I'd like to give a big shout out to my friend Hollie for suggesting that I watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the animated series, in between Episodes II and III. I was shocked at how much even one season helped. It added so much more depth by introducing characters and visuals before the movie. The animation style was a little off-putting initially and I never had a particular character to identify with, so as a standalone it was a little weak for me, but as a precursor to the movie, holy shit, was it helpful.There's really nothing that could save this film, though.
Anakin (Hayden Christiansen) is growing more and more fed up with the restrictions placed on him by the Jedi Council. Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has recommended him for a spot on the Council, which was granted, but without the corresponding jump in title to Master Jedi. The position also comes with the caveat that Anakin report back on the Chancellor's activities. Meanwhile, he keeps having nightmares about his wife, Padme (Natalie Portman), dying in childbirth. All of this serves to push him ever closer to the Dark Side.
This movie clocks in at over two hours and it didn't need to. Most of the action scenes are fine but every time Christiansen talks, an angel loses its wings. I'm pretty sure being in this franchise destroyed his career. Think about it. This came out 11 years ago and have you heard his name in that time? I haven't. According to IMDb, he's been working pretty steadily but nothing like the scale of work that he should have had after the monstrous exposure he got from Star Wars.
Blame George Lucas. He had unrestricted reign for the prequels, with no one telling him "No." Plenty of people told him "No" Ep 5 & 6, and they're great. Hell, he didn't direct them, just produced, and they're lauded, even more so as the Prequel Trilogy languished. There is actual footage of the Hayden and Natalie and Ewan and others actually meeting, as actors do, and being told by George to be more wooden. This movie only holds a better place for me than Episode 2 because when Darth Vader shows up to kill those kids, we finally get a glimpse of what we should have seen before, the thing the Emperor saw in him as a child. Then we lose it. "Nooooo!" Ugh. Hayden was very good in "Jumper", but that's the only film that comes to mind.
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