Unfortunately I think we're in a position where we're just barely going to touch on the secondary plotlines everyone really wants to see in the space of one last movie. I'd like to see how the Rebellion came to be, the Jedi in some real peril, and not just Anakin's turn to the Darkside, but some screen time dedicated to Vader hunting down the Jedi. But I'm afraid its not to be, and here's a rant about why:
I'm really annoyed that its taken 1-3/4 movies to get the story and characters to a point where they're remotely interesting, IMHO, and in any sort of conflict that's worth telling a story about. Frustrating. The whole prequel trilogy doesn't feel like "Star Wars" (to me) until Geonosis in E2. Did we really need a whole film dedicated to these points:
- Anakin is rescued from slavery on Tatooine by the Jedi.
- Trade disputes within the Republic are manipulated to war by an inside conspirator.
- Anakin meets the young Queen of a planet suffering from this conflict, gets boyish crush.
All this could be accomplished in action and dialog in minutes. Hell, it could have been the opening crawl to AOTC. Then, we spend most of AOTC trudging towards the conflict that starts the decline of both Anakin and the Republic. Along the way, we learn nothing about Obi Wan, the friendship between him and Anakin, we have still no real understanding or sense of tradition and motivation of the Jedi, any justification for the Seperatist movement, no nothing. We learn that Padme thought Pablo was dreamy. Great.
Then, we end up on Geonosis, finally, to see some ACTION that the enemy is taking, its danger to the galaxy, and how the Republic acts to counter the threat. Main characters are torn between duty and love! Palpatine is manipulating the Senate and creating a war machine! The Jedi are too blind and arrogant to notice dark times approaching.
Too bad it's the end of the second movie, and there's no time to explore it!
It's all the makings of a great story, but we're just now where it's getting compelling, and BANG, it's all going to go unexplored and unanswered becuase we have to continue the long trudge towards Anakins downfall. There's no time left to have fun and explore all the great things that could be done and answered with the events up until now. Bad storytelling! Bad!
Sorry for the rant.
J