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Star Wars Novelizations #2
Star Wars-Episode II: Attack of the Clones
There is a great disturbance in the Force. . . . From the sleek ships of the glimmering Coruscant skyscape to the lush gardens of pastoral Naboo, dissent is roiling. The Republic is failing, even under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, elected ten years earlier to save the crumbling government. Separatists threaten war, and the Senate is hopelessly divided, unable to determine whether to raise an army for battle or keep the fragile peace. It is a stalemate that once broken, could lead to galactic chaos.
Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.
The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.
Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this intense and revealing novel by bestselling author R. A. Salvatore sheds new light on the legend of Star Wars—and skillfully illuminates one of our most beloved sagas.
Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.
The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.
Based on the story by George Lucas and the screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, this intense and revealing novel by bestselling author R. A. Salvatore sheds new light on the legend of Star Wars—and skillfully illuminates one of our most beloved sagas.
353 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2002
About the author
R.A. Salvatore
729 books10.6k followersAs one of the fantasy genre’s most successful authors, R.A. Salvatore enjoys an ever-expanding and tremendously loyal following. His books regularly appear on The New York Times best-seller lists and have sold more than 10,000,000 copies. Salvatore’s original hardcover, The Two Swords, Book III of The Hunter’s Blade Trilogy (October 2004) debuted at # 1 on The Wall Street Journal best-seller list and at # 4 on The New York Times best-seller list. His books have been translated into numerous foreign languages including German, Italian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Turkish, Croatian, Bulgarian, Yiddish, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, and French.
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
Salvatore’s first published novel, The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988, became the first volume of the acclaimed Icewind Dale Trilogy and introduced an enormously popular character, the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Since that time, Salvatore has published numerous novels for each of his signature multi-volume series including The Dark Elf Trilogy, Paths of Darkness, The Hunter’s Blades Trilogy, and The Cleric Quintet.
His love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computerscience to journalism. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic. Salvatore held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990.
The R.A. Salvatore Collection has been established at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, containing the writer’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers. He is in good company, as The Salvatore Collection is situated alongside The Robert Cormier Library, which celebrates the writing career of the co-alum and esteemed author of young adult books.
Salvatore is an active member of his community and is on the board of trustees at the local library in Leominster, Massachusetts. He has participated in several American Library Association regional conferences, giving talks on themes including “Adventure fantasy” and “Why young adults read fantasy.” Salvatore himself enjoys a broad range of literary writers including James Joyce, Mark Twain, Geoffrey Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dante, and Sartre. He counts among his favorite genre literary influences Ian Fleming, Arthur Conan Doyle, Fritz Leiber, and of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Born in 1959, Salvatore is a native of Massachusetts and resides there with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin. The family pets include three Japanese Chins, Oliver, Artemis and Ivan, and four cats including Guenhwyvar.
When he isn't writing, Salvatore chases after his three Japanese Chins, takes long walks, hits the gym, and coaches/plays on a fun-league softball team that includes most of his family. His gaming group still meets on Sundays to play.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rasalv...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 698 reviews
May 22, 2018
I still like it, but it could be better!
Well, fellow readers in the Force, you know the drill by now, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, but if not, and you have fall in the carbonite complex, therefore, not having watched the film from this novelization was made, well, stop reading, since I’ll do some spoilers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
LOVE AT FIRST FORCE
Well, good ol’ Georgie is a business genius, and certainly quite good in many film aspects, but developing a love story isn’t between his skills…
…I can understand that young Anakin had a huge crush on Padme, come on! She’s Natalie Portman! And she didn’t change a bit in 10 years (never told but I have to assume that people from Naboo aged quite slowly), so what started as a cute chlid crush, evolved into an almost out of control crush…
…BUT PADME???!!!
Last time, she saw Anakin, he was a small tender innocent kid, but she only needed a glimpse of him, already grown up and her Naboonian female hormones started to shake up!
I know that it’s not an easy task to present a believable romance in the big screen since true love needs time, and you have time against you in a movie, especially if it’s not a romance film per se, but a sci-fi action movie with some romance elements on it.
Therefore, I think they should play with the angle that the movie didn’t start right away from the previous one ended, in fact, 10 years later, sooooo, they could employ the moving yellow words at the beginning of the film, and explain that Anakin had been personal bodyguard of Padme for at least 6 months, and Jedi-Kapow! You can read (literally!) between lines that Anakin and Padme have been close for a fair amount of time and they fell in love during that time.
WORST ACCOUNTING EVER
I am an accountant, so maybe I am a geek with an unique vision about the thing with the Clone Army…
…that mysterious Sifo-Dyas paid to the people in Kamino to raise a vast Clone Army. You can bet that it wasn’t any cheap…
…and the Jedi Council never notice that they didn’t have a good amount of their money anymore in their arcs???!
Also, Yoda, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, didn’t have a single clue about how the heck the Kaminoans claimed to be paid by the Jedi to make the Clone Army, but they didn’t hesitate a second to take them and put them into a “slave-like” service for the Republic (good thing that “slavery” didn’t exist in the Republic anymore!).
And nobody followed the money involved!!!
Not all battles are won with lightsabers. They only to track the accounting books.
What the heck they were doing in the Jedi Council? Only looking “cool” in their seats?! They are the leader of the Jedi Order, so they should at least one time per year to check their finances.
Why taking such extremes like Order 66? Palpatine only needed an Audit Intervention and the whole Jedi Council could end in jail for money embezzlement! And if their funds weren’t used in that (Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis could take the money from other part), still the Jedi could be charged for property (the clones) misappropiation.
And in any case, if the Jedi have so much money…
…couldn’t they pay for the freedom of poor Shmee Skywalker, only to avoid some mental stress to Anakin, and he could stay in the safe side of the Force?!
WORST SHAPE-SHIFTER EVER
Mmh…
…why the heck, you create a Shape-Shifter Bounty Hunter, but she keeps her original outfit?! Even more ridiculous, wearing a veil in her helmet, why a veil to hide her face if she can change it?!
Yes, it’s more believable that she only change her physical body and not also her clothes, but this is where you have to avoid falling into too realism…
“Oooh! How odd, I was just chasing a female bounty hunter with your exact clothes, but nope, you have to be another person, since your face is different, yeah.” Geez!!!
JANGO & DOOKU
Jango Fett and Count Dooku must be the best things in the movie…
Jango Fett, since he has a cool Mandalorian armor, and ANYBODY is cool with a Mandalorian armor. And while he wasn’t that effective against Jedis, well, anybody without Force powers isn’t that effective against Jedis, but just watch how many Jedis has survive against true Siths, and you realize that poor Jango wasn’t that bad really.
About Count Dooku, sure, he’s a pale replacement of Darth Maul (even if he was Dracula before, no offense), but Dooku’s best moment is when he tells openly to Obi-Wan what is really going on, that a Dark Lord of the Sith is controlling the Republic, and dang Obi-Wan didn’t believe him!
Well, fellow readers in the Force, you know the drill by now, if you have been reading my reviews about Star Wars film novelizations, but if not, and you have fall in the carbonite complex, therefore, not having watched the film from this novelization was made, well, stop reading, since I’ll do some spoilers. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
LOVE AT FIRST FORCE
Well, good ol’ Georgie is a business genius, and certainly quite good in many film aspects, but developing a love story isn’t between his skills…
…I can understand that young Anakin had a huge crush on Padme, come on! She’s Natalie Portman! And she didn’t change a bit in 10 years (never told but I have to assume that people from Naboo aged quite slowly), so what started as a cute chlid crush, evolved into an almost out of control crush…
…BUT PADME???!!!
Last time, she saw Anakin, he was a small tender innocent kid, but she only needed a glimpse of him, already grown up and her Naboonian female hormones started to shake up!
I know that it’s not an easy task to present a believable romance in the big screen since true love needs time, and you have time against you in a movie, especially if it’s not a romance film per se, but a sci-fi action movie with some romance elements on it.
Therefore, I think they should play with the angle that the movie didn’t start right away from the previous one ended, in fact, 10 years later, sooooo, they could employ the moving yellow words at the beginning of the film, and explain that Anakin had been personal bodyguard of Padme for at least 6 months, and Jedi-Kapow! You can read (literally!) between lines that Anakin and Padme have been close for a fair amount of time and they fell in love during that time.
WORST ACCOUNTING EVER
I am an accountant, so maybe I am a geek with an unique vision about the thing with the Clone Army…
…that mysterious Sifo-Dyas paid to the people in Kamino to raise a vast Clone Army. You can bet that it wasn’t any cheap…
…and the Jedi Council never notice that they didn’t have a good amount of their money anymore in their arcs???!
Also, Yoda, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, didn’t have a single clue about how the heck the Kaminoans claimed to be paid by the Jedi to make the Clone Army, but they didn’t hesitate a second to take them and put them into a “slave-like” service for the Republic (good thing that “slavery” didn’t exist in the Republic anymore!).
And nobody followed the money involved!!!
Not all battles are won with lightsabers. They only to track the accounting books.
What the heck they were doing in the Jedi Council? Only looking “cool” in their seats?! They are the leader of the Jedi Order, so they should at least one time per year to check their finances.
Why taking such extremes like Order 66? Palpatine only needed an Audit Intervention and the whole Jedi Council could end in jail for money embezzlement! And if their funds weren’t used in that (Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis could take the money from other part), still the Jedi could be charged for property (the clones) misappropiation.
And in any case, if the Jedi have so much money…
…couldn’t they pay for the freedom of poor Shmee Skywalker, only to avoid some mental stress to Anakin, and he could stay in the safe side of the Force?!
WORST SHAPE-SHIFTER EVER
Mmh…
…why the heck, you create a Shape-Shifter Bounty Hunter, but she keeps her original outfit?! Even more ridiculous, wearing a veil in her helmet, why a veil to hide her face if she can change it?!
Yes, it’s more believable that she only change her physical body and not also her clothes, but this is where you have to avoid falling into too realism…
“Oooh! How odd, I was just chasing a female bounty hunter with your exact clothes, but nope, you have to be another person, since your face is different, yeah.” Geez!!!
JANGO & DOOKU
Jango Fett and Count Dooku must be the best things in the movie…
Jango Fett, since he has a cool Mandalorian armor, and ANYBODY is cool with a Mandalorian armor. And while he wasn’t that effective against Jedis, well, anybody without Force powers isn’t that effective against Jedis, but just watch how many Jedis has survive against true Siths, and you realize that poor Jango wasn’t that bad really.
