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Episode 2 Script Reviews
I'm back from a week spent in Paris, France for business. The City of Lights is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. It was by far one of the best weeks of my life. Saw Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra down there. It was great, it's only coming out here in late May. Got a surprise in my mailbox this weekend, two reviews of the script for Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of The Clones. Both reviews are based on the reading of a script floating somewhere online. According to Harry Knowles, there are massive differences between that script and the final product. One thing, is that Knowles didn't deny that the script was FAKE. Could it be an early draft? Our reviewers think so. Before you begin your reading, I advice an extremely serious SPOILER alert on the following two reviews. More good stuff to follow this week...
Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of The Clones Script Review
"Hollyfeld, here. Put yourself in my position. You're talking with a longtime friend, and they tell you that they're reading the script for Star Wars: Episode 2 - The Attack of Clones. What do you say... Yeah, that's pretty much what I said, only with some profanity stuck in for good measure. But then he lends it to you for a night, and you start reading what you no doubt expect to be some piece of fan fiction, filled with an exploding Jar Jar Binks and explicit scenes of Anakin with Queen (well, Senator now) Amidala. Several pages in, however, you realize it's the real thing. And it's pretty darn good, too. So you try to resist the urge to write a review, but the realization that you have a humongous scoop is too great to resist. So you (I) succumb to temptation - can you really blame yourself (me)?
Let us begin with examining what we've learned from the trailers so far: It's ten years after the events of The Phantom Menace, and once again the Republic is in turmoil. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) has grown into a powerful but arrogant and brash Jedi who has proven worrying to his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor, who now seems to hate flying). He is fated to fall in love with once Queen, now Senator, Padme (Natalie Portman), even though pursuing their romance would put their important responsibilities in jeopardy. And it all seems to have a lot to do with a bounty hunter named Jango Fett, and not a whole heck of a lot to do with Jar Jar Binks.
While the above is as good a general plot summary as any, the film itself is so densely plotted that one finally gets the impression that The Phantom Menace, flawed though it may be, was actually well thought out. The machinations of Darth Sidious, whom we all pretty much know to be Senator Palpatine, are here revealed to be more complex and consuming than could have previously been anticipated. In the first film, it seemed as if his sole goal was to be elected Chancellor - now, we see how he is manipulating the republic inside, through diplomacy and humility, and out, through emissaries like Jango Fett and the mysterious Count Dooku. The deceptively simple machinations of Episode 1 have expanded into a political conspiracy Oliver Stone would be proud of, and even though all the clues are there, all of the other characters seem blind to them for one reason or another. The rationale for the creation of the clones, for example, is complex and multi-faceted, but so logical it actually made me smile - here, it finally seems that Lucas knew what he was doing all along.
And also unlike The Phantom Menace (yeah, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't perfect), in this film characters get to genuinely shine. Anakin, for starters, has grown from a whiny, arrogant brat to a whiny, arrogant timebomb. His natural talent with the force has made him almost inured to discipline, to the point where Obi-Wan's lessons become more a matter of pestering than informing. You hear him say in the trailer that 'one day I will become the most powerful Jedi of them all.' Well here he already seems to think so, spending more time questioning and mocking his master than listening to him.
OBI-WAN
If you'd spend as much time working on your saber skills as you do on your wit, young Padawan, you would rival Master Yoda as a swordsman.
ANAKIN
I thought I already did.
Anakin's love for Padme is not hidden, and though he has vowed not to commit himself to love he frequently searches for loopholes in order to allow himself his feelings. When Padme reminds him of the Jedi's vows, he replies that 'compassion, which I would define as unconditional love, is central to a Jedi's life, so you might say we're encouraged to love.' Either way, both he and Padme know that their love is ill-fated from the start, and that nothing must bring them together. This polarity between them, encouraged by Anakin's anger and Padme's political upbringing (which is finally adequately explained in this film, by the way - the politics of Naboo always seemed confusing before), is so strong that when Lucas finally does bring them together it is such a powerful moment that we almost forgive them. Of course, we know better than they do, which makes what would be an otherwise hopelessly romantic moment incredibly tragic, and intentionally so.
Padme has more of a character, as well, and in Attack of the Clones we get to hear of and see her background - where she comes from on a spiritual and physical level. Her passion and quality as a leader is expanded upon and proved, but she also proves that her reign as Queen of Naboo has left an impression upon her. Like Anakin, she has a self-importance about her, but while Anakin's ego is only in regards to his own desires, Padme's is hopelessly linked to her need to help others. It is odd that her sense of self-importance seems so closely tied to her selflessness, but her sense of superiority over even Anakin is made abundantly clear on several occasions. Here, she and Anakin are with the current Queen of Naboo, discussing an appropriate safe-house for the two of them.
