The Sequel Was Better? is a series of reviews looking at famous movies with sequels that are considered, rightly or wrongly, to be better than the original movies. Typically, sequels are a step down in quality, acting, and/or production value. But not always. This is the first of the series, which will be listed here.
People were really excited in 1999 when George Lucas released the first new Star Wars theatrical movie since The Return of the Jedi in 1983. He promised a new trilogy explaining Darth Vader's back story as Anakin Skywalker--how he fell from a talented Jedi to an infamous Sith Lord.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace starts with the Trade Federation blockading the planet Naboo. The blockade's justification is dubious at best. There's some sort of taxation rights issue that the movie mentions. Happily the story doesn't get into that detail, just uses it as an excuse for escalating tension between the good guys and the bad guys. To force an end to the conflict, the Supreme Chancellor (Terence Stamp) sends a pair of Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to negotiate a settlement. The Trade Federation guys panic. They contact their secret backer, Darth Sidious, who tells them to kill the Jedi and send their droid army to take over the planet and force the queen to sign a favorable treaty. Naturally, the Jedi are not killed. They stow away with the droid army descending to the planet. They wind up with the local intelligent amphibian Jar-Jar Binks, who leads them to the underwater Gungan city he calls home. The Gungans aren't interested in helping the Jedi with their problems and send them packing with Jar-Jar (who is amazingly klutzy and incompetent) to the surface-dwelling humans on Naboo. The Jedi manage to save the queen and get her off planet, though their ship is damaged in the escape. They have to stop off on Tatooine, a small backwater not involved with the Trade Federation. They meet Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a slave to a junk trader who has the parts they need to fix the ship. Anakin has incredible talent and abilities. The Jedi use Anakin to get what they need but also take Anakin because he is so strong in the Force that the Jedi Council should know, and probably train, the boy. Anakin is smitten with the queen's handmaid, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). More politics and action ensue as the Naboo conflict is settled and Anakin starts his journey to become a Jedi.
The film has lots of problems. The droid army is basically a massive group of stick-figure robots. Squads of these droids are easily wiped out by the two Jedi. The climatic land battle is between these droids and the Gungans (who haven't been imprisoned like the Naboo people have). The Gungans' main armaments are energy balls that they hurl with slings or catapults. The battle between the droids and the Gungans is cartoonish at best.
Part of the problem here is Jar-Jar Binks, who for some reason has been promoted to general in the Gungan army in spite of his clumsiness and incompetence. He shows no leadership and the opposite of fighting skills, as he accidentally knocks out battle droids with a gun stuck on his foot. He also accidentally drops a big container of energy balls that roll into the droids, who apparently can't dodge anything. Jar-Jar was clearly added to the story as a cute comic relief character, but the jokes with him don't work well and his comedy accent is both hard to understand and hard to laugh at. Jar-Jar is a rightly reviled character in the Star Wars universe.
The film's plot is a little convoluted, though knowledge of the previous three films make some things clear. The fake danger of the title is the contrived trade conflict that will put Naboo's Senator Palpatine (Ian McDermid) into the role of Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine is the name of the evil emperor in the other movies, so obviously he's the big bad guy. The need to go to Tatooine is a forced connection to Anakin Skywalker who we know from the other films is fated to become Darth Vader. The way young Anakin is portrayed is too innocent and silly. He's brilliant at fixing or building things (he's even making C-3PO at home to help is mom) but none of his work is fully finished or fully functional. He wants to help the Jedi and seems quite selfless. Then he leaves his mom behind and is a tagalong with the Jedi. He winds up in a fighter at the end of the film. Despite his technical skills, he can't quite figure out how to fly the fighter, and yet, like Jar-Jar, stumbles into doing the right things to win the space battle above Naboo. He's both competent and incompetent using the same skills. He's far too nice to imagine that he would turn into Darth Vader without a lot of character arc taking him to the Dark Side of the Force.
In addition to the convoluted plot and characterizations, the script also has some really terrible dialogue. Check out these samples:
The one good point in the movie is the secondary villain, Darth Sidious's henchman Darth Maul. He looks scary (he has demon-like horns and red/black skin) and is a talented light saber fighter. The best sequence in the film is the final light saber battle between Maul and the combo of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Too bad it's intercut with the Gugan/droid battle and Anakin's mostly-passive flight into the orbit battle.