About Count Dooku, sure, he’s a pale replacement of Darth Maul (even if he was Dracula before, no offense), but Dooku’s best moment is when he tells openly to Obi-Wan what is really going on, that a Dark Lord of the Sith is controlling the Republic, and dang Obi-Wan didn’t believe him!
February 26, 2014
Apart from Zahn's trilogy this is probably my favorite Star Wars novel. Instead of trying to simply flesh out the scenes of the movie with details of color and sound (as is done with the first novel), this adaptation explains every badly edited scene and whiney sentence by the cast in a way that is immensely satisfying and could never have been done in a single movie. Having read the book, Padme's love for Anakin makes more sense, the clone army and the plot surrounding it are put in better context. In short, everything is so much more vibrant than the movie allows for. R.A. Salvatore did a magnificent job here, clearly taking his time to solve every problem the movie created.
September 4, 2020
Bullet Review:
Hoo boy, what a ride! I really chuckle at myself for rating this so high - 4 stars! Now I very much am oscillating between 1 and 2 stars.
Not all the faults are obviously Salvatore's, but damn if he didn't make them worse or at the least, did absolutely nothing to try to improve upon them.
Full Review:
Ten years have passed since Qui-Gon died, the Trade Federation blockaded Naboo, and young Anakin became a Padawan. Times have changed. Padme is now a Senator; Obi-Wan is a Jedi Knight; Anakin is a Padawan learner. The Republic is in turmoil as the Separatists, led by former Jedi, Count Dooku, threaten to secede. An attempt on Padme's life leads the Jedi into startling discoveries...and possibly war.
This summary I wrote back when I listened to the audiobook in 2010, and really it works fine for covering this book/movie. A lot has changed in those 10 years - back in 2010, I was still a hard-core Star Wars fan, snapping up new books, watching the movies, accumulating a collection of Star Wars memorabilia, etc. I'm a much different woman these days; I recognize the flaws of the prequels much clearer and have mostly left the Star Wars fandom behind, realizing the new Disney era is just not for me and not keeping up with the new "canon" books at all. (If it's your thing, go for it!)
Why did I decide to go back to "a galaxy far, far away" with this in mind? Well, quite simply, a dear friend of mine recently went on a huge Star Wars Legends chronology read herself, and when she got to "Attack of the Clones", she encouraged me to reread. Please check out her review as it will likely be head and shoulders better than anything I will write in the next few paragraphs.
When I initially listened to the audiobook ten years ago, my final words were this:
I have kept my previous review, and you can compare yourself the differences (and also either laugh at me or wish I held the same opinion as I did then, your choice); but to give you an overview, rereading this, I was heartily unimpressed with what I read and honestly vacillate between a 1- and 2- star rating.
Let me get this out of the way: I cannot and do not blame Salvatore at all for the cheesy dialogue or nonsensical plot. That is entirely Lucas' and his screenwriters' doings. What I do blame Salvatore is not trying to elevate the failings of the source material, or at least hide them.
Because a writer of a novelization has a unique challenge: to relay the story that will be told in visual medium (any modification from one form of art to another is a challenge), but also give some background that a movie or TV series cannot show and THEN as well make the story enjoyable. It's hard enough to write a good story, but then to write one off a completely different medium, with that creator's ideas different than your own, and still make it different and fun? Not easy!
That said, I think Salvatore did a rather poor job - a shame because I know he's been an author an incredibly long time, with a dedicated fan base and not some new hopeful that Lucasfilm took a chance on.
I feel like Salvatore did the best when he was writing his own material, not merely narrating the events of the screenplay. While the early scenes with Shmi and Padme were either cheesy/schmaltzy or sexist (arguably, a jab at Lucas, who thinks that even in a galaxy far, far away it's impossible for a woman to dare to have a career and a family at the same time), they were unique and led some insight into these characters. I also acknowledge there were moments that Salvatore tried to humanize Anakin, making the young man regret his horrible lines from the movie or kick himself over his actions.
But other than that, I struggle to find things to compliment about this novelization. While in the past, I lauded how similar it was to the movie, these days I find that a detriment. It feels more like Salvatore was just contractually obligated to produce this, so merely "dressed up" the screenplay to get it over with. The writing itself is not remarkable or interesting, the characters are pretty sketchy, and like I insinuated above, Salvatore doesn't try to lend his authorial strengths to help remedy a clunky plot.
What might have been the most aggravating for me was the romance of Anakin and Padme. I think we all can agree, the romance of the movie is pretty atrocious. Blame it on screenplay, blame it on director, blame it on the actors, blame it on the greenscreen, but it just doesn't work well. In Romance Land, it basically is "Two hot people meet and want to screw each other". So Salvatore could have REALLY bulked this story up - shown us (other than "Padme is hot", "Anakin has wanted Padme since he was 10", and "Padme wants a baby") what made Anakin and Padme get drawn to each other. But sadly, this is never explored outside of the clunky scenes of the movie (with one or two minor tweaks) - and in fact, many times, Salvatore ends up painting the exact opposite picture. Padme is often shown as being uncomfortable or afraid around Anakin - and it isn't until the Big Scene at Geonosis we are told, not shown, that Padme is actually in love with Anakin. It was incredibly frustrating to read, an experienced author basically telling the reader what we should have organically been feeling.
As for the rest of the story, it is "fine". Again, I won't blame Salvatore on the actual details of the plot, as he had to keep to what Lucas developed, but there were moments that Salvatore seemed to give up on explaining and just do the authorial equivalent of a shrug. For instance, we as the readers wonder why hormonal 20-year old Anakin is allow to go with the single, attractive Senator - why does Obi-Wan especially not see the lust Anakin has for Padme? What's his reasoning for letting this slide? Salvatore's way to explain it from Obi-Wan's point of view seems to be along the lines of "Shrug, I'll just hurry up and get this investigation done and THEN deal with Anakin". It's like Salvatore is asking us to think of all the Jedi characters - Mace, Yoda, Obi-Wan - to be incredibly dense and not notice creepy, stalkery Anakin eyeballing Padme, when creepy, stalkery Anakin is hardly being subtle at all.
I don't really envy Salvatore's job here; rereading some of the worst lines from the screenplay (that Salvatore is kind enough to render here) reminds me of why I can never really watch these movies again without ruining my young adulthood. I wouldn't be surprised if Salvatore was contractually obligated to produce this - I believe, if my memory is correct, he only wrote "Vector Prime" and this in the now-Legends line. So his heart may not have been in this, and I don't blame him. But it's a shame he didn't use his years of writing to better effect here, improving upon the characters, attempting to clarify the plot, adding bits and pieces to the characters and story we don't get in the movies, and providing more to the romance other than "These two characters are hot and horny and everyone is shaming Padme to get married already". (What an old maid! - at the ripe old age of 24 not married and with kids, says the unmarried, childfree 30-something woman...)
Hoo boy, what a ride! I really chuckle at myself for rating this so high - 4 stars! Now I very much am oscillating between 1 and 2 stars.
Not all the faults are obviously Salvatore's, but damn if he didn't make them worse or at the least, did absolutely nothing to try to improve upon them.
Full Review:
Ten years have passed since Qui-Gon died, the Trade Federation blockaded Naboo, and young Anakin became a Padawan. Times have changed. Padme is now a Senator; Obi-Wan is a Jedi Knight; Anakin is a Padawan learner. The Republic is in turmoil as the Separatists, led by former Jedi, Count Dooku, threaten to secede. An attempt on Padme's life leads the Jedi into startling discoveries...and possibly war.
This summary I wrote back when I listened to the audiobook in 2010, and really it works fine for covering this book/movie. A lot has changed in those 10 years - back in 2010, I was still a hard-core Star Wars fan, snapping up new books, watching the movies, accumulating a collection of Star Wars memorabilia, etc. I'm a much different woman these days; I recognize the flaws of the prequels much clearer and have mostly left the Star Wars fandom behind, realizing the new Disney era is just not for me and not keeping up with the new "canon" books at all. (If it's your thing, go for it!)
Why did I decide to go back to "a galaxy far, far away" with this in mind? Well, quite simply, a dear friend of mine recently went on a huge Star Wars Legends chronology read herself, and when she got to "Attack of the Clones", she encouraged me to reread. Please check out her review as it will likely be head and shoulders better than anything I will write in the next few paragraphs.
When I initially listened to the audiobook ten years ago, my final words were this:
This was a decent novelization. There are parts that I wish were better, and there were parts that really improved my understanding of the movie. Overall, it was enjoyable and I'd probably rate it 3.5 stars, but I'll be generous and rate 4.
I have kept my previous review, and you can compare yourself the differences (and also either laugh at me or wish I held the same opinion as I did then, your choice); but to give you an overview, rereading this, I was heartily unimpressed with what I read and honestly vacillate between a 1- and 2- star rating.
Let me get this out of the way: I cannot and do not blame Salvatore at all for the cheesy dialogue or nonsensical plot. That is entirely Lucas' and his screenwriters' doings. What I do blame Salvatore is not trying to elevate the failings of the source material, or at least hide them.
Because a writer of a novelization has a unique challenge: to relay the story that will be told in visual medium (any modification from one form of art to another is a challenge), but also give some background that a movie or TV series cannot show and THEN as well make the story enjoyable. It's hard enough to write a good story, but then to write one off a completely different medium, with that creator's ideas different than your own, and still make it different and fun? Not easy!
That said, I think Salvatore did a rather poor job - a shame because I know he's been an author an incredibly long time, with a dedicated fan base and not some new hopeful that Lucasfilm took a chance on.
I feel like Salvatore did the best when he was writing his own material, not merely narrating the events of the screenplay. While the early scenes with Shmi and Padme were either cheesy/schmaltzy or sexist (arguably, a jab at Lucas, who thinks that even in a galaxy far, far away it's impossible for a woman to dare to have a career and a family at the same time), they were unique and led some insight into these characters. I also acknowledge there were moments that Salvatore tried to humanize Anakin, making the young man regret his horrible lines from the movie or kick himself over his actions.
But other than that, I struggle to find things to compliment about this novelization. While in the past, I lauded how similar it was to the movie, these days I find that a detriment. It feels more like Salvatore was just contractually obligated to produce this, so merely "dressed up" the screenplay to get it over with. The writing itself is not remarkable or interesting, the characters are pretty sketchy, and like I insinuated above, Salvatore doesn't try to lend his authorial strengths to help remedy a clunky plot.