SIO BIBBLE (to ANAKIN)
What is your suggestion, Master Jedi?
PADME
Anakin's not a Jedi yet, Counselor. He's still a Padawan learner. I was thinking...
ANAKIN (nettled)
Hey, hold on a minute!
PADME Excuse me! I was thinking I would stay in...
Can you blame the guy for turning to the Dark Side (which he begins to do, by the way, very memorably - I won't spoil it for you, but, yikes...)? Of course, he has Obi-Wan to guide him, but even his own master is beginning to doubt the boy's prospects as a Jedi. He is finally beginning to understand the warnings of the Jedi Council from Episode 1, and a scene with Yoda training Jedi children only confirms the rationale for his being initially denied training because of his age. Obi-Wan's separation from his pupil throughout much of the film does little to keep Anakin away from the Dark Side, but it does help put Obi-Wan in the spotlight.
For the first time since Episode 4, this character really gets to make a mark, and it's an indelible one. Obi-Wan the adventurer is not as brash as Anakin, nor as naïve as Luke - he is cool, collected, but underneath it all as tough as nails. Most importantly, unlike those two, he achieved this level of coolness through traditional Jedi training, so we now understand the merits of the program, which we still have not quite fully explored in these movies. As for the other Jedi, we get to see them in action as well, particularly Yoda, though descriptions of his fighting style do little to create a vivid picture in one's head ('words are insufficient to describe the range and skill of Yoda's speed and swordplay...' big help, guys, thanks). Here again, though, we see more of what makes this particular Jedi so great. His wisdom and his power are on different levels than those of Jedi around him. Yoda is even discussed as 'probing the Dark Side,' implying that he can access it without succumbing to its evils - no small feat, surely.
Speaking of evil, what of Christopher Lee's new character, Count Dooku? Who is he, and what is his goal? On the surface, it would seem that he is a political revolutionary, having become disillusioned with the bickering and endless debates of the senate. His plea to Padme to join his cause indeed seems heartfelt (and the rationale he gives her decidedly similar to an exchange she has with Anakin earlier in the script), but is there even more behind this? It is no surprise that he is a Jedi, and is here described as one of the few to ever leave the order, but his true motivations are shady. Less shady is his skill with a light saber - 'with a light saber, in the old style of fencing, he had no match.' The duel between Dooku and not two, but three Jedi should be another in the increasingly awe-inspiring duels of the series.
Other supporting characters get significantly less of a chance to inspire awe, like Jar Jar, who has less screen time here, but uses it well. Not only does Lucas address some of the problems audiences had with the character, he comes close (close) to rectifying them, and this time around gives the character a genuinely key, though small, role in the story. Jango Fett, though very cool, has too much screen time to be a breakout mystery character, and too little to be a fully rounded one. His actions are often at odds - he would seem to be a mercenary and a loving 'father' all at once. More screen time would have helped make him the classic Boba Fett has already become (with much less). As it stands, we know him best by his own words, 'I am just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe...' He just has a very dangerous way to go, it would seem. The origin of Boba Fett is not something to ruin, if for no other reason than it has been built up too much. It's pretty easy to figure out even from the trailers, but it plays off better than could be expected (even if it does completely contradict the excellent short story about him by Daniel Keys Moran). The relationship between Jango and Boba is genuinely touching, and one senses a (very understandable) bond between them that is sorely and tragically missing from Obi-Wan and Anakin.
All that said, though, this is still Star Wars - expect no dialogue to rival the works of Allen or Mamet. Even the best lines from the trailers are great primarily because of their delivery (one that fell flat, for example, was Anakin's, 'Excuse me, I am in charge of Security here, M'Lady,' from the last trailer). The worst, however, are usually blasé political mumbo-jumbo spouted by diplomats on Coruscant, whose dialogue is so dull one almost cannot wait for the Empire to rise. Again, the responsibility of making the script work is largely placed in the hands of the actors, who hopefully will do a slightly better job in Attack of the Clones than they did in The Phantom Menace.
Of course, the end product could be vastly different from this blueprint. I hear that in the film, Jango Fett indeed leaves an indelible impression... perhaps it just took Temuera Morrison to give him life. Or perhaps the climactic battle (in the truest sense of the world) will look so CGI that it will ruin the experience for me. But judging by the script, by George Lucas and Jonathon (The Scorpion King) Hales, Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones, should be a sight to see. It's action-packed, full of character and high drama, with only the usual Star Wars-isms to remind us that we can't expect any more. I can live with that."
(Review submitted by Hollyfeld.)
