The ‘Star Wars’ Retrospective- Part 2

The Prequels

Welcome to the second part of my retrospective of the ‘Star Wars’ saga- consisting of six films across nearly 40 years. Last time, I wrapped up the original trilogy- Episodes IV to VI- and this time, I will be focusing on the prequels- the three films that served as a backstory to all the events, characters and twists and turns that we saw in the original three films.

There were originally a lot of brickbats hurled at the prequels back in their day (except for Episode III, which won a lot of takers) but in retrospective, the hardcore Star Wars loyalists love the prequels as much as the original films, sometimes even more. It has to do with how George Lucas, the original creator of the franchise, grabbed the premise back in his hands and decided to expand the universe to unprecedented levels and while this might not have worked always, it nevertheless provides for great entertainment.

So, three prequels, we shall see, hmm. Let’s find out if they are as good as most Star Wars fans say.

1999- ‘The Phantom Menace’(aka Episode I)

Take this, critics and haters: ‘The Phantom Menace’ is certainly not as awful as you all make it out to be; hell, it is not even half as mediocre as deserving of a chunk of Golden Raspberry nominations that it reportedly bagged. If you have to pick a problem with Lucas’s comeback directorial venture- the film in which he grabbed back the creative control over the franchise- it is not those midi-chlorians, or even the little Anakin Skywalker and his origin story, or maybe even annoying Jar Jar Binks (I will get to that later). 

The problem lies in its redundant story- of a measly bunch of fiercely incompetent baddies called the Trade Federation who are out to force the planet of Naboo into submission by the means of a trade blockade and, most ridiculously, a pitiful army of droids who look as flimsy as plastic toys on clockwork. It is this narrative strand that does not clearly work and often overshadows the more interesting angle of the noble Jedi knights Qui Gon Jinn and the restless Obi-Wan Kenobi bringing young Anakin into the ranks. That and of course a few issues as well.

The bigger problem is in the pacing. Lucas’ original 1977 trailblazer was a non-stop thrill ride, even with its modest scale and size. It was pacey, enthralling and always enlivened with instantly quotable dialogue and snap-cracking peril and excitement. The sequels that followed too were thrilling pieces in their breakneck rate and they doled out huge chunks of action, comedy and mumbo-jumbo with élan. This film spends nearly an hour rather awkwardly- Lucas desperately cramming the canvas with random characters and immersive settings and other-worlds but it is only when the film settles down a bit on good old sandy Tatooine that things really start to hum well.

Who knew that our very own intimidating Darth Vader was originally a plucky kid named Anakin Skywalker who made a memorable protocol droid, and worked as a slave for a flying hustler called Watto? Hardcore fans might cringe at how he is even called Ani, by his perennially weary mother but hey, what is so wrong with an origin story that explores innocence that would soon be replaced with evil and darkness? Jake Lloyd plays this knee-high, starry-eyed wannabe Jedi quite well enough- it is just that some of us wanted the child actor of the moment- Haley Joel Osment- to portray the bluesy kid. Still, Lloyd isn’t really bad.

Surprisingly, Lucas keeps the action brief and incidental in the film- there are no big dogfights here- not even much of grand explosions. What ‘The Phantom Menace’ really gets right is the smaller, but more crucial, details- the presence of Senator Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid, looking grandly sinister as always), the subtle tension of the galactic politics, the gruff Yoda (voiced by the always reliable Frank Oz) and his predictions of the emotional hubris awaiting Anakin, the first encounter between the half-completed C-3PO and the mocking R2D2 and that bitter-sweet climax- between a cliffhanger hinting at a greater conspiracy and a colorful celebration. Talking of Jar Jar, he really does grate your nerves and the critics are darn right at that but the greater error seems to be of Lucas to make him such a pivotal character through the proceedings. And unlike the Ewoks, who were adorably resourceful despite their comic pratfalls, Jar Jar’s fellow tribe of Gungans come across as spectacularly useless folks, even as they sport some impressive gadgetry, which is another sore point.

