The Phantom Menace (1999) VS. Attack of the Clones (2002)

That's an interesting way to look at Attack of the Clones. So how come these two prequels were liked by audiences when they first came out, but hated now by most? What caused all the hate?

SPOILER

After watching them again though, I have to ask, why did they include the subplot involving the murder of Anakin's mother in Attack of the Clones?

I just felt the subplot wasn't needed, especially since there is plenty of other plot points later to turn Anakin to the dark side, so why was the other subplot with the mother needed on top of the others?

I don't know how much my opinion is worth because I don't particularly care for any of the Star Wars movies, but I think Attack of the Clones is the most enjoyable of the prequels. You can tell Lucas is ripping off Blade Runner as well as other films of the period, but hey if you're gonna steal, steal from the best. I like that it's a bit of a detective tale with Obi-Wan and Anakin as a buddy-cop team. It's a refreshing change of pace from the sword-and-sorcery in space routine that is every other Star Wars movie.

Not to mention the romance between Anakin and Padme is hilariously bad, so much that just thinking about it brings a smile to my face. Is it an objectively bad movie? Well, yeah, but it's entertaining, whereas Phantom Menace bores me to tears.

Well, Shmi wasn't technically murdered, but she was kidnapped and basically beaten and worked to death as a slave by the Sand People.


Her death drives him not only to pure anger, but also to uncontrollable rage and in turn leads him to draw upon the Dark Side and commit straight out murder.
Anakin's fit of pure rage through the pain of his loss, is so powerful that Yoda is actually able to sense it from the opposite side of the galaxy.


What's important with this, is not only is it the first time he actually gives in to his feelings of fear, anger and rage, but also the first time he commits murder...


... and, it's the first time he gives in to hatred. He even says "I hate them!" to Padme... even though they're already dead. Even though he has sought revenge, and has already killed them... he still hates them.


Fear, anger, hate... all lead to the Dark Side, and Shmi's death is a critical turning point in Anakin's young life that will forever then be a part of his future.

Sorry I am trying to remember the story and remembered Shmi's death wrong. I just felt that Anakin had enough of a turning point in Revenge of the Sith, and didn't need two turning points to go to the Dark Side, and that the Attack of the Clones turning point may have not been necessary as it seems to over-foreshadow it. But I am watching it again now and I see.

One thing that has been pointed out is that people thought the CGI looks worse in Attack of the Clones, than TPM, but I think it looks better. In TPM, yes they do use real sets, but I think that the real sets make the CGI much more obvious, where as when the whole world is CGI, it all blends together better, or at least that is how I am seeing so far.

As for Darth Maul, what is so special about him exactly? I thought Count Duku had more personality, and lines of dialogue that helped fuel the character where was Darth Maul is nothing more than a silence henchman like Oddjob, in Goldfinger for example. Is it just that he is a really cool silent henchman, and that's why he is loved more?

Yeah, that's true. What do you think of the Jango Fett subplot? I felt it seemed kind of random and out of place to give Boba Fett a subplot, where he wants to avenge his father's death. Boba Fett was nothing more than a background henchman, who was part of the villain's team. A gun for hire, working for Jabba, and I didn't feel that he needed this subplot at all, and if felt randon and forced perhaps. But what do you think?

Phantom but only because Darth Maul looks badass, the only interesting thing about the movie at all. He'd make a good looking villain outside of the starwars universe.

Yea I agree he’s good in Insideous.

You are vile.

You're right. It is.

Good to see you've come around

[*] Jar Jar was an idiot and did not deserve to be saved in those opening scenes.[*] Jar Jar's voice was Jarring, and worked hard to push me out of the fantasy.[*] Little Annie was 50/50 for me. I think mostly it was the poor directing and probably settling for the shot in hand rather than chasing a retake. I think there were moments where he carried a great burden of emotion during his one-on-ones with Padme, but unfortunately that never overcomes the shadow of him shouting "Yippeeee!" while skipping out of the storefront.[*] Jar Jar's tongue at the table and all the pratfalls that his tongue continually gets him into.[*] Jar Jar's continued accidents and clumsiness.[*] Midichlorians.[*] Editing was horrible. Backdrops were gorgeous, but edits and awkward cuts through poor effects were a mess. For example, when Obi Wan and Qui-Gon Jinn were crawling through some ventilation duct to jump down to a hangar floor. That looks bad. Really bad. And the fight scene where Qui-Gon first encounters Darth Maul. Qui-Gon had to leap from the fight to the ship's platform to escape, but that visual was so BAD and stilted.[/list] Pretty much everything wrong with this movie is represented in the following clip every 3 seconds from costumes, to dialogue, to obvious CG that doesn't blend well with live action, clumsy scripting setups, dialect stereotypes, and the palace "ascension" shot. OMG that ascension gun shot!!!