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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

PT So, I Recently Re-Watched Attack of the Clones

Discussion in 'Prequel Trilogy' started by AussieViking, Apr 3, 2018.

  1. TernianVII

    TernianVII Jedi Knight star 1

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 2014
    Padme's love for Anakin is totally understandable if you put it in context of the original shooting script used in Australia - some of which is available for viewing.

    The film opens with Padme nearly killed. She starts to rethink her life, however, she has become part of the system and has put her feelings aside.

    When Anakin and Padme arrive on Naboo after escaping from Coruscant, Padme expresses her long desire to have a family to Anakin. This is reinforced when Anakin and Padme arrive at the Naberries. Padme's family is pushing Padme to consider life outside of Senatorial life. It is during this time that Padme lets her guard down and realises she has feelings for Anakin and Anakin is exposed to a happy family life....the wheels begin to turn.

    After spending time in the lakeside country and getting to know one another, they start to realise they are in love. However, Padme is far more sensible than Anakin and tries to rationalise that a Jedi and a Senator just wouldn't work.It is not until Padme is again faced with death that she decides to declare her feelings to Anakin.

    It all makes sense but all the connecting scenes building up the reasons why they would fall in love were cut - so we ended up with a rushed romance the audience just couldn'y buy into.
     
    whostheBossk, sethg, crapiola and 2 others like this.
  2. yodaman_reborn

    yodaman_reborn Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 7, 2009
    I think putting in the deleted scene with Padme’s family would smooth over some of the romance issues.
     
  3. Strilo

    Strilo Manager Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 6, 2001
    I think for me the biggest issue with AOTC is the editing. It's so choppy and abrupt in some places. The pacing is way off at times. And the over-reliance on barely passable CG imagery that the PT is sort of infamous for really started in earnest with AOTC. I mean it's still better than ROTJ for me, but not by a ton.
     
    sethg likes this.
  4. DARTH_BELO

    DARTH_BELO Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2003
    Thing is though, @Strilo, what is commonly referred to as barely passable CG imagery was actually cutting edge at the time. One was hard pressed in 2002 to find a film with better special effects. In fact AOTC was nominated for a special effects oscar IIRC (I believe Two Towers won). It might be barely passable by today's standards, but so are stop-motion Taun-Tauns. The OT used the innovative effects technology that was cutting edge at its time (puppets, matte boxes, etc.) and the PT did the same. To me a puppet Max Rebo bouncing around with his finger in the air and his snout bending in one direction looks no more or less fake than a CG monster in the Geonosis execution arena. That's the way I see it...
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2018
  5. Dagobahsystem

    Dagobahsystem Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2015
    The look of the planet Kamino and the Kaminoans who live there are still among the most original and effective creations in all of SW, imo.
    The look of the planet, with its ominous skies and storms, coupled with the haunting music gets me every time. The architecture and production design of the structures themselves are stunning. And the appearance and elusive, calm, composed demeanor of the Kaminoans, combined with the excellent voice actors creates a most unique alien experience on screen. Top notch work there by GL and his crew.
     
    Last edited: May 26, 2018
  6. Darth Stratocaster

    Darth Stratocaster Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    My favorite moment in AOTC, one I see no one else ever talking about:

    In the midst of the battle on Geonosis, when Anakin desperately wants to go back to rescue Padme and Obi-Wan urges him to do his duty instead, Lucas made sure we see that Yoda senses the argument and that it bothered him substantially, even as the battle rages about him. I love that. It hints at trouble ahead in a very significant way.

    It's a small moment. But it's also a big moment.
     
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  7. DARTH_BELO

    DARTH_BELO Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2003
    Agreed. The whole sequence on Kamino (from beginning to end) is one of my favorite sequences of any SW film!
     
  8. Dagobahsystem

    Dagobahsystem Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2015
    @Darth Stratocaster
    Agreed. That cutaway to Yoda is so subtle and important foreshadowing of what is to come.

    @DARTH_BELO
    Kamino is great isn't it. I know one time, I put AotC on and just watched all the Kamino scenes.
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2018
  9. rpeugh

    rpeugh Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2002
    The problem with adding all that stuff in - particularly Padme's family scene - is that it would have slowed the movie to a crawl and would have hurt the pacing that Strilo was referring to. Personally I think the pacing as it is is just fine. The movie moves at a very methodical pace, and it feels like it knows when to pick up the pace and when to slow down. But the Padme family scene really would have slowed it down way too much. Not only that, but the tone of the scene was way off from the rest of the movie. (Although I do think it would have been nice if they could have found a way to include Padme's Bedroom scene, which I think was the strongest part of the Padme-Anakin material that got cut out).