What might have been the most aggravating for me was the romance of Anakin and Padme. I think we all can agree, the romance of the movie is pretty atrocious. Blame it on screenplay, blame it on director, blame it on the actors, blame it on the greenscreen, but it just doesn't work well. In Romance Land, it basically is "Two hot people meet and want to screw each other". So Salvatore could have REALLY bulked this story up - shown us (other than "Padme is hot", "Anakin has wanted Padme since he was 10", and "Padme wants a baby") what made Anakin and Padme get drawn to each other. But sadly, this is never explored outside of the clunky scenes of the movie (with one or two minor tweaks) - and in fact, many times, Salvatore ends up painting the exact opposite picture. Padme is often shown as being uncomfortable or afraid around Anakin - and it isn't until the Big Scene at Geonosis we are told, not shown, that Padme is actually in love with Anakin. It was incredibly frustrating to read, an experienced author basically telling the reader what we should have organically been feeling.
As for the rest of the story, it is "fine". Again, I won't blame Salvatore on the actual details of the plot, as he had to keep to what Lucas developed, but there were moments that Salvatore seemed to give up on explaining and just do the authorial equivalent of a shrug. For instance, we as the readers wonder why hormonal 20-year old Anakin is allow to go with the single, attractive Senator - why does Obi-Wan especially not see the lust Anakin has for Padme? What's his reasoning for letting this slide? Salvatore's way to explain it from Obi-Wan's point of view seems to be along the lines of "Shrug, I'll just hurry up and get this investigation done and THEN deal with Anakin". It's like Salvatore is asking us to think of all the Jedi characters - Mace, Yoda, Obi-Wan - to be incredibly dense and not notice creepy, stalkery Anakin eyeballing Padme, when creepy, stalkery Anakin is hardly being subtle at all.
I don't really envy Salvatore's job here; rereading some of the worst lines from the screenplay (that Salvatore is kind enough to render here) reminds me of why I can never really watch these movies again without ruining my young adulthood. I wouldn't be surprised if Salvatore was contractually obligated to produce this - I believe, if my memory is correct, he only wrote "Vector Prime" and this in the now-Legends line. So his heart may not have been in this, and I don't blame him. But it's a shame he didn't use his years of writing to better effect here, improving upon the characters, attempting to clarify the plot, adding bits and pieces to the characters and story we don't get in the movies, and providing more to the romance other than "These two characters are hot and horny and everyone is shaming Padme to get married already". (What an old maid! - at the ripe old age of 24 not married and with kids, says the unmarried, childfree 30-something woman...)
October 20, 2021
Attack of the Clones holds a special place in my heart for three reasons.
First off, the film was the first non-documentary flick I ever saw in an IMAX theater. With all of the battle scenes and special effects, it's a far cry from some account of people climbing Mt. Everest, or an educational movie about volcanoes.
Second off, this novelization was the first Star Wars book I ever read, save for non-fiction books about the making of the movie, which don't even count because I was unfamiliar with the franchise when I read them. It wasn't until 2.5 or so years later that I actually discovered the Expanded Universe; still, it all started here.
Third off, this was the first non-kiddie adaptation of a movie or TV show I'd ever read. Sure, I'd read and/or owned the book versions of everything from Space Jam to Casper to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to The Magic School Bus, but this was far different. Instead of merely telling what happens in the movie/show, the author here gives us extra content that you don't see onscreen. That was a very different experience for me.
So, even though Attack of the Clones isn't Lucas' space opera at its best--even in literary form--reading it again, for the first time in almost sixteen years, brought back some great memories. This novelization is definitely better than the flick that inspired it, though, so, if you're a Star Wars fan who was disappointed in the second prequel film, you should give this book a try; you might be surprised.
First off, the film was the first non-documentary flick I ever saw in an IMAX theater. With all of the battle scenes and special effects, it's a far cry from some account of people climbing Mt. Everest, or an educational movie about volcanoes.
Second off, this novelization was the first Star Wars book I ever read, save for non-fiction books about the making of the movie, which don't even count because I was unfamiliar with the franchise when I read them. It wasn't until 2.5 or so years later that I actually discovered the Expanded Universe; still, it all started here.
Third off, this was the first non-kiddie adaptation of a movie or TV show I'd ever read. Sure, I'd read and/or owned the book versions of everything from Space Jam to Casper to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers to The Magic School Bus, but this was far different. Instead of merely telling what happens in the movie/show, the author here gives us extra content that you don't see onscreen. That was a very different experience for me.
So, even though Attack of the Clones isn't Lucas' space opera at its best--even in literary form--reading it again, for the first time in almost sixteen years, brought back some great memories. This novelization is definitely better than the flick that inspired it, though, so, if you're a Star Wars fan who was disappointed in the second prequel film, you should give this book a try; you might be surprised.
January 9, 2017
Description: There is great disturbance in the Force . . .
Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.
The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.
Loved this filum - six stars HUZZAH! A couple of things that though - that sabre fight twixt yoda and Christopher Lee strongly reminded me of Gandalf v Saruman (Christopher Lee again!), and Ani's father is still to be identified.
Mischievous and resolved, courageous to the point of recklessness, Anakin Skywalker has come of age in a time of great upheaval. The nineteen-year-old apprentice to Obi-Wan Kenobi is an enigma to the Jedi Council, and a challenge to his Jedi Master. Time has not dulled Anakin’s ambition, nor has his Jedi training tamed his independent streak. When an attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala’s life brings them together for the first time in ten years, it is clear that time also has not dulled Anakin’s intense feelings for the beautiful diplomat.
The attack on Senator Amidala just before a crucial vote thrusts the Republic even closer to the edge of disaster. Masters Yoda and Mace Windu sense enormous unease. The dark side is growing, clouding the Jedi’s perception of the events. Unbeknownst to the Jedi, a slow rumble is building into the roar of thousands of soldiers readying for battle. But even as the Republic falters around them, Anakin and Padmé find a connection so intense that all else begins to fall away. Anakin will lose himself—and his way—in emotions a Jedi, sworn to hold allegiance only to the Order, is forbidden to have.
Loved this filum - six stars HUZZAH! A couple of things that though - that sabre fight twixt yoda and Christopher Lee strongly reminded me of Gandalf v Saruman (Christopher Lee again!), and Ani's father is still to be identified.
September 20, 2021
3.5 Stars
The author did a good job with the material he was given. I appreciated that he tries to expand on dialogue and scenes to smooth out the story. Some of the "expanded scenes" added interesting detail. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of more time with Shmi. Not the strongest novel, but I enjoyed it for nostalgic reasons.
The author did a good job with the material he was given. I appreciated that he tries to expand on dialogue and scenes to smooth out the story. Some of the "expanded scenes" added interesting detail. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of more time with Shmi. Not the strongest novel, but I enjoyed it for nostalgic reasons.
February 15, 2020
I’m an old school Expanded Universe fan. As in, really old school. Pre-prequels. My idea of the Clone Wars are shaped by Corran Horn (who is about the same age as Luke and Leia) mentioning that his father was 10 years old when it ended and the Empire rose, and that it was a conflict spanning decades that his grandfather fought in. My mental image of the Clone Wars is of a Wild West-like time of lawlessness, not a shiny Republic beset by interminably dull politics, when the Jedi are a dying breed scattered across the galaxy, not a highly organised group tens of thousands strong with a central base of operations, and when Boba Fett was still Journeyman Jaster Mereel. In Return of the Jedi, I see Vader as being 60-something years old, not in his mid-40s, and the Emperor has got to be over 100, ravaged by the dark side yes but also sustained by its sheer hatred inside that shell of a body. It explains why Luke’s generation can’t remember the Jedi or the Republic. And the thing is, I might have been onboard with throwing all this out of the window and accepting a different vision of the Clone Wars… if the one the prequels gave us wasn’t so awful.
When it comes to reviewing the novelisation of a Star Wars movie, it is a bit different from reviewing any other Star Wars book. Here I am much less critiquing the author, R. A. Salvatore, than I am the story itself. That said, let’s talk about what Salvatore uniquely brings to the table. His prose is pretty pedestrian, to be perfectly honest, and there was no point where I took note of a well-turned phrase, or a particularly lively description, or an inventive and charming bit of dialogue. I think I would call the style of writing serviceable at best. To Salvatore’s credit, however, I do feel he does his best to mitigate some of the worst aspects of the film. For example, adding in early scenes of Shmi’s life with her new family gave some much-needed empathy for her story and those characters, whereas in the film what happens to her feels rushed and poorly explained, and Anakin pretty much brushes everyone off without even bothering to get to know them. When Anakin is being a whiny jerk, Salvatore gives him an inner voice where he mentally kicks himself for sticking his foot in his mouth, which makes him slightly more sympathetic. But other authorial choices are, I think, highly questionable. During the speeder chase sequence on Coruscant, Salvatore has Obi-Wan state some variation on “I hate it when you do that” far more times than he ever utters the line in the film, and it really heightens the sense of the character’s powerlessness, lack of control over Anakin, and makes him seem incompetent. Salvatore lingers on Zam’s attractive female form, noting on how it has helped her succeed in assassinations in the past, but then notes that it wouldn’t help her here since Padme is female. Like, why draw attention to that only to note how it is not helpful here? It makes me as a reader question why Zam would choose an unhelpful disguise now. Entering the seedy cantina, Salvatore chooses to put the name “Elan Sleazebaggano” in writing. Yes, I know that’s the name assigned to the character by the movie – but the movie never actually uses it, so if I were writing the novelisation, I would dodge actually using it too when the name was this lazy and cringe-worthy. Why? Why would you do this, Salvatore? Why? There are missed opportunities, too. In the film, Anakin mentions to Obi-Wan that it was Padme’s idea to use her as bait to flush out the assassin, but despite including an extra scene of dialogue between Anakin and Padme, Salvatore mysteriously never uses the opportunity to have the pair discuss and come up with this stratagem.