The movie is never boring but it is pretty terrible, especially compared to the first three films.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones starts with Senator Padme Amidala (who was really the queen in Episode I, not the handmaid, they just used a double to keep her safe; also, the queen is elected on Naboo and Padme was replaced?) going to the Republic's capital to fight the formation of a Grand Republican Army. It's ten years after the events of Episode I. The senator's ship is blown up after they land, but luckily Amidala was again using a double so she survived. The Jedi are concerned about the assassination attempt and assign Obi-Wan and Anakin (now played by Hayden Christiansen) as her bodyguard. Anakin has spent the last ten years thinking about nothing but his love for Padme and is super-awkward whenever they are together. The Jedi foil another assassination attempt (which includes the first car chase ever in a Star Wars movie). Obi-Wan is assigned to find the assassin while Anakin is assigned to escort Padme back to Naboo where they will hide out until the danger is over. The constant time together causes a lot more romantic tension for Anakin and Amidala. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan discovers a clone army that was secretly ordered by a long-dead Jedi. The clones are all copies of Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) who has a son Boba. Fett is also a bounty hunter and Obi-Wan suspects him of being the assassin. Obi-Wan follows Fett, who goes to the world building the droid armies for the Trade Federation (apparently that Federation wasn't disbanded after their defeat ten years earlier). The Federation is joined by several other systems who want to separate from the Republic. They are led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), an ex-Jedi who was also involved in creating the clone army. Obi-Wan is captured. Padme and Anakin come to rescue him and are also captured. Dooku has them executed by chaining the up and letting brute animals attack them. That doesn't work and soon enough more Jedi show up, along with the clone army, to save the day. Another massive end-of-movie battle ensues.
This film also has a lot of problems. Again the plot is a bit all over the place. Fett and Dooku seem to keep shifting which side they are on. Anakin and Padme, in addition to having awkward romantic conversations, also have awkward political conversations that mostly seem designed to show Anakin falling into corruption.
The problem with that is that Anakin looks already corrupted at the start of the film. He's an apprentice to Obi-Wan but constantly talks back to him and defies him. His love for Padme really seems like stalker-obssession, not romantic self-giving. He's full of arrogance and pride. What happened to the little kid from the last movie? A big character arc jump must have happened between films though it isn't really explained. He begins the film as an annoying teen-aged brat. Then Padme rebuffs his romantic overtures and his mom is killed by the Sand People, so he has plenty of reason to be angrier and angrier. Padme eventually gives in to her own feelings for Anakin and they kiss just before they go to be executed.
This script also has a lot of clunky dialogue:
So is the sequel better? Let's look at some points of comparison.
I definitely think Episode II is superior to Episode I. I own II on DVD, though I did buy it from a bargain bin of previously-viewed DVDs. I'm certain I had plenty of opportunities to buy Episode I but never did.
And I just want to make clear: Since I think Episode II is a better movie than Episode I, that doesn't mean I think Episode II is a good movie. It really isn't though it does have more entertainment value.
People were really excited in 1999 when George Lucas released the first new Star Wars theatrical movie since The Return of the Jedi in 1983. He promised a new trilogy explaining Darth Vader's back story as Anakin Skywalker--how he fell from a talented Jedi to an infamous Sith Lord.
Episode I: The Phantom Menace starts with the Trade Federation blockading the planet Naboo. The blockade's justification is dubious at best. There's some sort of taxation rights issue that the movie mentions. Happily the story doesn't get into that detail, just uses it as an excuse for escalating tension between the good guys and the bad guys. To force an end to the conflict, the Supreme Chancellor (Terence Stamp) sends a pair of Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to negotiate a settlement. The Trade Federation guys panic. They contact their secret backer, Darth Sidious, who tells them to kill the Jedi and send their droid army to take over the planet and force the queen to sign a favorable treaty. Naturally, the Jedi are not killed. They stow away with the droid army descending to the planet. They wind up with the local intelligent amphibian Jar-Jar Binks, who leads them to the underwater Gungan city he calls home. The Gungans aren't interested in helping the Jedi with their problems and send them packing with Jar-Jar (who is amazingly klutzy and incompetent) to the surface-dwelling humans on Naboo. The Jedi manage to save the queen and get her off planet, though their ship is damaged in the escape. They have to stop off on Tatooine, a small backwater not involved with the Trade Federation. They meet Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), a slave to a junk trader who has the parts they need to fix the ship. Anakin has incredible talent and abilities. The Jedi use Anakin to get what they need but also take Anakin because he is so strong in the Force that the Jedi Council should know, and probably train, the boy. Anakin is smitten with the queen's handmaid, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). More politics and action ensue as the Naboo conflict is settled and Anakin starts his journey to become a Jedi.
