TPM are at the opposite sides of the spectrum.

 

What a great thread!

I can't post my fave films in order. I never have because I still can't make up my mind.

But I agree completely about Ep1 and Ep2 growing on you. Ep1 has grown on me a LOT. I never disliked Ep1 or Ep2, but damn, I really like them now. I still like Ep1 more than Ep2. But it is very interesting and intriguing how these films can grow on you over time.

Things I used to not notice or care about:

Gunships. Damn! I love them. Period.

Dooku. That character ownz the screen in every scene he is in, every move he makes, and every word he speaks. No one else could have played Dooku but Chris.

Clone War. I now crave every single shot, every single frame of the ground war. I wish it were longer.

Padme was perfect. I love the acting by Natalie in this one. This regal, too-good-for-love, selfless character. She has always done things for other people, never herself. Anakin is slowly breaking her out of that shell. His rebellious nature. His naive love. They are so perfect for each other. She is falling in love and has no idea how to react. Nor does he.

Mace. Speaks for itself.

 

Well said, StarDude! I very much agree.

AOTC is my fav. of them all because it has the most variation during the movie. Each planet has its own story, which makes things interesting, IMO.

Naboo: Love story
Coruscant: Beginning of the Kamino Mystery
Kamino: Kamino Mystery revealed + beginning of the unanswered Sifo-Dyas plot mystery
Tatooine: Turn to the dark side, the heart of AOTC
Geonosis: Clone War

While I also love TPM, things become less interesting starting from Jar Jar's introduction (no offence to Jar Jar) & Tatooine's introduction.

With ANH, the desert scenes with 3PO & R2 are probably the most boring & pointless scenes of the entire saga. People seem to forget about these scenes.

ESB has some boredom inside the asteroid, before the battle of Hoth & "some" Dagobah scenes

ROTJ: Tatooine & Endor before the battle are awful, IMO

Above all, I'm not much of an action scenes fan. I much prefer silent scenes above action. I enjoyed AOTC because it had a mysterious and probably the most complicated story of them all.

The ending scenes starting with Tyranus meeting Sidious are wonderful and really set the tone for Eps.III.

 

The ending scenes starting with Tyranus meeting Sidious are wonderful and really set the tone for Eps.III.

I wholeheartedly agree! The end sequence of AOTC is practically showing us what will happen in EpIII:

* "Everything is going as planned" - In EpIII, everything will go as planned for the Sith.

* "Begun, the clone war has" - Yoda has glimpsed the future and understands that the clones will be the Jedi´s downfall.

* The clones set out for war - We will see that war in EpIII.

* Anakin and Padmé marry - That decision will affect everything that happens to them in EpIII.


AOTC is beautiful

 

The main change I've had in my view on AOTC recently was about Natalie Portman. I'd always thought she was good but nothing more in the two films.

But after comparing her performances in TPM and AOTC, she really did a great job in AOTC. Freed from the very unfamiliar regal accent and bearing of most of TPM, not to mention the wardrobe, she was able to loosen up a lot and really shined at times.

Especially the meadow scene with Anakin.

I saw all 5 films in a row for the first time recently, and AOTC was the one I wanted to watch again the most. Somedays I almost feel it could be my favourite of all, even though I love them all so much. For me, Ep3 truly does have the potential to be the best of the all.

 

I can honestly say that to most of the public, Episode III will be at the same level as ESB.

I so agree, though I strongly think Ep3 can beat ESB.

I also get chills when I hear Anakin telling Padmé what he did to the Tuskens and you hear Palpy and Vader's themes right next to each other. It's just flat-out awesome!!

My pics: ESB, AOTC, TPM, ROTJ, ANH (but in '05, Ep3 will be number 1!)

 

*picks jaw up off the floor*

 

at first, i thought all the lightsabre fights were boring..but after seeing the darthmaul/obiwan/quigon duel in TPM i realized that it was more that a means of self defense or attack, it was an art..

this is the order id put the movies in

AOTC
ESB/ROTJ
TPM
ANH

i think that eppy 3 will become second on my list...AOTC rules over all for me, partially because i claim the status as a hopeless romantic..but i LOVE ROTJ as soon as luke steps into jabbas lair as a full fledged jedi knight

 

I think that Hayden and Natalie get bad raps for their performances in AOTC. I seriously get riled up when I hear people call their acting "wooden" or uninteresting, because I think they did brilliant jobs in the film.

To be honest, I'll agree that I wasn't sure about their performances the first time I watched the film because, much like TPM, the first time you watch one of these films you don't really pay attention to the acting mostly because of all of the amazing visuals and action that's going on around you in watching the films. It took me many viewings of the film before I finally came to to conclusions that I'm going to present below.