There are so many problems with the romance. To begin with, I have a hard time buying that Anakin is only hung up on Padme. Sure, she’s beautiful… but he’s 19 years old; his head is turning at any attractive woman that happens to walk by. Do not tell me he “fell in love with her” when he was 10 years old during The Phantom Menace and that’s why he only has eyes for her. A pre-adolescent ten-year-old does not have a good sense of what romantic love is. When they meet again in Attack of the Clones, they’re basically having to get to know each other almost as if it were for the first time. I question whether they even hit it off during the time they do spend getting to know each other. Padme has devoted her life to politics; Anakin has no patience for it whatsoever. Padme is all about the democratic process; Anakin thinks an autocratic dictator would take action and get things done. Padme tells him to stop creeping on her; Anakin smirks and continues to leer at her. What is Padme getting out of all this? Anakin is surely not the most appealing potential partner in the galaxy, his pent-up aggression and obvious immaturity being definite turn offs for a grown adult. The book tells us that the real reason Padme softens towards Anakin is because, at 24 years old, all she really wants to do is settle down and have babies. Honestly, I was surprised that Padme didn’t call her elder sister out on that nonsense and ask her why pursuing her lifelong passion as a career somehow didn’t count as “doing something for her”? And even then, that’s not a great argument for specifically choosing Anakin. Nor is there any pressing need to marry so quickly – at least, no reason that is ever given to the audience. So essentially, these two people are thrust together because they’re young and attractive… despite the fact that they have no chemistry whatsoever. It’s been said before, but this is a Romeo and Juliet understanding of romance. As in, some people are under the misapprehension that Romeo and Juliet is an ideal of romance, when in fact the story is supposed to be a tragedy about teenagers killing themselves because they can’t conceive of a bright, promising future without the person they literally met a few days ago – it’s a tale about getting swept up in those initial intense emotions whereas real love is so much more. Okay, so you’re saying that Anakin and Padme are supposed to be a tragic love story, right? But there’s more proof that whoever was responsible for this disaster simply didn’t have a good grasp on romance, because it’s not specific to Anakin and Padme. I direct you to consider Owen and Beru, supposedly of an age with Anakin, and planning on getting married soon. So that’s two couples getting married at a very young age. Because hey, if we’re going to have a cameo from Luke’s future adoptive family, we have to have everyone in there, right? Audiences won’t understand if Owen’s girlfriend is someone he dated before Beru. Likewise, Luke and Leia have to be born, so we’d better get those crazy kids hitched, regardless of whether it actually makes sense for Padme to find a teenaged boy five years younger than her suitable marriage material after just a couple of months together, or whether Anakin’s of an age where the last thing on his mind is making a lifelong commitment even if he weren’t a Jedi… yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Now make the dolls kiss.
Possibly an even bigger problem than this awkward romance is the character stupidity shown. It’s okay to have one character who is supposed to be not too bright do idiotic things. It is not okay to have every character behave in this way simply because the plot hinges on it. It doesn’t exactly engender audience empathy for your protagonists if they keep missing the bleeding obvious. Someone is trying to kill Padme but it doesn’t make sense that it’d be the Separatists because her opposition to the Military Creation Act helps their cause. Gosh darnit, if only the Jedi Council could unravel this mystery for the ages! You don’t think it could be… someone who wants the Military Creation Act to go through, do you? Nah! So then the Council decides it’s a good idea to send Padme off alone with the highly erratic, disobedient, hormone-fuelled Jedi Padawan who keeps staring at her, getting tongue-tied around her, and admits that he hasn’t stopped thinking about her for ten years. That couldn’t possibly go wrong! And because it’s for her protection, they’re going to take refugee transport, where Obi-Wan, Typho, Dorme, and other prominent members of the senator’s entourage bid her farewell in broad daylight. The Temple archives can’t identify the poison dart, so instead of running an isotope analysis which would at least narrow it down, Obi-Wan decides to ask an old buddy… who we’ve never seen before… who runs a 1950s diner. Wait, what? Do you hear that? That is the sound of my immersion shattering.
Perhaps the most egregious example of character stupidity and strange choices in writing comes when Obi-Wan discovers that the order for the clone army was placed by someone called “Sifo-Dyas”. I still remember watching this in the cinema and thinking with a knowing nod; “Sidious, of course.” I mean, it’s a pretty shitty alias if you’re trying to hide who you really are, but at least it makes perfectly good sense that Sidious would want to create the army. But no… there really was a now-dead Jedi named Sifo-Dyas who placed the order… for reasons that are never explained. Okay, first, if you are going to have it be a completely different character, you need to name them something vastly different from any other well-known character in order to avoid the audience leaping to the wrong conclusion. Second, neither the film nor the book explains why Sifo-Dyas placed the order, and that’s kind of important because it’s the mystery underpinning the whole plot. And third, the Jedi Order sees no problem whatsoever in taking delivery and deploying this clone army immediately… despite the fact that someone clearly wants a war to happen, someone who wants it bad enough to try and kill the lead opponent to that happening. They apparently don’t bother to investigate this – why did Sifo-Dyas place the order? Who paid for it? Who is Tyrannus? Once it’s been discovered that Tyrannus is Dooku, then the next question becomes how did Dooku know about the order being placed, why would he help fulfil it by finding the perfect donor, and what was his connection to the individual that originally placed the order? You see, you would think that getting answers to these questions would be pretty damn critical. Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan all talk about the problems the Jedi Order is currently facing, the knowledge that the Sith are still out there working against them, and their diminished capacity to accurately read the Force. Nope! And it’s Nute Gunray that wants Amidala killed because he’s bitter. That works, and Sidious and Tyrannus would probably give this the go ahead because she’s standing in the way of their war plans… but shouldn’t the other Separatist bigwigs be protesting, since launching a surprise attack on an undefended Republic is just what they want? Oh, and while I’m here talking about massive plotholes you could fly a Star Destroyer through; it annoys me that we end The Approaching Storm with the Jedi having successfully blocked Ansion’s secession, and as yet no planets have seceded. We start Attack of the Clones with hundreds if not thousands of planets having seceded, but we’re also told that Obi-Wan and Anakin have just got back from Ansion. How long did it take them to get back?! It can’t have been much more than a week, and I’m being generous with that estimation. Why does none of this make any flipping sense?!
Let’s talk about fan service. I know a decent number of you out there like Jango Fett and would probably call him one of the highlights of Episode II, even those who generally otherwise have a negative opinion of Episode II. He’s cool, and he’s pretty badass, and yes, he is those things. Some of you even say he’s cooler than Boba Fett, to which I say: sacrilege. But I don’t think the existence of Jango Fett is necessarily a good thing. I imagine Jango was created in a conversation that went something like this: “What can we do to make Attack of the Clones better than The Phantom Menace?” “Boba Fett was an unexpected hit in the original trilogy, a real fan favourite!” “Yeah, but… this is like 25+ years earlier, he can’t be that old and still working the bounty hunter gig, can he?” “Huh, you’re right. Make it young Boba and his dad.” “Uh, what?” “Make a character who’s basically a clone of the Boba Fett character – all of the fan service, none of the continuity problems. And hey, that’s an idea, why not make Boba the clone, and his dad the actual sources of all the clones?! I’m a genius!” So… we can’t have a cool original character then? We have to milk people’s nostalgia and play it safe to be sure we have a hit and make money. Brand recognition, baby. I mean, the degree to which the Disney films have tried to milk nostalgia and play it safe is practically factory farming at this point – but let’s not forget that the prequels did it first. Did we really have to see young Boba, young Chewie, and young Uncle Owen? And everybody has to be somebody too. It’s not good enough that Chewie was Han’s long-term smuggling partner and back-watcher – he has to save Yoda too. It’s not good enough that Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were some kindly childless couple Obi-Wan found to hide Luke with – they have to be Anakin’s step-sibling and sister-in-law, literally the first place he would look if he ever suspected his children had lived. Boba can’t just be a young man from an obscure backwater planet who got caught up in a terrible murder and then went on a journey of desperate struggle to become the best bounty hunter in the galaxy – he’s just a copy of his dad who did the same thing he does. Yeah, that really fills me with excitement. Instead of being in a big, wondrous galaxy where extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people, we’re in a galaxy where the story is dominated by a select few families who repeatedly make history and nothing ever really changes. This is boring and predictable.
Overall, this story – whether I’m talking about the book or the film – was just such a miss. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the worst thing ever. Some of the characters are well done, some of the action is decent. But I think the story’s blunders drag it down too much, to the point where the bad points do outweigh the good and so I can’t in good conscience rate this story above average. The plotholes are huge, and the reliance on character stupidity kills a lot of it, and the romance is so cringeworthy and poorly executed. Is it any wonder, really, that I prefer the old Expanded Universe ideas about the Clone Wars as more of a lawless frontier era set further back in time and continuing for decades? I struggle to say this, since I realise that Episode II is such a critical story point… but I don’t think I want to keep it in my personal canon line up.
3 out of 10
June 14, 2023
**4.5-stars rounded up**
I really loved this one. Probably the best novelization I have ever read; ever.
Salvatore did a bang-up job of capturing the tension and overriding ominous feel of the build-up to the Clone War.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
I really loved this one. Probably the best novelization I have ever read; ever.
Salvatore did a bang-up job of capturing the tension and overriding ominous feel of the build-up to the Clone War.
Full review to come...stay tuned!!!
May 6, 2024
“Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like. It’s the only way we grow.”
When I read this for the first time, I greatly enjoyed it. This second time? I enjoyed it just as much. In fact, I think I enjoyed it a little more than The Phantom Menace novelization.
Either way, I’m having lots of fun being back in the Prequel era.
When I read this for the first time, I greatly enjoyed it. This second time? I enjoyed it just as much. In fact, I think I enjoyed it a little more than The Phantom Menace novelization.
Either way, I’m having lots of fun being back in the Prequel era.
January 12, 2022
The novelization of the second prequel film Attack of the Clones hit shelves a few weeks before the film hit theaters, written by noted fantasy-science fiction author R.A. Salvatore based off the script of the film.
From a script to page perspective, Salvatore does a wonderful job in adaptation especially with action scenes and doing his best in lessening the cringe factor in some of the romantic dialogue between Anakin and Padme. The decision by Salvatore to create subplots for the Lars family and Jango & Boba Fett to not only give context to what happens on screen but create more rounded characters. The addition of Padme’s family—which was cut from the film—and adding internal monologues for her made the romantic subplot a whole lot better than on screen, though overall the subplot still had issues which due to the script Salvatore couldn’t overcome.
Attack of the Clones is definitely a novelization that is better than it’s film source material, which is a testament to R.A. Salvatore’s talent.
From a script to page perspective, Salvatore does a wonderful job in adaptation especially with action scenes and doing his best in lessening the cringe factor in some of the romantic dialogue between Anakin and Padme. The decision by Salvatore to create subplots for the Lars family and Jango & Boba Fett to not only give context to what happens on screen but create more rounded characters. The addition of Padme’s family—which was cut from the film—and adding internal monologues for her made the romantic subplot a whole lot better than on screen, though overall the subplot still had issues which due to the script Salvatore couldn’t overcome.
Attack of the Clones is definitely a novelization that is better than it’s film source material, which is a testament to R.A. Salvatore’s talent.
June 2, 2024
4.0 stars
June 4, 2024
What was that scene with Padmé thinking he's called Annie and not remembering his actual name is Anakin???? That seemed a bit out of character to me.