Despite its obvious problems, there is much to admire in this. Most notably, it is superbly aided on the acting front by the stately Liam Neeson as the dignified and trusty Qui Gon Jinn and the dynamic Ewan McGregor playing his slightly raw but delightfully edgy protégé Obi-Wan Kenobi. Lucas still has the eye for big wonder and his set-pieces- from underwater cities to a to-the-death saber duel in the end- are often thrillingly spectacular and he even stages a terrific pod race to doff his hat to the chariot race in ‘Ben-Hur’. In the vicious Darth Maul, we get a worthy rival with sizzling lightsaber skills. ‘The Phantom Menace’ is a fine, if rather uneven, film- one that ends better than it starts. But while Lucas knows how to tell a story, it is the story itself that disappoints a bit.

2002- ‘Attack Of The Clones’ (aka Episode II)

Like the de facto hero (we shall know him soon) of this turbo-charged sequel to the seemingly long and rambling, yet perfectly effective, ‘The Phantom Menace’, George Lucas sure had some mind tricks up his sleeve. One of them was that he knew exactly what the hardcore fans and the audiences wanted from him in his second prequel. 

‘Attack Of The Clones’ jumps right away into the action- it is merely 15 minutes or so into the narrative and already, Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman) is nearly assassinated a couple of times and we have our dashing heroes- fiery-eyed Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and self-assured Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)- pursuing the assassin down the skyscrapers and streets of Coruscant- a scene that fantastically roots this outing in the ground and also jerks off the backstory that slowed down much of Episode I.

Remarkably, this should be called the point at which we suddenly become aware of the Vader inside Anakin in more explicit ways than ever. We did know that this impulsive and cocky Padawan has mommy issues bothering in his head but the kind of creepy edginess that Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin shows hints at a path of true darkness and despair ahead for him. It is a shame that Christensen got bashed the most- the young actor is definitely raw and slippery but he does a fantastic job of playing a raw and slippery Jedi as well.

What doesn’t quite work is the romance. For the first time, since we saw Leia in a golden bikini, sprawled over the repulsive bulk of Jabba The Hutt, the series gets several erotic overtones-at a particular point, we even see Amidala in a leather gown that would not be out of place in a kinky store. The dialogue in these torrid proceedings- the seething sexual tension between a lusty-eyed Anakin and a demure Amidala-is actually better than what is normally said by the critics. Yet, after a point, the unnecessary detour of the plot into romantic and sentimental territory feels quite contrived.

Impressively enough, the other things save the day. Ewan McGregor is the scene-stealer here- the true hero of this piece as a skilled and confident Kenobi, staying compellingly heroic and knowing his skills with a saber way too well but also crucially grounded in vulnerability. McGregor, a master actor who has shone in stellar roles in ‘Trainspotting’ and ‘Moulin Rouge’, is clearly in top form here, creating the sort of dignity, sneaky mischief and all-knowing wisdom that makes his character so memorable.

Also good is what Lucas makes of his cast here- Samuel L. Jackson gets a grand chance to kick some ass in style as Mace Windu while the intriguing villains- from a sinister Jango Fett to Christopher Lee’s as memorably menacing Count Dooku, a villain who really helps the film to darken quite spectacularly. The plot is pretty uneven with a tad too simple payoff  even as it introduces to us the Stormtroopers but it has both welcome murky touches (Anakin slaughters a horde of Tuskens) as well as snappy mirth (C-3PO finds his head attached to one of the droids amidst the final chaos). And the action set-pieces are not only bigger- they are also more inventive- a gladiatorial arena with vicious otherworldly beasts, a lightsaber duel in which Yoda joins the fun and even a nifty spaceship chase amidst asteroids. All of it is sheer fun, Star Wars-style, just the way we want it to be.

2005-‘Revenge Of The Sith’ (aka Episode III)

The Star Wars series often gets the threequels right and how. If ‘Return Of The Jedi’ ended the original tale of Luke, Leia, Han and Darth Vader with a fittingly rousing fanfare, Lucas’ third prequel- and the most direct prologue to the saga- is a truly larger-than-life, epic-sized beginning to the entire story of Luke, Han and Leia and, most crucially, Darth Vader. The film is so perfectly linked with Episode IV- it even ends on the sands of Tatooine- that such a perfect harmony renders the other two prequels almost redundant. You almost forget about the grating nature of Jar Jar and the Trade Federation as well as the sloppy romance between Anakin and Padme. This is a film literally soaked in chaos and chaos it is, of the highest order that demands you surrender to it gladly. Like I said, almost.