Hayden and Natalie's performances grow the more times you watch them in the film. Most people like to criticize their performances as "reserved" or "lifeless" or "dull."

The truth of the matter is that their performances are subtle, and the absolute best way to understand what they're doing in their scenes is to watch the films w/o paying attention to the dialogue at all.

GL is a visual storyteller and what he wants out of his actors is for them to use their body language to help convey what's going on in their scenes.

Hayden Christensen spends the entire movie, walking, standing, and talking like DARTH VADER. If you really pay attention to him whenever he's onscreen, you'll find that his performance is hypnotic. Tell me something, how many times did you ever see Vader get overly animated in his scenes, other than when he was dueling? Never. He stood around, pointed his finger at people, strode around like he owned every inch of floor that he stepped upon, and David Prowse used his immensely imposing form to intimidate the other characters around him.

Hayden does the exact same thing in the film. The best scene to illustrate his using his body to intimidate is when he's with Watto. He doesn't need to be able to use the Fore on his former master, he's able to get Watto to bend to his bidding because he's scaring the hell out of him with his threatening voice and imposing form.

In every scene, when he's not with Padme, Hayden walks around with a chip on his shoulder and walks fully erect, shoulders back, and struts like Darth Vader. What is brilliant about his performance is that Vader doens't scream or shout at people, his rumbling, threatening voice is what spurs people into running to his bidding. Hayden did a great job in AOTC to set that up as a trait of how Anakin will act when in the suit.

He only lets his guard down in the few moments in the film where he's emotionally vulnerable- in Padme's apartment when he's talking to Obi-Wan about his dreams and about Padme, or whenever he's around Padme.

The fireplace scene is an utterly beautifully executed scene in film-making, and poor GL gets seriously trashed for it. Hayden and Natalie pull off amazing performances in that scene- but the problem is I don't think people really understand what's going on in it, therefore they are unable to understand the simple beauty of the scene. IMO it's probably one of the greatest, most emotionally charged scenes in the 2 trilogies in the terms of GL's directing and this is why:

Out of the film, it is usually the one scene that gets a real reaction out of people. They immediately whine that it was "uncomfortable" or "painful" to watch. Bingo folks, guess what? It's supposed to be uncomfortable and painful to watch. Why? At the heart of it, Padme and Anakin have zero business falling in love with each other. A union between them is forbidden.

People wail on the scene because of the dialogue and the "poor acting" in the scene. In reality both criticisms are irrelevant, because neither are true.

The fireplace scene is an homage to ancient medieval courtships- the dialogue is flowery and heartfelt. Obi-Wan himself called the days of the old Republic as being from a more "civilized age"- and in the days of old this was how men wooed their women. If you read any of the old texts, or old mythologies, that was how knights swooned over their lady lov

 

PLJ that was a very long and good post. You got much of why I like AOTC right.

 

Very nice.

 

Absolutely wonderful, PLJ. If you took many of my posts over the time I've been posting here, you'd get much of what you just posted. Not that I'm trying to claim your work or anything. But seriously, that's exactly right. Bravo, indeed.

 

Wonderful observations, PLJ.

-Otis

 

What can I say, but...great post, PLJ

 

Great post. I'm sure audiences of the future will realise the points you made. Does anybody else think that the PT causing controversy is due to the changes in society since the 70s? We don't get many fun movies anymore. Now it's stuff like Mona Lisa Smile, A Beautiful Mind and other depressing overly dramatic stuff that's highly regarded by critics.

 

Holy cow! Fantastic post, PadmeLeiaJaina.

Hayden is spilling his heart out and sounds exactly like Vader would've said these same lines of dialogue.
I've never noticed this...now I have to watch that scene again.

Wonderful observations!

 

Ooh, I can´t wait til I get to see AOTC again in a couple of weeks!

 

Wow. Well said, PLJ!

 

i actually LOVED AOTC when i saw it for the first time in the bigscreen ^_^! in fact, i really like it more than TPM.

TPM was good, but it just didn't click with me the way AOTC did. i never really found any flaws with hayden's acting too. it suited his character's dilemma rather well. um, i didn't even cringe that much in the "uber sweet" scenes between him and amidala.

and dammit, the yoda/dooku fight was well worth it!!! gawd, i can't believe i had to wait decades to finally see the muppet kick some arse!!! and yeah...dooku...gawd, i love that guy --- who said old guys can't be kewl?!!! ^____________^

*patiently waits for ep3*

 

PLJ, i truly..deeply loved that post

what i like about that scene is that it's almost a complete opposite to the Han/Leia scene in ESB.

When watching the Starwarses(excuse my Gollumese) in sequence this was one of the biggest things that became evident to me.