Read
January 16, 2022I know George Lucas’ dialogue can make Anakin sound whiny but I think this book does a better job at representing his internal dialogue and inner conflict. Also I’m a big Anidala shipper. They’re adorable.
Obi-Wan goes through so much crap and I just love him so much.
Also...The Battle of Geonosis. That is all.
Obi-Wan goes through so much crap and I just love him so much.
Also...The Battle of Geonosis. That is all.
April 8, 2016
After a recent viewing of Attack of the Clones, my thoughts have changed so I felt it a good time to edit my review. Attack of the Clones in some ways is better than I remember it. I didn't think Hayden Christensen was completely terrible. There were some scenes where I think his performance was good. However, the romance still sucks hard and even the best action scenes (the Coruscant speeder chase, Obi Wan's punch out with Jango Fett, the starfighter chase in the astroid field above geonosis, and the duel between Yoda and Count Dooku) were pretty underwhelming compared to The Phantom Menace. All of the charm, hilarity, and camaraderie that make C3PO and R2D2 so enjoyable in the Original Trilogy is completely missing here. And just like the Phantom Menace, this movie is quite hard to get through.
It is pretty hard to say if Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones is worse. The worst parts of Clones are not as bad as the worst parts of Menace. The acting, while still bland and wooden, is definitely better. The CGI on the creatures and objects is better but I finally noticed how fake some of the landscapes look in this one (I still think the backgrounds in Menace look good). However, whereas the climax in Menace is mostly pretty fun and exciting, its very underwhelming in Clones. I would be willing to sit through the first prequel film to get to the climax but I don't know if I could say the same thing about the second.
Whereas the films are about equally bad, R.A Salvatore's novelization is a clear upgrade both from the film and from Terry Brook's novelization of Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
THE BAD: Most of the problems here come from the movie it is based on and are not Salvatore's fault. The bad dialogue and extremely choppy plot are still present. Salvatore may have upgraded a huge amount of the content from the movie, but the action scenes are still boring- even the ones that were good in the film.
THE GOOD: The characters are written incredibly well and make up for the campy story and boring action scenes. I don't think Christensen was completely bad, but the character was still rather annoying and the conflict wasn't compelling. The book gets into Anakin's head and makes the reader care much more about this conflicted whiner. The scene where he is slaughtering the Tuskin Village is much better and much more intense. Padme is vastly improved in the book as well. I will admit Natalie Portman's performance in Clones is better than it was in Menace, but I was not at all convinced Padme had feelings for Anakin in Clones. By getting inside Padme's head, Salvatore sells the love story in a convincing way. The touches he added to the scenes with Padme and Anakin were excellent and I actually saw chemistry between the Senator and the Jedi in this telling.
The parts that really make this book worth the read are the additional scenes. Not only do they add to the story but are very well written. I'm going to use the adjectives that Crystal Starr Light used to describe these scenes because she said it perfectly: these scenes are tender and emotional. The extra scene that takes up the first few chapters of the book are with Shmi Skywalker and the Lars family. It starts out very happy and whimsical but when Shmi gets abducted it quickly goes from a decent action scene and then a very sad and harrowing aftermath. The film's Clieg Lars glosses this over with quick exposition and makes what should be an urgent, distressing event rather boring. With some very strong writing Salvatore shows us what happened and gives this part of the movie the weight and emotional impact it needed. This is particularly important because Anakin starts his spiral to the dark side when his mother dies, and the way Salvatore wrote it in gives Anakin's break down after killing the Tuskens (which is done much better in the book) the impact it needed.
The impact of Jango Fett's death is also more significant in the book than it was in the film, again, because of extra scenes. There is no convincing father and son bond between Jango and Boba in Lucas's movie. Absolutely none! But again, Salvatore shows us the bond. We see Jango caring for his son. Again, because this scene is so good you end up feeling bad for Boba when he is orphaned by Mace Windu. This scene isn't important to understanding the prequels in the way the Lars family scenes are, but you truly get to see the beginnings of Boba Fett in a way that the movie didn't even try to do.
To sum up, the book fixes every badly acted scene, introduces the chemistry between Anakin and Padme that should have been introduced in the film, and greatly increases the impact of the deaths of Jango Fett and Shmi Skywalker. The action scenes could have been done better but all in all I will always choose to read Salvatore's novelization rather than attempt to slog through Lucas's film again.
THE VERDICT: If you watched Attack of the Clones and disliked it, definitely read this book. While it has it's problems, its overall an enjoyable read and works wonders in redeeming the film. Whether you have seen the movie or not, this one is definitely worth giving a read. The force has been greatly strengthened in this one.
It is pretty hard to say if Phantom Menace or Attack of the Clones is worse. The worst parts of Clones are not as bad as the worst parts of Menace. The acting, while still bland and wooden, is definitely better. The CGI on the creatures and objects is better but I finally noticed how fake some of the landscapes look in this one (I still think the backgrounds in Menace look good). However, whereas the climax in Menace is mostly pretty fun and exciting, its very underwhelming in Clones. I would be willing to sit through the first prequel film to get to the climax but I don't know if I could say the same thing about the second.
Whereas the films are about equally bad, R.A Salvatore's novelization is a clear upgrade both from the film and from Terry Brook's novelization of Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
THE BAD: Most of the problems here come from the movie it is based on and are not Salvatore's fault. The bad dialogue and extremely choppy plot are still present. Salvatore may have upgraded a huge amount of the content from the movie, but the action scenes are still boring- even the ones that were good in the film.
THE GOOD: The characters are written incredibly well and make up for the campy story and boring action scenes. I don't think Christensen was completely bad, but the character was still rather annoying and the conflict wasn't compelling. The book gets into Anakin's head and makes the reader care much more about this conflicted whiner. The scene where he is slaughtering the Tuskin Village is much better and much more intense. Padme is vastly improved in the book as well. I will admit Natalie Portman's performance in Clones is better than it was in Menace, but I was not at all convinced Padme had feelings for Anakin in Clones. By getting inside Padme's head, Salvatore sells the love story in a convincing way. The touches he added to the scenes with Padme and Anakin were excellent and I actually saw chemistry between the Senator and the Jedi in this telling.
The parts that really make this book worth the read are the additional scenes. Not only do they add to the story but are very well written. I'm going to use the adjectives that Crystal Starr Light used to describe these scenes because she said it perfectly: these scenes are tender and emotional. The extra scene that takes up the first few chapters of the book are with Shmi Skywalker and the Lars family. It starts out very happy and whimsical but when Shmi gets abducted it quickly goes from a decent action scene and then a very sad and harrowing aftermath. The film's Clieg Lars glosses this over with quick exposition and makes what should be an urgent, distressing event rather boring. With some very strong writing Salvatore shows us what happened and gives this part of the movie the weight and emotional impact it needed. This is particularly important because Anakin starts his spiral to the dark side when his mother dies, and the way Salvatore wrote it in gives Anakin's break down after killing the Tuskens (which is done much better in the book) the impact it needed.
The impact of Jango Fett's death is also more significant in the book than it was in the film, again, because of extra scenes. There is no convincing father and son bond between Jango and Boba in Lucas's movie. Absolutely none! But again, Salvatore shows us the bond. We see Jango caring for his son. Again, because this scene is so good you end up feeling bad for Boba when he is orphaned by Mace Windu. This scene isn't important to understanding the prequels in the way the Lars family scenes are, but you truly get to see the beginnings of Boba Fett in a way that the movie didn't even try to do.
To sum up, the book fixes every badly acted scene, introduces the chemistry between Anakin and Padme that should have been introduced in the film, and greatly increases the impact of the deaths of Jango Fett and Shmi Skywalker. The action scenes could have been done better but all in all I will always choose to read Salvatore's novelization rather than attempt to slog through Lucas's film again.
THE VERDICT: If you watched Attack of the Clones and disliked it, definitely read this book. While it has it's problems, its overall an enjoyable read and works wonders in redeeming the film. Whether you have seen the movie or not, this one is definitely worth giving a read. The force has been greatly strengthened in this one.
April 30, 2024
Preserves the character of the movie, including the cringe!😸
It’s a total vibe 💃very casual 😎and has more sand scenes than I remember! 🏜️
This has been on my shelf for about 20 years. 👴I used to “read it” as a kid but only the comic strip. 😅
The movie’s pretty bad 🍅but I remember every scene vividly😌 🍿
It’s a total vibe 💃very casual 😎and has more sand scenes than I remember! 🏜️
This has been on my shelf for about 20 years. 👴I used to “read it” as a kid but only the comic strip. 😅
The movie’s pretty bad 🍅but I remember every scene vividly😌 🍿
August 3, 2016
Padme bathing Threepio
Padme bathing Threepio
Padme bathing Threepio
Padme bathing Threepio
*Padme bathing Threepio*
5 stars would have been given just by this alone...
(space for the problematic grande ship analysis - will fill in later)
{Crucial things I missed the first time I read the book but noticed the 2nd time}
1. Cliegg Lars' violence and rejection of cybernatic limp (because that would make him a half droid, to foreshadow & contrast certain someone)
2. Yoda's remarks about only 'people' who ally their Force abilities with the dark side can foresee the future (former ability of the Jedi before the dark clouded this ability of theirs)
3. "I demand [...]" "Demand?" "Well, I ask."
4. "Politicians are not to be trusted," are you talking ot yourself Kenobi? Still in denial about certain someone?
5. Adult content, the kind that is what you think it is, Anakin creeping at Padme cladded in a bathrobe and the latter gets cheap thrills from the former's scorching eyes
In conclusion
▪ Artoo is an ass
▪ Just likeDarth Vader homicidal genocidal Annie and Padme "off-duty" Amidala
▪ Why is Threepio with this squad? Why bb?
▪ At least Padme isn't a nutcase, and is a logical person
▪ At least Artoo is neutrally chaotic
▪ While another is afascist chaotic nutcase *cough*
Padme bathing Threepio
Padme bathing Threepio
Padme bathing Threepio
*Padme bathing Threepio*
5 stars would have been given just by this alone...
The plot, as previously known, is that of the second instalment of the prequel trilogy. It is not strictly of Space Opera due to its lack of machismo factors, shooting and starships fighting, which many deemed to be somewhat a disappointment although it's in fact beneficial to humanity, considering testosterone filled sci-fi media sphere of the present days. Or rather it did not satisfy self-righteous nostalgic fans or elitist sector of Star Wars fandom. This novel with the imagery of Coruscant especially the underbelly almost reads like a Steampunk on top of Epic Fantasy which I personally find to be satisfying as a reader who's into those and not Space Opera.
