While watching this latest installment of the "Star Wars" saga, I had to keep reminding myself that the first "Star Wars," which was actually "Episode IV," was made by George Lucas with the idea of celebrating the sci-fi serials that sparked his youthful imagination, particularly "Buck Rogers" and "Flash Gordon" with Buster Crabbe. The serials ran continuously on the local TV stations in the major cities in the late forties and fifties along with B westerns from Monogram Studios, and cartoons with Farmer Gray, Koko the Clown, and Betty Boop. They were usually shown on Channel 13 here in the tri-state area (NJ, NY, CT) long before the creation of the PBS system. (Ironically Channel 13 is now part of PBS. It ran the "Flash Gordon" serials uncut in the seventies-if my memory serves me correctly) Periodically they would show up on the UHF stations. They were a cheap way to fill up program time. Little did they know what effect they would have on future generations of filmmakers.

Lucas relied on these serials for his inspiration, sprinkling "Star Wars" with some religiosity - the Force and the Dark Side - and a smattering of action sequences that emulated thrilling scenes from an amazing array of genres. Fighter pilots became space jockeys, gangsters were turned into alien beings, and western marshals (Texas Rangers maybe?) became Jedi Knights. The hero, Luke Skywalker is a swashbuckler with a laser sword! Two sequels followed with Yoda, Jabba the Hutt and Ewoks. After years of waiting, Lucas finally fulfilled his promise for a prequel capping it with a racing scene not unlike the chariot race in "Ben-Hur" and a battle on the plains of Naboo with a cast of thousands - albeit digitally created - that was right out of "Spartacus." The shifting combat formations were more than just reminiscent of the Roman Legions moving against the slave army. No matter what you thought about "The Phantom Menace" and Jar Jar Binks, those two scenes were reminders of the original spark that ignited the first "Star Wars" entry in 1977.

This latest edition returns to the oldies for its inspiration with assassins, bounty hunters, a gauntlet in the guise of an assembly line for the Death Star, creepy crawlies meant to kill the damsel in distress, and something called seismic charges who owe the very idea for their existence to the depth charges that plagued every submarine commander in every submarine warfare movie ever made. Somewhere in the midst of all this inspiration is a love story, a plot to overthrow the Republic, a generation gap, and the ever present Force.

It’s ten years after "The Phantom Menace" and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is apprenticed to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) to become a Jedi Knight. He’s hot headed, impatient, and full of pride. He’s a prime candidate for the Dark side of the Force. (It’s no secret he becomes Darth Vader by Episode IV.) He and Obi-Wan are assigned to protect Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) against assassins. She’s the former Queen, now Senator, from Naboo. Her vote is crucial to an intergalactic council vote to save the Federation. Annakin falls in love with her while Obi-Wan goes in search of a lost planet where he finds clones of Jango Fett (Tenuera Morrison) being manufactured by the thousands to fill a secret Federation contract. Through the machinations of the plot, the clones save the day under the command of Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) who is aided by Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits). He becomes the adoptive father of the, as yet, unborn Princess Leia. Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) is the fallen Jedi Master who wants to bring down the Federation. Then of course there’s R2-D2 and C-3PO.

"Attack of the Clones" moves at anti-warp speed until the last quarter. George Lucas kicks the movie into hyperdrive with an homage to gladiator movies with Annakin and Obi-Wan taking on all comers - monsters and such - in a digitally created Coliseum with digital monsters, digital alien crowds, and a few humans. It’s a knockout, anyway you look at it - and - like most of the more entertaining moments in the movie, reminiscent of something else - in this case - the wizardry of Ray Harryhausen ("Seventh Voyage of Sinbad," "Jason and the Argonauts").

Oh yeah! And Yoda kicks butt!

Copyright 2002

The Buster Crabbe Sci-Fi Serials

"Flash Gordon" (1936)

"Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars" (1938)

"Buck Rogers" (1939)

"Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe" (1940)

"The Hidden Fortress" (1958) (Japanese with Eng. subtitles) - Dir. Akira Kurosawa

Two thieves help a General return a princess to her homeland. Any similarities to describing R2-D2’s and C-3PO’s job is intentional. Toshire Mifune is the General in this high comic adventure from the Japanese Master. Beware cut versions. This runs over two hours. Shot in Cinemascope.

"The Phantom Empire" (1935) - The empire is actually an underground city. One of the more comic moments for me was the realization that a 5,000 watt light known as a Sky Pan that is usually used as a work light while building a movie set, was used as a prop. It became a gigantic ray gun! It also starred Frankie Darro, the lead in William Wellman’s "Wild Boys of the Road" from 1933.