    Essentially what you are talking about is more character development, but the Padme-Anakin story as it is already has more character development than the Han-Leia story in EMPIRE. Larry Kasdan wasn't happy with the final product because a lot of scenes of Han-Leia character development got cut out. So all we really have is Leia falling in love with Han because "there are no scoundrels in her life". That's actually pretty shallow. Don't get me wrong, there are flaws in the Padme-Anakin story, but people have made way too much out of them.
     
  10. Gamma626

    Gamma626 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 6, 2014
    I just re-watched AotC myself today and you know what? I really enjoyed it. It was my favorite as a kid, but as an adult I kind of soured on it. This time though? It really clicked and gelled with me. Really fun movie! Gonna have to update my rankings.
     
  11. AussieViking

    AussieViking Jedi Padawan

    Registered:
    May 28, 2017
    Exactly why I wish we had a special edition of the prequels with the ability to have those deleted scenes back in. I mean it's mainly finished anyway,

    Also i find it strange that there's people saying AOTC is an Objectively bad film. It's not. Birdemic 1 and 2 are bad films, The room is a bad film. AOTC isn't. Hell I'd say it's better than most sci fi films made today.
     
    Sith Lord 2015 likes this.
  12. DARTH_BELO

    DARTH_BELO Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2003
    Agreed. Those deleted scenes were great. ALL of them. They really brought a lot of interesting elements to Anakin and Padme's relationship, Padme's history, all of it...I get why they were left out, but IMO they would've made AOTC even better!!!
     
    Sith Lord 2015 likes this.
  13. Visivious Drakarn

    Visivious Drakarn Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2013
    I just saw this.

    Yes, it actually is a great moment, and I referred to it in another topic that Yoda sensed Anakin (and/or Obi-Wan) wasn't ready to face Dooku due his emotional connection to Padme (and he decided to order a ship and step into the duel). It's also a nice touch of Yoda sensing Anakin - it happened before, when he killed the Tuskens, and later, when Anakin turned.

    Well, I haven't seen better. :)
     
  14. Darth Bridge 167

    Darth Bridge 167 Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 13, 2017
    The interesting thing (and dare I say genius thing) about AOTC is that the main villain is rarely in the movie. Palpatine has alot of screentime in TPM as he is manipulating the Trade Federation throughout the movie while keeping tabs on Darth Maul's pursuit of the Queen, along with working his way up to becoming Chancellor. In AOTC, we see him very early in the movie, we see him in the middle of the movie annoucing the grand army, and then at the end as full Darth Sidious. That's a real gutsy way to tell a story for Lucas and another thing that seperates the PT from the OT and ST. In some respects, you could even say that Count Dooku doesn't show up until the 2nd half of the movie, so the first half is devoid of a villain. How many movies can pull that off and still succeed?
     
  15. Darth Stratocaster

    Darth Stratocaster Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    Another great scene: When Obi-Wan first meets Jango Fett and his "son" Boba for the first time.

    The tension in that scene is perfect -- just *perfect.* You can really see the control and the skill of all three (live) actors at work. The pacing, the moments of simmering silence, the eye movement, the way that Jango approaches Obi-Wan almost chin to chin at the end -- it's just damn good.

    One of George Lucas' best moments as a director, too.

    I really need to rewatch AOTC. Even if it is the "worst" Star Wars movie, it's still does this exquisite slow burn at moments like this.
     
  16. Sith Lord 2015

    Sith Lord 2015 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2015
    No, it's definitely not the "worst" SW movie, not by a long shot. That's all biased haters' talk, no more.
     
    Blackhole E Snoke likes this.
  17. Darth Stratocaster

    Darth Stratocaster Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2015
    Just watched it again tonight. Fun ride.

    You know, it gives me a feeling I haven't gotten watching the new "episode" movies (although I really liked the "stories" -- Rogue One and Solo.)

    I think of it as a "Star Wars" feeling.

    "I'm just a simple man trying make my way in the universe."
     
  18. Green_Destiny_Sword

    Green_Destiny_Sword Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jun 20, 2001
    3/4 through the film the Jedi have all the information required to know the clone army was ordered by the Sith 10 years earlier. And specifically that Dooku was involved. The storyline was replete with plot holes because of this.
     
  19. The_Phantom_Calamari

    The_Phantom_Calamari Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 10, 2011
    Not really.
     
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