The film novelisation or this book, apart from screenplay novelised obviously, offers off-screen storylines & dialogues which makes more sense to the story. Off-screen dialogues and explanation also make non-human characters who do not speak in Basic in the film less alienated and more relatable for instance the Kaminoans and Geonosians.
On to an aspect that is rather problematic this word is a nuisance. It appears as if the Tuskens is a result of a xenophobic discourse, or racist rather, or even orientalist. An indigenous group whose resources were exploited by settlers therefore needed to go on raiding. How logical. The author needed not to make them physical threatening or impulsive to justify their raiding because the cognitive logic enough will do. It's shady and dodgy but the author made it obscure enough to duck a criticism or a seriously analysis on this.
On to the feels. Obi-Wan and Typho smell bullshit from a distance yet they let it slip. How wise of grownup experienced professionals. The big doom partly is their fault from poor supervising. Yoda I'm looking at you also. Jango and Boba relationship as parent & child is very well established in the book and is one of the parts that are most enjoyable. Many couldn't help rooting for them. What appears in the film of Jango and Boba is just a tip of an iceberg in comparison to what appears in this book.
(space for the problematic grande ship analysis - will fill in later)
{Crucial things I missed the first time I read the book but noticed the 2nd time}
1. Cliegg Lars' violence and rejection of cybernatic limp (because that would make him a half droid, to foreshadow & contrast certain someone)
2. Yoda's remarks about only 'people' who ally their Force abilities with the dark side can foresee the future (former ability of the Jedi before the dark clouded this ability of theirs)
3. "I demand [...]" "Demand?" "Well, I ask."
4. "Politicians are not to be trusted," are you talking ot yourself Kenobi? Still in denial about certain someone?
5. Adult content, the kind that is what you think it is, Anakin creeping at Padme cladded in a bathrobe and the latter gets cheap thrills from the former's scorching eyes
In conclusion
▪ Artoo is an ass
▪ Just like
▪ Why is Threepio with this squad? Why bb?
▪ At least Padme isn't a nutcase, and is a logical person
▪ At least Artoo is neutrally chaotic
▪ While another is a
August 10, 2016
This book contains scenes that take place outside of the film. I love this part, the conversation between Anakin and Padme's father, Padme being teased by her sister, and a couple more. We'll know for sure what else was cut in the movie.
So, if you want the full story of Attack of the Clones, you have to have this book.
So, if you want the full story of Attack of the Clones, you have to have this book.
September 8, 2024
Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones by R.A. Salvatore
adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.75 Stars
This is a political drama...with a forbidden love aspect.
Padawan Anakin is conflicted in this story. He is being courted by Palpatin. He feels that Obi-Wan Kenobi is holding him back (in his Jedi powers). He is carrying on a relationship with Padmé Amadala (which is strictly forbidden as a Jedi), and he's gone over the edge with what occurred on Tatooine with the Tuskan Raiders/Sandpeople.
The story is sad. The pairing of Padmé and Anakin (him guarding her), leads to more and more temptations. As an outside observer, you'd think that the Jedi could've forseen this, and either supported him (Ani) with counciling, or made another Jedi guard her.
The real issue, is that Obi-Wan was never "on board" with Ani becoming a Jedi, so when Qui-Gon Ginn was killed (his dying wish was for Obi-Wan to take over his training (him being a YOUNG Jedi, himself...seemed to be a problem from the "get go". AND, the Jedi Council didn't want to train Anakin, since he was too old (for the majority of the padawans were given/taken at birth, or shortly there after. It was Qui-Gon who went against the Jedi Council...and decided to train him. I really wonder what THAT Anakin would've been, being trained by a Jedi of renown, and dealing with Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranis? What could've been?
This story, and trilogy of Prequels is the tragedy of circumstances. The maneuverings of the Emperor, playing both sides, and the Jedi Council bumbling about, losing focus on their true mission in the galaxy.
This story is a gut punch to our heroes, and at every turn they are actually pawns in a greater chess match...done by Darth Sidious. Ugh.
I think that the author (R.A. Salvatore) did a really good job adapting the visual medium into the written word. the scenes were written in such a way that I could see the movie play in my head (ultimate goal), but also understand the motivations of the characters better than in the movies. The inner voice and feelings of the characters are easier to convey through this medium.
I had fun, but also...just frustrated for all the characters in this story. NONE of the heroes are at their best in this story. They are all on their back feet, reacting to each situation, instead of having a solid plan and working the plan. Everything was done on the fly, and they went from failure to failure. Just a frustrating story. Even the positives are ONLY short term positives, that will ultimately turn to negatives...as the story proceeds.
Ugh.
adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? Yes
3.75 Stars
This is a political drama...with a forbidden love aspect.
Padawan Anakin is conflicted in this story. He is being courted by Palpatin. He feels that Obi-Wan Kenobi is holding him back (in his Jedi powers). He is carrying on a relationship with Padmé Amadala (which is strictly forbidden as a Jedi), and he's gone over the edge with what occurred on Tatooine with the Tuskan Raiders/Sandpeople.
The story is sad. The pairing of Padmé and Anakin (him guarding her), leads to more and more temptations. As an outside observer, you'd think that the Jedi could've forseen this, and either supported him (Ani) with counciling, or made another Jedi guard her.
The real issue, is that Obi-Wan was never "on board" with Ani becoming a Jedi, so when Qui-Gon Ginn was killed (his dying wish was for Obi-Wan to take over his training (him being a YOUNG Jedi, himself...seemed to be a problem from the "get go". AND, the Jedi Council didn't want to train Anakin, since he was too old (for the majority of the padawans were given/taken at birth, or shortly there after. It was Qui-Gon who went against the Jedi Council...and decided to train him. I really wonder what THAT Anakin would've been, being trained by a Jedi of renown, and dealing with Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranis? What could've been?
This story, and trilogy of Prequels is the tragedy of circumstances. The maneuverings of the Emperor, playing both sides, and the Jedi Council bumbling about, losing focus on their true mission in the galaxy.
This story is a gut punch to our heroes, and at every turn they are actually pawns in a greater chess match...done by Darth Sidious. Ugh.
I think that the author (R.A. Salvatore) did a really good job adapting the visual medium into the written word. the scenes were written in such a way that I could see the movie play in my head (ultimate goal), but also understand the motivations of the characters better than in the movies. The inner voice and feelings of the characters are easier to convey through this medium.
I had fun, but also...just frustrated for all the characters in this story. NONE of the heroes are at their best in this story. They are all on their back feet, reacting to each situation, instead of having a solid plan and working the plan. Everything was done on the fly, and they went from failure to failure. Just a frustrating story. Even the positives are ONLY short term positives, that will ultimately turn to negatives...as the story proceeds.
Ugh.
July 14, 2020
To paraphrase Eugene Levy in National Lampoon's Vacation: You think you hate Attack of the Clones now... but wait'll you read it.
George Lucas' honorably experimental attempt at a truly ambitious Star Wars story -- Episode II is part political whodunit, part star-crossed romance, part outer-space opera, part revenge thriller -- is dramatically undermined by his woefully superficial characterization and frisbee-flat dialogue. For instance, here's how every exchange between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, the Batman and Robin of Jedi Knights, reads (compiled and abridged from actual excepts):
Mind-numbing, no? This book is 350 pages of that -- saucer-deep characters saying exactly what's on their mind, often redundantly, in the blandest possible way. No subtext, no wit... just pure utilitarian cliché. I mean, no one expects Tom Stoppard–esque sparkling repartee from Star Wars, but this $h!t is as unactable as it is unreadable.
Yes, the movie's performances are uniformly terrible (here's looking at you, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman), but consider for a moment the material they were given to work with -- the same subpar script the author of this novelization was saddled with adapting. It's a clean enough read, but Salvatore's serviceable-at-best prose doesn't exactly conjure a sense of spectacle or atmosphere in its own right -- it doesn't immerse the reader in the unique sights and sounds of Lucas' cinematic fantasy. If you're not already familiar with this universe (or at a minimum the Attack of the Clones movie itself), there's little context provided here to orient you. (On the plus side, at least the narrative isn't a series of Easter-egg references/callbacks to other Star Wars media as so many tie-ins are these days.)
Reading Attack of the Clones, divorced from the movie's state-of-the-art visuals, makes it all the more apparent that the film's story is hampered by some spectacularly unsuccessful screenwriting, dooming its novelization to the same inherent narrative flaws. It's worth remembering that in the early seventies, Lucas initiated multiple page-one rewrites of his original Star Wars script, tossing out full drafts and starting from scratch till he got it right -- till he landed on the Hidden Fortress–inspired plot that eventually became Episode IV—A New Hope. I only wish he'd been as patient, as creatively disciplined, and as self-critical with his prequel trilogy.
It occurs to me that one of the supreme pleasures of having grown up on the so-called "middle trilogy" of Star Wars was letting one's own imagination fill in the saga's narrative gaps: dreaming what became of Luke, Han, and Leia after the Battle of Endor; discussing with friends the ambiguous circumstances that led to the overthrow of the Republic and the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader (events only fleetingly referenced in the movies and novelizations, like the Clone Wars themselves). By starting in media res and leaving so much unexplained (or merely hinted at), the original trilogy invited the active creative participation of its audience, hence the reason it cast such a magical spell on our imaginations. But by subsequently dramatizing every piece of backstory, no matter how minute or tangential, all the wonder got irreversibly drained from this saga. (And those terrible post-Lucas sequels bled all the open-ended joy and closed-ended catharsis taken from the conclusion of Return of the Jedi.)
Case in point: The more we learned about the Jedi Order, the less noble or functional it seemed. Yoda and Mace Windu (a non-character if ever there was one) call all the shots -- this despite their Jedi "instincts" failing them time and time and time again. On the basis of some nebulous premonition -- or "gut feeling" -- they would haughtily issue their inviolable proclamations... all the while Palpatine was systematically subverting democracy right under their noses and Anakin was inching closer and closer to the dark side with every openly bad decision he made! And then, after all their arrogant assurances, when Order 66 was enacted, the Jedi -- essentially the galactic police force -- were completely caught with their pants down and unable to mount a counteroffensive! Someone please explain: Why exactly did the Republic entrust so much authority to these ineffectual demigods...?