The film has lots of problems. The droid army is basically a massive group of stick-figure robots. Squads of these droids are easily wiped out by the two Jedi. The climatic land battle is between these droids and the Gungans (who haven't been imprisoned like the Naboo people have). The Gungans' main armaments are energy balls that they hurl with slings or catapults. The battle between the droids and the Gungans is cartoonish at best.
Part of the problem here is Jar-Jar Binks, who for some reason has been promoted to general in the Gungan army in spite of his clumsiness and incompetence. He shows no leadership and the opposite of fighting skills, as he accidentally knocks out battle droids with a gun stuck on his foot. He also accidentally drops a big container of energy balls that roll into the droids, who apparently can't dodge anything. Jar-Jar was clearly added to the story as a cute comic relief character, but the jokes with him don't work well and his comedy accent is both hard to understand and hard to laugh at. Jar-Jar is a rightly reviled character in the Star Wars universe.
The film's plot is a little convoluted, though knowledge of the previous three films make some things clear. The fake danger of the title is the contrived trade conflict that will put Naboo's Senator Palpatine (Ian McDermid) into the role of Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine is the name of the evil emperor in the other movies, so obviously he's the big bad guy. The need to go to Tatooine is a forced connection to Anakin Skywalker who we know from the other films is fated to become Darth Vader. The way young Anakin is portrayed is too innocent and silly. He's brilliant at fixing or building things (he's even making C-3PO at home to help is mom) but none of his work is fully finished or fully functional. He wants to help the Jedi and seems quite selfless. Then he leaves his mom behind and is a tagalong with the Jedi. He winds up in a fighter at the end of the film. Despite his technical skills, he can't quite figure out how to fly the fighter, and yet, like Jar-Jar, stumbles into doing the right things to win the space battle above Naboo. He's both competent and incompetent using the same skills. He's far too nice to imagine that he would turn into Darth Vader without a lot of character arc taking him to the Dark Side of the Force.
In addition to the convoluted plot and characterizations, the script also has some really terrible dialogue. Check out these samples:
- "There's always a bigger fish," says Qui-Gon when the fish that's eating their ship gets eaten by a bigger fish. The same gag happens about a minute later (i.e., a bigger fish eats a smaller fish menacing the Jedi's ship) with out the repetition of the line or even a little mugging for the camera by Qui-Gon, which you'd expect.
- "How wude," or any (make that every) other quote by Jar-Jar Binks.
- "Yippee!" or any other cute little boy shouts by Anakin Skywalker (really, this kid is going to turn into Darth Vader?).
The one good point in the movie is the secondary villain, Darth Sidious's henchman Darth Maul. He looks scary (he has demon-like horns and red/black skin) and is a talented light saber fighter. The best sequence in the film is the final light saber battle between Maul and the combo of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. Too bad it's intercut with the Gugan/droid battle and Anakin's mostly-passive flight into the orbit battle.
The movie is never boring but it is pretty terrible, especially compared to the first three films.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones starts with Senator Padme Amidala (who was really the queen in Episode I, not the handmaid, they just used a double to keep her safe; also, the queen is elected on Naboo and Padme was replaced?) going to the Republic's capital to fight the formation of a Grand Republican Army. It's ten years after the events of Episode I. The senator's ship is blown up after they land, but luckily Amidala was again using a double so she survived. The Jedi are concerned about the assassination attempt and assign Obi-Wan and Anakin (now played by Hayden Christiansen) as her bodyguard. Anakin has spent the last ten years thinking about nothing but his love for Padme and is super-awkward whenever they are together. The Jedi foil another assassination attempt (which includes the first car chase ever in a Star Wars movie). Obi-Wan is assigned to find the assassin while Anakin is assigned to escort Padme back to Naboo where they will hide out until the danger is over. The constant time together causes a lot more romantic tension for Anakin and Amidala. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan discovers a clone army that was secretly ordered by a long-dead Jedi. The clones are all copies of Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) who has a son Boba. Fett is also a bounty hunter and Obi-Wan suspects him of being the assassin. Obi-Wan follows Fett, who goes to the world building the droid armies for the Trade Federation (apparently that Federation wasn't disbanded after their defeat ten years earlier). The Federation is joined by several other systems who want to separate from the Republic. They are led by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), an ex-Jedi who was also involved in creating the clone army. Obi-Wan is captured. Padme and Anakin come to rescue him and are also captured. Dooku has them executed by chaining the up and letting brute animals attack them. That doesn't work and soon enough more Jedi show up, along with the clone army, to save the day. Another massive end-of-movie battle ensues.
