I think the issue of Padme and Anakin was more due to a lack of chemistry between the actors. I mean Han Solo and Princess Leia don't make a huge amount of sense either. And it isn't the kind of movie series where they are going to gradually get into the romance in a nuanced way (it is done more like opera). But Harrison Ford and Carry Fisher had tremendous chemistry. And their romance was kind of wedged in with the action but worked somehow. Anakin and Padme had whole dinner dates, but they just felt so lifeless together. You watch Han and Leia and you want them to be together. Even if you don't like romance in movies, you want them to be happy. I don't think I ever cared what happened with Padme and Anakin (and I like both actors independently, they just didn't particularly fit each other)
Agree. The lack of chemistry was spectacular.
In a recent-ish interview Portman herself seemed to be saying she was basically aromantic around that time, which probably didn't help, but she managed to perform a lot more convincingly in some only slightly later films, so I have to figure Lucas' direction and writing didn't help.
And I feel like Lucas kind of wrecked Hayden Christensen's career, like, sure Christensen's performance isn't great, but almost no-one's is (really only the more experienced adult actors are even making it to "okay", and Christopher Lee may be the only actual "good" performance in all three movies), and I would put a lot of the blame for that with Lucas and his writing/directing. He was much better in the few other things I saw him in.
And that would have been a good story. But it simply isn't there on screen.
Yup.
I get that Lucas intended that, it certainly flows logically from what's going on in the movies and who we know the characters are/become. But as you say, it simply isn't actually part of the direction/writing. Lucas screwed up.
even though the story itself is strong
I would nuance this a bit and say the concept is strong, the idea for the story is a good idea - but the execution is so unusually dreadful that I don't the story as executed could really be called strong, personally.
I rewatched the prequels a few years ago, and they were both better and worse than I remembered, but the storytelling, script, pacing, and characterization were actually significantly worse than I remembered. Also
AotC was really incredibly bad as a movie. I kind of liked it (sorta) when I saw it at the cinema, but ooof!