These are the kinds of illusion-shattering questions the audience never thought to ask when all of this -- the Jedi, the Force, the fall of the Old Republic -- was merely peripheral backstory, and Star Wars was a better, even richer, fictional universe for it. We spent our entire childhoods speculating on the obscure scenarios that led up to A New Hope and the untold developments that led away from Return of the Jedi, only to learn the true magic of Star Wars lied in the very provisional speculation of those events, not their explicit dramatization. The stories the original trilogy inspired each of us to imagine for ourselves, it turns out, were the most marvelous and satisfying of any to take place in Lucas's galaxy far, far away...
George Lucas' honorably experimental attempt at a truly ambitious Star Wars story -- Episode II is part political whodunit, part star-crossed romance, part outer-space opera, part revenge thriller -- is dramatically undermined by his woefully superficial characterization and frisbee-flat dialogue. For instance, here's how every exchange between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, the Batman and Robin of Jedi Knights, reads (compiled and abridged from actual excepts):
"Don't do that!" Obi-Wan screamed. "I don't like it when you do that!"
"So sorry, Master."
"Slow down!" Obi-Wan ordered. "Slow down! Don't go through there!"
But Anakin did just that, banking left, right, left.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorry, Master!"
Anakin took them up and around, finally settling into a hover some fifty stories from the street.
"Well, you lost him," Obi-Wan said.
"I'm deeply sorry, Master," Anakin replied.
"Patience," Obi-Wan said. "Use the Force, Anakin. Think."
"Sorry, Master."
"He went in there to hide, not run," Obi-Wan reasoned.
"Yes, Master."
Obi-Wan held the lightsaber out toward his student. "Next time try not to lose it."
"Sorry, Master."
Obi-Wan pulled the precious weapon back as Anakin reached for it, and held the young Padawan's gaze with his own stern look. "A Jedi's lightsaber is his most precious possession."
"Yes, Master."
"He must keep it with him at all times."
"I know, Master."
"This weapon is your life."
"I've heard this lesson before."
"But you haven't learned anything, Anakin," the Jedi Knight said, turning away.
"I try, Master."
Mind-numbing, no? This book is 350 pages of that -- saucer-deep characters saying exactly what's on their mind, often redundantly, in the blandest possible way. No subtext, no wit... just pure utilitarian cliché. I mean, no one expects Tom Stoppard–esque sparkling repartee from Star Wars, but this $h!t is as unactable as it is unreadable.
Yes, the movie's performances are uniformly terrible (here's looking at you, Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman), but consider for a moment the material they were given to work with -- the same subpar script the author of this novelization was saddled with adapting. It's a clean enough read, but Salvatore's serviceable-at-best prose doesn't exactly conjure a sense of spectacle or atmosphere in its own right -- it doesn't immerse the reader in the unique sights and sounds of Lucas' cinematic fantasy. If you're not already familiar with this universe (or at a minimum the Attack of the Clones movie itself), there's little context provided here to orient you. (On the plus side, at least the narrative isn't a series of Easter-egg references/callbacks to other Star Wars media as so many tie-ins are these days.)
Reading Attack of the Clones, divorced from the movie's state-of-the-art visuals, makes it all the more apparent that the film's story is hampered by some spectacularly unsuccessful screenwriting, dooming its novelization to the same inherent narrative flaws. It's worth remembering that in the early seventies, Lucas initiated multiple page-one rewrites of his original Star Wars script, tossing out full drafts and starting from scratch till he got it right -- till he landed on the Hidden Fortress–inspired plot that eventually became Episode IV—A New Hope. I only wish he'd been as patient, as creatively disciplined, and as self-critical with his prequel trilogy.
It occurs to me that one of the supreme pleasures of having grown up on the so-called "middle trilogy" of Star Wars was letting one's own imagination fill in the saga's narrative gaps: dreaming what became of Luke, Han, and Leia after the Battle of Endor; discussing with friends the ambiguous circumstances that led to the overthrow of the Republic and the transformation of Anakin Skywalker into Darth Vader (events only fleetingly referenced in the movies and novelizations, like the Clone Wars themselves). By starting in media res and leaving so much unexplained (or merely hinted at), the original trilogy invited the active creative participation of its audience, hence the reason it cast such a magical spell on our imaginations. But by subsequently dramatizing every piece of backstory, no matter how minute or tangential, all the wonder got irreversibly drained from this saga. (And those terrible post-Lucas sequels bled all the open-ended joy and closed-ended catharsis taken from the conclusion of Return of the Jedi.)
Case in point: The more we learned about the Jedi Order, the less noble or functional it seemed. Yoda and Mace Windu (a non-character if ever there was one) call all the shots -- this despite their Jedi "instincts" failing them time and time and time again. On the basis of some nebulous premonition -- or "gut feeling" -- they would haughtily issue their inviolable proclamations... all the while Palpatine was systematically subverting democracy right under their noses and Anakin was inching closer and closer to the dark side with every openly bad decision he made! And then, after all their arrogant assurances, when Order 66 was enacted, the Jedi -- essentially the galactic police force -- were completely caught with their pants down and unable to mount a counteroffensive! Someone please explain: Why exactly did the Republic entrust so much authority to these ineffectual demigods...?
These are the kinds of illusion-shattering questions the audience never thought to ask when all of this -- the Jedi, the Force, the fall of the Old Republic -- was merely peripheral backstory, and Star Wars was a better, even richer, fictional universe for it. We spent our entire childhoods speculating on the obscure scenarios that led up to A New Hope and the untold developments that led away from Return of the Jedi, only to learn the true magic of Star Wars lied in the very provisional speculation of those events, not their explicit dramatization. The stories the original trilogy inspired each of us to imagine for ourselves, it turns out, were the most marvelous and satisfying of any to take place in Lucas's galaxy far, far away...
December 15, 2023
Looking back across nearly 20 years for this one, we'll have to consult 23-year-old Pierce for his thoughts on what is almost my least favorite movie in the franchise. In fact, let me throw my personal ranking in here since this is apt to be a short review. (Well, short for me at least.) Even though this is a movie ranking, the links go to my book reviews. (I don't plan on getting the books for the newest trilogy or the side stories... [12/14/23 update: ...except Rogue One apparently.])
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Rogue One
3. A New Hope
4. Return of the Jedi
5. Revenge of the Sith
6. Solo (I know. It got panned, but I thought it was a load of fun.)
7. The Force Awakens
8. The Phantom Menace
9. The Last Jedi
10. Attack of the Clones
11. The Rise of Skywalker
The only one firmly entrenched in its spot is Empire since it's in my top five of all time favorite movies ever. All the others might switch with one adjacent to it depending on the day, but Attack of the Clones and The Rise of Skywalker will always be in the last two spots.
And since I'm providing links to better things, check out Chef Elf's hilariously scathing reasons to hate the prequels, special editions, and holiday special. I wish he'd give an update for the new movies, but I think he left the galaxy far, far away far, far behind after the prequels. I still like them but can laugh at their inanities. Here's a Shakespearean treatment of all nine stories. And here's a book of Star Wars origami projects. Want to crochet some Star Wars dolls? This and this will show you how. And here's a Scanimation Star Wars book you can blow through in ten seconds. And a kid's book showing Luke and Vader during Luke's younger years had Vader not been a deadbeat dad and spent some more quality time with the little tyke.
All of those things are better than this book, but let's not steal 23-year-old Pierce's thunder. Hey, me of yesteryear! Are you sober enough to favor us with an opinion on this book, you pie-eyed sot?
Ah, blow it out your Sarlacc pit. Open up your mouth, and I'll favor you with something alright. R.A. Salvatore... Well, he's not a great writer. Or at least he wasn't with this book, and I made a decision to never try one of his again after reading it even though his Dark Elf trilogy comes highly recommended. You could blame the source material because it's certainly wanting, but I don't think the fault lies entirely there. I couldn't make myself appreciate the writing style for some reason. The only thing I really liked was learning that Count Dooku was a fencer who studied the old style of light saber wielding whereas the newer Jedi focus on how to deflect laser blasts. This explains why Dooku was able to make such short work of Obi Wan and Anakin without breaking a sweat. And the fight scene between Yoda and Dooku was well-written. Other than that, I got nothing.
Well, it's not surprising you liked the Yoda/Dooku scene considering you had to hide a wet spot in your shorts after the first time you saw it in the theater, and you even thought this movie might even be better than Empire.
Whoa, hey, hey, hey, HEY! TMI, dude. People out there don't need to know that.
Oh, get over it. You practically busted a nut every time you saw that fight for the next few years.
No, I'm not talking about that. I don't care about that. But nobody needs to know I once thought this might be better than Empire for one evening, you asswipe. It was a moment of insanity because I was riding a high from that fight scene. I came to my senses after the next time I saw the movie. There's a lot of shittiness in it, but it's still a good flick.
Well, I got news for you. You consider it about the worst of all 11 of them in the future. Weren't you paying attention when we started this review?
No, not really. 11 movies? Wow. And I consider it worse than Phantom Menace? That can't be right. And it can't be that bad. I mean, the Yoda/Dooku thing..."
...gets old after 3,496 viewings.
Liar! It'll never get old. You're the only thing that's gotten old, you geriatric coot. And there's the Obi-Wan/Jango Fett fight on Kamino...
...and the love scenes with the Sound of Music backdrop, and Anakin riding that stupid animal, wooden acting, and plot holes you can fly the Death Star through with room to spare on all sides. When you consider the entire thing, it's actually pretty rough. Trust me, you put your head in your hands and weep when some of these scenes come up during your rewatches.
Really? Well, I guess you would know. I don't consider it anywhere near as good as Empire... and I never did; you just made that up. False memory, or something. You've probably got wet brain now if we're still alive at 43.
Nope, you quit boozing about two years after this came out, made a new lease on life, and can be honest about thinking this was better than Empire for a brief moment.
Whatever. I'll never admit that.
That's okay; I've done it for you. Anything else you want to add before you run off?
Not really. Just that the movie is still better than the book, so everyone should just watch it instead.
Agreed.
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Rogue One
3. A New Hope
4. Return of the Jedi
5. Revenge of the Sith
6. Solo (I know. It got panned, but I thought it was a load of fun.)
7. The Force Awakens
8. The Phantom Menace
9. The Last Jedi
10. Attack of the Clones
11. The Rise of Skywalker
The only one firmly entrenched in its spot is Empire since it's in my top five of all time favorite movies ever. All the others might switch with one adjacent to it depending on the day, but Attack of the Clones and The Rise of Skywalker will always be in the last two spots.
