Highlights
- Reddit user denim_flow argues that the love story between Anakin and Padme ruins Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, citing ridiculous dialogue and unnatural acting.
- The user believes that without the love story, the film would be a strong action movie with great actors and an interesting plot.
- While the romance between Anakin and Padme may not have been well-implemented in the prequels, it remains an iconic and pivotal part of the Star Wars canon.
While Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is over two decades old, one fan of the iconic franchise has recently reached a conclusion concerning what exactly ruins the second entry of the infamously controversial prequel trilogy.
The Star Wars prequel trilogy explored the events that lead up to the state of affairs seen at the start of Episode IV. Unlike the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series set within the same period, the Star Wars prequels have endured mixed to negative fan opinion since release, with the Star Wars faithful often discussing where it went wrong and which of the three films deserves the most blame.
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While many fans believe that Phantom Menace or Revenge of the Sith is the worst Star Wars prequel film, at least one person has a case to make against Attack of the Clones instead. Reddit user denim_flow took to the site’s r/StarWars board to air their grievances concerning the film’s fatal flaw as they saw it. In a post titled “Rewatching the Prequels: The Love Story Ruins Attack of the Clones,” denim_flow posits that the love story between Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala, which takes up a relatively significant part of the film’s runtime, is fraught with ridiculous dialogue, unnatural acting, and childish motivation. Summing up their frustrations, the user puts forth that when watching the Attack of the Clones, “-it seems that you are watching stubborn and naive children, and not a representative of the political elite and one of the best students of the Jedi Order.”
The main point here is not controversial, as many fans agree that Padme could’ve done better than Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars canon. However, most fans would be hesitant to so boldly call out the love affair that leads to Anakin’s final fall to the Dark Side of the Force as Attack of the Clones‘ primary flaw. Furthering their point, denim_flow noted, “And this ruin[s] everything. Take away the love story and you get a strong action movie in a space fantasy setting with great actors, and spectacular fights (I mean, Ewan McGregor, Yoda, Sam Jackson, and Christopher Lee all fighting with lightsabers in the same movie – what more could you ask for?), and an interesting plot. But for some reason, for 30% of the film, we are looking at two not-very-smart people doing not-very-smart things just because.” The user then closes out by reaffirming a love for the prequels despite their complaints.
Attack of the Clones‘ romance between Anakin and Padme, notably with the splendid advantage of more development in The Clone Wars, is one of Star Wars‘ best romances across shows and TV and might even be forgiven for the less-than-stellar implementation in the prequels. However, the franchise is not well-known for its portrayal of romance, and compelling romantic relationships are not a strong suit for Star Wars media. This aligns with denim_flow’s ideas about romance being a weak point in the trilogy. However, it is pertinent to note that this romance and its eventual tragic end are pivotal to the prequel trilogy and an iconic part of Star Wars canon and play an important part in how fans understand the fan-favorite villain Darth Vader.
Considering the romance’s positive impact on the franchise, it’s hard to concede the point made here despite the fair assessment. All in all, the Star Wars prequels need to be left alone by both fans and the newer franchise entries at this point. With the original hate train long over, fans should settle into newer content and revisit the prequels with an appreciation for the past.
The Star Wars films and related shows are available for streaming on Disney Plus.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space, including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other mediums like comics, video games, TV shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.
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Source: denim_flow/Reddit
