Star Wars – Episode II Review

John Hemmer-Beaumont

I have to admit that I was reticent about this movie.  The buildup didn’t have the same effect on me that EP I did, probably because of the long wait between Return of the Jedi and EP I.  I had reconciled myself to the fact that there is no going back to that first viewing of Star Wars – It is a fleeting feeling that can never be recaptured.  So, with that in mind, our family went to see the new movie.

I was surprised.  Early reviews had compared this film with Empire, but I feel that this comparison is not necessarily valid.  While both films are the darker in the series and both end with dubious victories (and missing limbs) for our heroes, EP II is still more cerebral and politically oriented.  It is, from the very beginning, a "deeper" movie.  From a character standpoint, this is more of a coming of age film for Anakin, Obi Wan and Senator Amidala.  Anakin and Obi Wan spend most of the film apart, and this shows how they are growing apart as characters as well.  I have to say that I really liked the detective story line that was given to Obi Wan – I thought it was interesting and I liked the way that Ewan McGreggor continues to take on the persona first created by Alec Guinness.  It’s a separated at birth thing.  Hayden Christensen, the actor who portrays Anakin, does well with what he has been given.  While Obi Wan is playing gumshoe, Anakin is disobeying orders, falling in love and giving in to his fear and anger.  Many reviews complain about the wooden delivery of the actors, but I felt that Hayden was able to pull off the teen angst and anger that eventually consumes Anakin.  You could see the emotion play across his face and see the flashes of headstrong anger, even as he delivered his lines evenly.  This is a character who is saying the right things because he has to, but is thinking (and occasionally acting out) other, darker thoughts.  The tragedy of this situation is that the audience knows that even his love for Padme will not save him.  Natalie Portman does a good job in her role as the constrained Senator of Naboo.  She, like everyone else in the film, has a role that she must play that conflicts with what she would like to do.  While she does not show the darkness that Anakin contains, she is equally headstrong and leads with her heart.  Deep down, you can see that she knows that something else is wrong with Anakin, but the love in her heart will not let her see the Truth.

Visually, this is a lush movie.  There were times that I wish that there wasn’t so much going on so that I could really get a look at the surroundings.  I feel that the camera work was much jerkier and the action sequences more frenetic than EP I’s style.  I especially felt this during the battle scenes.  I really wanted to focus on the different Jedi fighting styles, but the cuts were so quick that I never got anything more than a quick impression.  During the big duel scenes, the cuts were quick and did not show the artistry and acrobatics that EP I’s sword fight exhibited.  While Christopher Lee may be a fabulous character actor, I feel that this camera style was adopted to hide his inability to perform some of the complex saber work that his character required, and that Ray Park as Darth Maul was able to perform in EP I.  When there weren’t battle sequences, the pace was slow and deliberate.  We all know where this is going; Lucas is showing us the political maneuvering that gets us there.  Those of us in the Washington area can relate to the Committee mentality that is destroying the Republic, but this occasionally makes the pacing of the movie grind to a halt.

Musically, I felt that the love theme was excellent, and I really enjoyed how John Williams continues to work in old themes into the score – it really gives a good sense of foreshadowing and helps with the continuity of the film.

Overall, I felt that this was an excellent movie.  When I left the theater, I was seeing all the other episodes in a different light as I incorporated EP II into my system and into the overall whole.  I could see where Lucas was going, and I wanted to go there with him.  There were lots of touches throughout this movie that I really enjoyed, too many to mention (but here are some anyway): Little Boba Fett, the Death Star reference, Sen. Organa, most of the R2 and Threepio stuff (although I’d can the corny puns).  This saga is a tapestry that is hard to weave together into one coherent form, and Lucas is making a valiant effort.  EP III will be even darker, and I for one can’t wait to see how it all comes together.