And since I'm providing links to better things, check out Chef Elf's hilariously scathing reasons to hate the prequels, special editions, and holiday special. I wish he'd give an update for the new movies, but I think he left the galaxy far, far away far, far behind after the prequels. I still like them but can laugh at their inanities. Here's a Shakespearean treatment of all nine stories. And here's a book of Star Wars origami projects. Want to crochet some Star Wars dolls? This and this will show you how. And here's a Scanimation Star Wars book you can blow through in ten seconds. And a kid's book showing Luke and Vader during Luke's younger years had Vader not been a deadbeat dad and spent some more quality time with the little tyke.
All of those things are better than this book, but let's not steal 23-year-old Pierce's thunder. Hey, me of yesteryear! Are you sober enough to favor us with an opinion on this book, you pie-eyed sot?
Ah, blow it out your Sarlacc pit. Open up your mouth, and I'll favor you with something alright. R.A. Salvatore... Well, he's not a great writer. Or at least he wasn't with this book, and I made a decision to never try one of his again after reading it even though his Dark Elf trilogy comes highly recommended. You could blame the source material because it's certainly wanting, but I don't think the fault lies entirely there. I couldn't make myself appreciate the writing style for some reason. The only thing I really liked was learning that Count Dooku was a fencer who studied the old style of light saber wielding whereas the newer Jedi focus on how to deflect laser blasts. This explains why Dooku was able to make such short work of Obi Wan and Anakin without breaking a sweat. And the fight scene between Yoda and Dooku was well-written. Other than that, I got nothing.
Well, it's not surprising you liked the Yoda/Dooku scene considering you had to hide a wet spot in your shorts after the first time you saw it in the theater, and you even thought this movie might even be better than Empire.
Whoa, hey, hey, hey, HEY! TMI, dude. People out there don't need to know that.
Oh, get over it. You practically busted a nut every time you saw that fight for the next few years.
No, I'm not talking about that. I don't care about that. But nobody needs to know I once thought this might be better than Empire for one evening, you asswipe. It was a moment of insanity because I was riding a high from that fight scene. I came to my senses after the next time I saw the movie. There's a lot of shittiness in it, but it's still a good flick.
Well, I got news for you. You consider it about the worst of all 11 of them in the future. Weren't you paying attention when we started this review?
No, not really. 11 movies? Wow. And I consider it worse than Phantom Menace? That can't be right. And it can't be that bad. I mean, the Yoda/Dooku thing..."
...gets old after 3,496 viewings.
Liar! It'll never get old. You're the only thing that's gotten old, you geriatric coot. And there's the Obi-Wan/Jango Fett fight on Kamino...
...and the love scenes with the Sound of Music backdrop, and Anakin riding that stupid animal, wooden acting, and plot holes you can fly the Death Star through with room to spare on all sides. When you consider the entire thing, it's actually pretty rough. Trust me, you put your head in your hands and weep when some of these scenes come up during your rewatches.
Really? Well, I guess you would know. I don't consider it anywhere near as good as Empire... and I never did; you just made that up. False memory, or something. You've probably got wet brain now if we're still alive at 43.
Nope, you quit boozing about two years after this came out, made a new lease on life, and can be honest about thinking this was better than Empire for a brief moment.
Whatever. I'll never admit that.
That's okay; I've done it for you. Anything else you want to add before you run off?
Not really. Just that the movie is still better than the book, so everyone should just watch it instead.
Agreed.
November 20, 2023
3.5
This book had its flaws where there was less action and more talking until the last few chapters of the book. The Anakin and Padme moments throughout the book were so beautiful! Readers really got to see somewhat of a more in dept connection between the two. Now reading the chapters where Anakin's mother sadly dies felt more real than in a sense that I think it should've but all in all this was a good book just not my favorite Star Wars book so far.
This book had its flaws where there was less action and more talking until the last few chapters of the book. The Anakin and Padme moments throughout the book were so beautiful! Readers really got to see somewhat of a more in dept connection between the two. Now reading the chapters where Anakin's mother sadly dies felt more real than in a sense that I think it should've but all in all this was a good book just not my favorite Star Wars book so far.
October 3, 2020
I thought this was much better than the first book. A larger story with more complex themes. Skywalker takes a larger role in his development and yet is still very much a child. The discovery of the clone army would appear to be an advantage to the republic and the first mention of the Death Star.
The action more so in this book is over the top and the pace (i found) was lightening fast. Really enjoyed reading this one.
The action more so in this book is over the top and the pace (i found) was lightening fast. Really enjoyed reading this one.
November 3, 2021
K honestly, the novelization of the book kind of blows the movie out of the water, it is so freaking good!
"One day, I will become the greatest Jedi EVER. I will even learn how to stop people from dying."
One thing I love about these book adaptations of the movie is the extra amount of detail. It gives you way more depth on what each character is thinking and feeling.
"One day, I will become the greatest Jedi EVER. I will even learn how to stop people from dying."
One thing I love about these book adaptations of the movie is the extra amount of detail. It gives you way more depth on what each character is thinking and feeling.
July 8, 2020
Whether you like the movie or not, read the novel: it's a lot better than the movie. Written by an established writer, this novel deals with the events of 'Attack of the Clones' at a deeper level. You can really feel the external and internal struggles that Anakin was passing through.
June 15, 2023
5 🌟
Nice to see Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, and everyone else again.
Nice to see Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padme, and everyone else again.
February 19, 2024
Set in 22BBY
Before you read this, you will ask yourself "why would anyone hire Salvatore to write an adaptation?".
After you read this you will answer to yourself "...that's why!".
In short, Salvatore's version of the film is better than the actual film. Yes!
"Ani has so much to give to the galaxy. His gifts could not be contained by Tatooine. He belongs out there, flying across the stars, saving planets.”- Shmi Skywalker
I am now actually going to stop everything in my life and do what I can to create a time machine to go back and read this novel first before watching Attack of the Clones, just so I can experience the book before the film and be all like "yeah but the book was better."
"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe."- Jango Fett
Salvatore connects every single scene seamlessly and he adds his own bits here and there so beautifully, that will make you say "why wasn't this in the movie?" out loud. He's that good.
You will definitely like this even if you already watched the film. I guarantee you that. If you love Star Wars, you will like this one too. Don't get me wrong, this is not an Old Republic kinda story. It's got its dark moments, sure. But it is a Prequel novel nevertheless.
"I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men. But the women and the children too. They're like animals and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!" - Anakin Skywalker
The voices of all the characters are spot on and the scenes are visually better than the actual film! I would, however, recommend not to read it right after watching the film. You should let some time pass. Duh!
“The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has!” - Yoda
Before you read this, you will ask yourself "why would anyone hire Salvatore to write an adaptation?".
After you read this you will answer to yourself "...that's why!".
In short, Salvatore's version of the film is better than the actual film. Yes!
"Ani has so much to give to the galaxy. His gifts could not be contained by Tatooine. He belongs out there, flying across the stars, saving planets.”- Shmi Skywalker
I am now actually going to stop everything in my life and do what I can to create a time machine to go back and read this novel first before watching Attack of the Clones, just so I can experience the book before the film and be all like "yeah but the book was better."
"I'm just a simple man, trying to make my way in the universe."- Jango Fett
Salvatore connects every single scene seamlessly and he adds his own bits here and there so beautifully, that will make you say "why wasn't this in the movie?" out loud. He's that good.
You will definitely like this even if you already watched the film. I guarantee you that. If you love Star Wars, you will like this one too. Don't get me wrong, this is not an Old Republic kinda story. It's got its dark moments, sure. But it is a Prequel novel nevertheless.
"I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead. Every single one of them. And not just the men. But the women and the children too. They're like animals and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!" - Anakin Skywalker
The voices of all the characters are spot on and the scenes are visually better than the actual film! I would, however, recommend not to read it right after watching the film. You should let some time pass. Duh!
“The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun, this Clone War has!” - Yoda
May 31, 2024
This book is absolutely brilliant. While I'm not a prequel hater like so many seem to be I do have to admit that episode II seems a bit rushed. This is no problem in the book as each scene is expanded brilliantly. The lightsabre fights at the end are so much longer and really develop a sense of character that was missing from the movie. We get to understand about the different styles of lightsabre combat that dooku, obi-wan, anakin and Yoda use and how each is effective is against another. The time that anakin spent with padme on naboo is expanded and as we get to know about each of their thoughts at that time the love between them seems more credible. There is also more character development between Boba and Jango Fett that gives an idea of the father-son relationship between them. As well as making Jango's end more emotional considering he is in effect a villain character. There are countless more times where the book goes into greater detail of relatively short scenes in the film and creates more of an emotive experience of those scenes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, although it should be read if you have already seen the film so that a contrast can be made.
June 2, 2024
4.5****
And so begins the Clone Wars!!! Really loved this novelization and all the added content! the romance, the adventure, it’s all so good! I recommend this to any Star Wars fan, the audio production is fantastic
And so begins the Clone Wars!!! Really loved this novelization and all the added content! the romance, the adventure, it’s all so good! I recommend this to any Star Wars fan, the audio production is fantastic
March 19, 2022
3/5 stars
I get the feeling that the writer got tired of this story at the end. Especially the epilogue is so rushed and only describes the ending scenes of the movie in a very boring, literal and short manner. I would've loved to see the moment Anakin and Padmé decide to marry, especially given their prior agreement not to act on their feelings. Neither was there any insight as to Obi-Wan's reaction to Anakin defying his orders by leaving Naboo in order to travel to Tatooine. I would've liked to see more tying up of loose ends. The short ending scenes in the movie may work, but it does not in a book.
It occurs to me that writing action is very, very difficult. I think this writer did an honorable job near the end, but the Jango Fett and Obi-Wan fight was difficult to follow.
This book was nice to read because of the extra insights and extra lines of dialogue, but closer the ending the amount of extra bits really dwindled. It's like the writer was struggling to meet a deadline at the end.
Anyways, the movie is better.
I get the feeling that the writer got tired of this story at the end. Especially the epilogue is so rushed and only describes the ending scenes of the movie in a very boring, literal and short manner. I would've loved to see the moment Anakin and Padmé decide to marry, especially given their prior agreement not to act on their feelings. Neither was there any insight as to Obi-Wan's reaction to Anakin defying his orders by leaving Naboo in order to travel to Tatooine. I would've liked to see more tying up of loose ends. The short ending scenes in the movie may work, but it does not in a book.
It occurs to me that writing action is very, very difficult. I think this writer did an honorable job near the end, but the Jango Fett and Obi-Wan fight was difficult to follow.
This book was nice to read because of the extra insights and extra lines of dialogue, but closer the ending the amount of extra bits really dwindled. It's like the writer was struggling to meet a deadline at the end.
Anyways, the movie is better.
October 31, 2023
Interestingly, even worse than I expected.
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