Was Hayden Christensen really that bad as Anakin in the Star Wars prequels?

Date:
Sat, 28 Aug 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Description:
Actor Hayden Christensen was panned by audiences and critics for his performances as Anakin in the Star Wars prequels, but was the criticism warranted?

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Im going to say it: I like the Star Wars prequels .

Granted, my opinion is surely warped by my proximity in age to George Lucas CGI-filled adventures and yes, the original movies guided by Lucas, Kershner and Marquand are objectively superior feats of filmmaking. But that doesnt make the franchises turn-of-the-millennium entries any less enjoyable.

Revenge of the Sith is, obviously, the best of the three, though Attack of
the Clones boasts some pretty great set-pieces, too Geonosis! Kamino! that keep it streets ahead of the Phantom Menace when it comes to my fondest memories of the iconic franchise.

But the latter two movies stick in the mind for another reason a
toe-curling, braid-wearing, sand-hating reason by the name of Anakin Skywalker, played by Hayden Christensen.

In light of his upcoming role in the now-fully-shot Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus , we ask the question: was Hayden Christensen really that bad as Anakin? The Mandalorian season 3: everything we know right now Lego Star
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For starters, its worth drawing attention to Christensens career prior to his appearance in Attack of the Clones.

The Vancouver-born actor made his debut at just 12 years old on a Canadian TV series, Family Passions, which led to minor roles in movies throughout the late 90s, the most notable being Sofia Coppolas The Virgin Suicides.

Christensens breakout role came in 2000, when he starred in the Fox show Higher Ground as a teen who turns to drugs after being sexually molested by his stepmother. The following year, he would appear again as a misunderstood teenager (you see the pattern?) in Irvin Winklers Life as a House, which earned him Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations. Hayden Christensen earned
a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Life as a House (Image credit: New Line Cinema)

Prior to the release of the latter, it was announced that Christensen would
be starring as an adult Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episodes 2 and 3, following an audition process that saw casting director Robin Gurland sift through more than 1,500 candidates.

According to a 2002 profile on Gurland , she said of the young actor at the time: "When Hayden came for his first meeting, I opened the door, and I just suddenly became flushed, because I knew. I sat him down and looked at him through the camera, and all of a sudden, I could feel goosebumps.

"For Anakin, the role is so innate, the actor has to connect with it, Gurland is quoted as saying, but by the end of [the interview], I just knew that Anakin had walked in the door. All in the eyes

In fairness, Christensens selection over 1,499 other prospective Anakins has little bearing on whether he proved himself a talented performer in that casting call.

The role of the ill-fated Jedi whether Lucas intended this to be the case or not was an innately physical one. The director himself is alleged to have approved Christensens casting because he "needed an actor who [had] that presence of the Dark Side. In all likelihood, the young Canadian probably
just had the right moody eyes for the job. Hayden Christensen behind the scenes of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (Image credit: Lucasfilm)

But irrespective of his now much-maligned, stilted line delivery and the character's general whininess in both Episodes 2 and 3 (though in the former, particularly), theres still something to be said for Christensens
physicality, which contributes to Revenge of the Siths most powerful moments.

For instance, when Anakin first sees Padm again after crash-landing on Coruscant, the mannerisms in Christensens face betray his characters excitement, anxiety and fear at hearing the news of his wifes pregnancy in a genuinely convincing manner before being undermined entirely by the films god-awful dialogue, that is.

The same is true of Padms arrival on Mustafar with Obi-Wan, when Christensens body language paints a far more impactful picture of Anakins confusion, anger and loss of control than any corny line hes subsequently forced to deliver.

Anakin is a lost boy, a nave prodigy exploited by a power he doesnt fully understand, and the entire Mustafar sequence right up until Obi-Wan gets the high ground is the best showcase of Christensens ability to portray him as such. Sure, his moody eyes help a lot in that regard, but Christensen doesnt get the credit he deserves for being a genuinely impressive emotional performer. Hayden Christensen in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (Image
credit: Lucasfilm)

Its only when Anakin opens his mouth that things take a turn for the meme-worthy and that isnt really Christensens fault. Oh, George...

Lets not beat about the bush: George Lucas direction of the prequels is not great. There were way too many long shots, some downright terrible post-production editing decisions and an obvious over-reliance on CGI.

The Hollywood legend is undoubtedly a great ideas man, responsible for creating the most successful fictional universe in the history of cinema and
a phenomenal film in A New Hope, but a lot of what we love about Star Wars comes from his collaborators. The Empire Strikes Back the highlight of the original trilogy was directed by someone else.

The biggest crimes perpetrated against the prequel movies, though, were their scripts. No actor involved in any of the three episodes escaped being tarred with Lucas cringe-worthy dialogue, but Hayden Christensen was the biggest victim of them all, subject to now-infamous lines like I dont like sand, Dont make me kill you and No no its because Im so in love with you.

I put it to you: how was Christensen supposed to deliver those lines with any conviction?

In the heat of the moment, experiencing extreme rage, would anyone really
say, "well, from my point of view the Jedi are evil!" What is this, a debate? Daniel-Day Lewis isnt making that sound any better, I can tell you. Honestly, Christensen wouldve been better served just shouting AAAAAR at Obi-Wan that wouldve saved him from years of internet heat.

Ewan McGregors lines werent much better, but being the more established actor at the time meant less criticism was hurled his way. Think about it: rather than his performance being damned to the depths of Hollywood hell, McGregors quotes have instead become embedded into the pop culture lexicon I have the high ground, Hello there! etc. Why is that?

Christensen was the fall guy for everything that was bad about the prequels. After Revenge of the Sith, he went on to star in a handful of perfectly acceptable films, but never landed another big-budget leading role like Anakin.

It was a fate that also befell his predecessor, the young Anakin played by Jake Lloyd, and to a lesser extent many other Star Wars stars. While Harrison Ford ascended to icon status, how many other films can you name starring Mark Luke Skywalker Hamill in a leading role? Or Carrie Princess Leia Fisher? Like Christensen, Jake Lloyd seldom acted again after playing Anakin. (Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Personally, Id love to see Hayden Christensen enjoy a career renaissance, emerging from the ashes of a much-denigrated franchise by climbing up the indie ladder and reminding the industry why he chose the profession in the first place. Hell, Matthew McConaughey defied the end of a withering romantic comedy career by popping up and winning an Oscar.

I think Christensens got it in him to stick it to the naysayers. Because
maybe just maybe he isnt as bad an actor as everyone made out. The best Disney Plus shows you can stream right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/was-hayden-christensen-really-that-bad-as-anaki n/


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