'Attack Of The Clones' Is The Best 'Star Wars' Movie And Here's Why
What's the one question guaranteed to start a fight amongst Star Wars fans almost every time? That would be, "What's your favorite movie?" With a total of nine in the Skywalker saga and a couple of standalone movies, there are plenty to choose from. But with these fans being some of the most passionate ever, literally any answer could cause some serious "discussions." I know I've been involved in a few.
The prequel trilogy has received a fair amount of criticism since its release in the late 1990's/early 2000's, but perhaps none more so than Attack of the Clones. Many fans considered this to be the weakest movie out of all of them. That is, (for some) until The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker came out and caused greater upset. But, personally, I feel the movie gets a bad rep and isn't as bad as many say it is. Today we are going to look at some of the reasons for it to be considered the best Star Wars movie, so let's get stuck in.
Sir Christopher Lee
Starting us off, is the inclusion of the great and sorely missed Sir Christopher Lee as this film's main antagonist, Count Dooku. With the "death" of Maul in Episode I, Darth Sidious was in need of a new apprentice, so Lee stepped in to play the role of the once Jedi Master, now leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS for short). There's no denying that he is one of the best elements of this particular movie. Lee is easily one of the greatest actors ever to have lived and one of the most awesome human beings ever. A quick Google search will highlight some of the amazing things the man did throughout his life. I, for one, could not imagine anyone else playing the role.
He starts off as more of a legend within the film, being mentioned before his appearance in the latter half. And despite him being the "bad guy" (good is a point of view, after all), I couldn't help but root for him a little. We find out he was apprentice to Master Yoda and Master to Qui-Gon Jinn. So technically, he is also partly responsible for the training of Obi-Wan and Anakin by extension, and he he proves himself to be a very formidable foe. Interestingly, until The Rise of Skywalker, he was also the only other character to use Force lightning in a Star Wars film other than the Emperor.
Lightsaber Battle Ending
Whilst lightsaber battles were obviously introduced in the original trilogy, they do fall a bit short compared to the battles seen in the prequels. The sequence between Jinn, Kenobi, and Maul from Episode I holds a special place in most fans' hearts, but Episode II expanded on this with the sequence near the end of the film.
Obi-Wan and Anakin come face to face with Dooku in a hanger bay. However, neither is a match for the widely renowned duelist, so both are incapacitated (with Anakin losing an arm much like Luke later loses his hand), but then something happens that very few expected. A small shadow appears, and in walks Master Yoda. The former master and apprentice engage in a Force battle, which allows Yoda to show off just how strong with the Force he is, but Dooku then taunts him into a lightsaber battle which goes from zero to one hundred pretty quickly. No longer the slow-moving old Jedi we've come to know and love, Yoda starts bouncing all over the place with extreme agility never seen before. With Dooku realizing he is still no match for his former master, he resorts to putting Kenobi and Anakin in danger as a distraction to escape.
The Battle Of Geonosis
Whilst we are on the subject of lightsaber battles, one can't talk about Attack of the Clones without mentioning the Battle of Geonosis. As the crowds cheer for the demise of Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme, in strolls Mace Windu, igniting his lightsaber. Until this point, Mace, like Yoda, had never been seen using his lightsaber, so it was another pleasant surprise. Even more so when it turned out to be purple as other colors hadn't been seen onscreen before this.
We then see a whole host of Jedi ignite their sabers and getting ready for battle. This was another first for the franchise, witnessing Jedi in their prime battle against Geonosians and droids. Just when it looks like they have been beaten, the clone army arrives, and thus begins the Clone War, which leads us on to our next point.
The Clone War
Whether you enjoyed the film or not, one thing is for sure: no Attack of the Clones, no The Clone Wars or the new show The Bad Batch. Episode II introduced us to the creation of the clone army, designed to fight for the Republic against the CIS and anyone else looking to go up against the Republic. Granted, the details of how it all came about are a bit sketchy and convoluted to say the least, but the fact still remains that it set up the events for some of the most beloved TV shows and expanded media. The beginning of the war would also be the catalyst for Palpatine to further continue his plans in achieving his overall goal of absolute power as he would see it through to the end.
Anakin's Descent To The Dark Side
When Qui-Gon Jinn randomly happens across a young boy on Tatooine, who turns out to be Anakin Skywalker, fans knew this new trilogy would show us the arc of one of the greatest characters ever created - Darth Vader. We already knew who the Dark Lord was, but, until the prequels, we had no idea how it came to pass.
Attack of the Clones begins to show us the conflicted Jedi's descent toward the Dark Side. Faced with visions of his dying mother, Shmi, Anakin tracks her down on Tatooine, where she is held captive by Tusken Raiders. Sadly, she passes away in his arms. Filled with rage, Anakin slaughters them all, "the women and children, too." This is a major turning point for the character as he completely loses control and gives into his anger, setting up his eventual path to becoming a Sith.
We also see his relationship with Padme blossom, leading to a secret marriage. This would prove to be the final nail in the coffin, as his obsession with preventing her death in the following movie would completely control the decisions he makes and leave him with, seemingly, no choice but to join the darkness.
Since the release of the sequel trilogy, a lot of fans have looked at the prequels in a new light, but the above are just some points highlighting that Attack of the Clones is not as bad as people make out, thus making it a good contender for the best Star Wars movie.
What do you think? Do you agree with the points made above? Do you have different reasons for it being your favorite? Be sure to let us know.
Until next time!