Star Wars: The Acolyte Brings An Attack Of The Clones Storyline Full Circle
One of the most exciting "Star Wars" projects in the works — as in, one that we know for sure will actually get released and not canceled then maybe uncanceled – is "Star Wars: The Acolyte." For one, it is finally giving us a "Star Wars" title with not just two but a whole bunch of lightsaber users. The "Acolyte" trailer alone features an incredible shot of lightsabers igniting, echoing the all-time great "Star Wars" moment where Mace Windu declares, "This party's over."
That's because "The Acolyte" is set during the High Republic era of "Star Wars," a time of peace and prosperity for the galaxy and Jedi Order. During this period, the Jedi were more diverse, worked distinctly from the Old Republic, and served as actual diplomats (as opposed to being a corrupt and dying police force à la the prequel trilogy).
The trailer makes two things clear about the plot of "The Acolyte." First, there is at least one Jedi acting like a noir private investigator — despite that technically not being part of the Jedi's job — and second, they are oblivious as to their real enemy: the Sith. This means we'll get a different type of "Star Wars" story than we've seen so far on TV — a grittier mystery with shadowy villains that pose a huge threat our protagonists are completely unequipped to deal with.
More importantly, these two things mean "The Acolyte" is bringing an underrated storyline from "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" full circle — Obi-Wan's little investigation and journey to Kamino and then Geonosis. In that movie, Obi-Wan is a private eye investigating the attempted assassination of a senator (again, not a Jedi's job), and is oblivious to their real enemy — a Sith manipulating both sides of a war. Simply put, this rules.
The Sith return
Say what you will about the "Star Wars" prequels, their bad dialogue, and their overt use of CGI. While "Attack of the Clones" is quite a mess, it's also ahead of its time. It's a giant sci-fi blockbuster aimed at kids that features a neo-noir conspiracy investigation at its center, while also featuring dozens of Jedi fighting together when Samuel L. Jackson announces, "This party's over" (a moment so great it deserves to be referenced twice!). This is also the movie that turns subtext into text and reveals George Lucas' plans to make a massive trilogy all about the rise of fascism and how a democracy becomes a dictatorship — something that has only grown more relevant with time.
Having Obi-Wan investigate an assassination attempt and discover the existence of a whole army of clones was a bit boring for eight-year-old me, but seeing him fight Jango Fett in the rain — a scene that resulted in stunt actor Nash Edgerton knowing his front teeth out — was exhilarating. The slow way in which Obi-Wan learns how overwhelmingly powerful and ahead of the Jedi their enemy was continues to be thrilling, and that story only gets better with the added context from the "Clone Wars" cartoon series.
"The Acolyte" has the chance to do something fresh and new in "Star Wars," by being so disconnected from the plot of the movies. But it also has an opportunity to provide context to the prequels and make the eventual fall of the Jedi Order all the more poignant because of the organization's hubris. Plus, seeing a bunch of Jedi fighting together on screen is always a great time.
"Star Wars: The Acolyte" will premiere on June 4, 2024, on Disney+.