Another Episode 2 Script Review
"I have to agree when I look at Hollyfeld's review of the Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones screenplay. Not only has it taken me a great deal of time to consider the pros and cons of writing a review on one of the most wanted screenplays around, but it has also taken me a great deal of time to consider that if I read this that the film would lack the magic it would hold upon first viewing. I decided to do both, read the screenplay and write the review. I will find out soon enough if this was a good or bad decision on my part.
Hollyfeld and I came across the screenplay the same way. Any professional journalist would consider the high risk that this screenplay could easily be the product of some obsessed fan who had drawn a few of his or her own conclusions. I admit, I am a huge fan of the Star Wars films. I was engulfed by the magic of the movies at a young age and it has followed me into adult hood, however, not even the most obsessed fan could have written this piece. About five pages in, I came to my first stunning revelation while reading that 'THIS WAS IT!' I considered what was placed in my hands by my good friend and knowing my source would not review the screenplay due to the lack of mystery behind the final film, I kept reading. This was a huge opprotunity and I wasn't going to watch as it passed me by.
I was one of the view fans who didn't hate The Phantom Menace. Granted, it was and probably will be known as the worst film in the series, however, it is the beginning of something and is a lot better than some of the crap out there now days. I probably was disappointed because I had grown up, I was no longer a small boy seeing Star Wars for the first time on VHS (I was too young to see them during their first theatrical release), I had aged. However, I noticed when I took my little cousin to watch the movie that he was enchanted by it, the same way I had been so many years earlier. This is Lucas' target audience, the small children, not the adults. Lots of adults see these movies, but Lucas has built them (and publically acknowledged that they are for) small children. I hated Jar-Jar as much as the next guy, however, many kids found his antics and character hilarious and lovable. I am happy to say that at this point, Phantom Menace will remain the worst of the series and Attack of the Clones could possibly rank up there with my favorite (depending on Lucas' execution) The Empire Strikes Back.
I admit, this is a bold statement on my part, however the evidence is laced throughout the screenplay. The characters are fresh for being so well-known and the action sequences are brisk and exciting even though we've seen four other movies featuring the same theatrics before. This is a story, unlike Menace, that is run by characters, not overdriven by plot and CGI sequences. Where Anakin Skywalker was a whining little brat in the first film, we find that he has become a troubled and confused young adult, plagued by his human nature, arrogance, and excess of human emotion in this film. We thought double-bladed lightsabers where the coolest three years ago, in May it's going to be Jedi fighting with two at a time and Yoda opening a huge can of whoop ass. Did I forget to mention the 'already seen in trailers' Jango Fett going to town with Obi-Wan?
I don't want to mention much about the plot but it does have it's share of suprises for being so well known. I had told Hollyfeld that this was going to be fairly un-suprising, being that we have point A (The Phantom Menace) and point B (A New Hope) and all we had to do was draw our own conclusions, completing the line in between. I was partically right and wrong. The story begins with our infamous crawl:
There is unrest in the Galactic Senate.
Several hundred solar systems under
the leadership of the rebel leader, Count
Dooku, have declaired their intentions to
secede from the Republic.This separatist movement has made it
difficult for the limited number of
Jedi Knights to maintain peace and
order in the galaxy.Senator Amidala, the former Queen of
Naboo, is returning to Coruscant
to vote on the critical issue
of creating an arm to assist
the overwhelmed Jedi.
We then rocket through a series of assassination attempts, shootouts (one gives us a big parallel to a scene in A New Hope), romances, plot twists, through a huge battle climax to the last words of Yoda: 'Begun, the Clone War has.' I had a hard time putting this screenplay down, it kept my attention even when action wasn't filling the screen. It leaves the impression that this is the last time things are ever going to be good again as we watch Amadala and Anakin get married on the eve of the Clone Wars.
The script has a few small errors in the way of plotting that seems a little too connected for it's own good. However, I have a feeling that everything will be explained in Episode III along with the mystery surrounding the disappearances of Jedi following death, midiclorians, and other threads that made the fans so upset after viewing The Phantom Menace in context with the other three films. Lucas and Hales do a great job of writing well off of one another, putting the magic back into the wonder and mystery of the Star Wars universe. I can't wait for May 16th."
(Review submitted by 'J. Alfred Prufrock'.)
Stay tuned...
That's all folks...
Jean-François Allaire (aka DeadPool)
Questions, comments, praise etc. Email me at deadpool@tnmc.org
Jean-François Allaire is TNMC's first columnist. At only 24 years old he has become a respected entertainment journalist, with his columns appearing in Corona's Coming Attractions and Scr(i)pt magazine. He also writes a monthly column in Screenwriters Monthly entitled 'The Last Word.' Hailing from Montreal this young writer is determined to dig up all the details on the movies before they hit your local theater. If you're part of a movie production then you really need to be talking to him.