The astounding thing is how sublime it all feels. ‘Revenge Of Sith’ is clearly Lucas’ finest hour as a fantasist- ever since he first plunged us in outer space and made us cover our ears on the sound of those iconic first laser beams. It is not only the director at his ambitious, unshackled best but it also is, most crucially, a wonderful slice of grand entertainment in which there is actually a great narrative aiding the grand effects elsewhere.

You know the story, so no need to tell you about it. What is worth talking here is the way Lucas makes the proceedings so enthralling that this tale rarely feels dull or even predictable. Right from the breathlessly entertaining, intermittently hilarious and overall stunning rescue of Palpatine in the film’s first twenty minutes, the direction and storytelling exhibit a solid confidence. Bravely and enticingly, the film tugs us into darker territory and while some of the spectacle here- powered with awe-inspiring digital effects-is a bit overkill, it nevertheless looks all monumental.

Sure, there are a few rough spots here and there. Most of them happen to be again in the strained romance and while Christensen as Anakin is not as bad as the critics say, it is Portman’s Padme who ruins the show by her obviously fake mannerisms. And it is a bit of a downer that Anakin’s personal demons are rendered a bit secondary to the compelling backdrop of the story. There could also have been a bit more of General Grievous.

But the larger delights often make up wonderfully. It is hard not to be awed by the massive action set-pieces- the aforementioned rescue in outer space, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s(McGregor, now as self-assured as Sir Alec Guinness) jangling duel with Grievous, the snarling Palpatine (a pitch-perfect Ian McDiarmid) taking on his ‘little green friend’ Yoda in a menacing standoff and an iconic lightsaber duel between the vicious Anakin/Vader and Obi-Wan against the volcanic flames of the planet Mustafar. And it is equally awesome to see the smaller details perfectly etched- Palpatine’s dubious ideas of recreation, C-3PO’s unease in flight, Stormtroopers rallying against the Jedi, Anakin being nudged into the Dark Side and of course, that unforgettable punch of nostalgia- on seeing the first actual glimpse of cinema’s most famous villain wreathed in a swirl of smoke.

The result is classic ‘Star Wars’ stuff- a film as great as those original trailblazers (no disservice to Episodes I and II).

So, here I end my retrospective. And here is an unofficial ranking of all the six films

6- ‘The Phantom Menace’- A charming adventure that starts disastrously (Droids, Gungans and Jar Jar Binks) but a thrilling pod-race and two fine Jedi knights save the day and it ends on a compelling note.

5- ‘Attack Of The Clones’- Lucas amps up the action and even introduces Count Dooku as well as those famous Troopers and the Fetts but that uneven plot and the unnecessary romance cut some of the fun. Still, it is entertaining as hell and McGregor is a great Kenobi.

4- ‘The Empire Strikes Back’- Irvin Kershner takes over the helm, directing a breathless and menacing race through the galaxy, while letting Luke train with Yoda and allowing Han Solo and Leia to rule the roost. Yet, despite the thrills and spills, it is not really the greatest of the series.

3- ‘Revenge Of The Sith’- A story which Lucas always wanted to tell ever since the first 1977 film and he tells it with grandstanding effect. Gritty storytelling, fine side performances and that much-awaited climatic revelation are aided by solid, stunning spectacle all around it and delivers the goods with the true confidence of a visionary at his best.

2- ‘Return Of The Jedi’- Unfairly overlooked and sorely underrated, Richard Marquand’s ambitious, full-blown and truly epic threequel is as gloriously fun-filled as the ‘Star Wars’ universe could be. The action set-pieces are mesmerizing and intense, the dialogues and characters better than ever, Vader’s emotional core is finally unveiled and boy, even those furry Ewoks are so, so adorable.

1       1- A New Hope’- No matter how good its sequels and prequels will be, there will be no ‘Star Wars’ film to beat the fresh, enlightening and enthralling 1977 original. Lucas’s space swashbuckler is still every bit the seminal creation of a true visionary of modern cinematic entertainment. Clearly, J.J Abrams has a tall order to beat this classic’s unrivalled magic.