This film also has a lot of problems. Again the plot is a bit all over the place. Fett and Dooku seem to keep shifting which side they are on. Anakin and Padme, in addition to having awkward romantic conversations, also have awkward political conversations that mostly seem designed to show Anakin falling into corruption.
The problem with that is that Anakin looks already corrupted at the start of the film. He's an apprentice to Obi-Wan but constantly talks back to him and defies him. His love for Padme really seems like stalker-obssession, not romantic self-giving. He's full of arrogance and pride. What happened to the little kid from the last movie? A big character arc jump must have happened between films though it isn't really explained. He begins the film as an annoying teen-aged brat. Then Padme rebuffs his romantic overtures and his mom is killed by the Sand People, so he has plenty of reason to be angrier and angrier. Padme eventually gives in to her own feelings for Anakin and they kiss just before they go to be executed.
This script also has a lot of clunky dialogue:
- "You're asking me to be rational. That is something I know I cannot do," says Anakin to Padme when she tries to break up with him.
- "One day, I will become the greatest Jedi ever. I will even learn how to stop people from dying." Anakin gets maybe half of that.
- "This is such a drag," says C-3PO as R2-D2 drags his head back to his body. C-3PO has a lot of other bad one-liners. He's taken over the bad joke job from Jar-Jar in the first episode. At least the droid doesn't have an annoying and incoherent accent.
So is the sequel better? Let's look at some points of comparison.
- SCRIPT--both scripts have some bad dialogue and a convoluted plot, but Episode II is a bit better on this count. Making Jar-Jar's role much smaller in the sequel was bound to pay huge dividends.
- ACTING--the weaker script for Episode I makes a tougher job for the actors, who generally do better in Episode II. Dooku is a more interesting villain than Darth Maul just because he has schemes and plans. Maul is just a supreme lightsaber fighter--Dooku can fight and can pass himself off as a reasonable guy trying to do the right thing (he's the classic "villain who is a hero in his own eyes").
- ADVANCES THE STORY/MYTHOLOGY--Episode II makes the big jump where Anakin is falling/has fallen to the Dark Side, though as I have said it seems like something happened in between episodes. The Padme/Anakin romance moves from awkward-age gap to incompatible-job gap, which works better for romantic tension. The movie does just about drop midi-chlorians and Jar-Jar Binks, so that's a positive move, right?
- SPECIAL EFFECTS--Both films suffer from looking twenty years old. Some shots definitely look computer-generated. This is a problem for both films in about equal portions.
- THE BIG FINALE--Episode I's ending fight is only one-third awesome (the lightsaber fight), two-thirds sucky (Gungans vs. battle droids and Anakin vs. his fighter's controls). Episode II has a much better battle with lots of Jedi (some of whom are killed) against stronger battle droids. When the clone army shows up, there's an even bigger battle. The lightsaber fight with Dooku at the end is a mixed bag. Dooku has some great skills but when Yoda shows up to fight him, Yoda has to hop around like a frog to fight his much taller opponent. It looks pretty silly to me. Still, the ending was about one-half awesome, so a definite improvement.
I definitely think Episode II is superior to Episode I. I own II on DVD, though I did buy it from a bargain bin of previously-viewed DVDs. I'm certain I had plenty of opportunities to buy Episode I but never did.
And I just want to make clear: Since I think Episode II is a better movie than Episode I, that doesn't mean I think Episode II is a good movie. It really isn't though it does have more entertainment value.
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