Queen Amidala led her people in a desperate escape, drawing the attention of the droid army. This gave Anakin and a handful of pilots the chance to slip into the armory and hop into fighter jets.
Suddenly, the scene shifted to the vast expanse of space. *Whoosh whoosh!* Streaks of light zipped by as the fighters soared toward the Trade Federation's robot control ship.
The Trade Federation spotted them right away and scrambled their own fighters. What followed was a jaw-dropping, action-packed space battle!
Sure, big movies in recent years have had their share of aerial dogfights, but a battle *in space*? This was a first! The dazzling laser blasts, fleeting shadows of zooming jets, and the roaring engines all screamed epic intensity.
The audience was hooked—fists clenched, eyes wide with excitement. "Cool! Awesome! Thrilling!" they cheered.
First, the Jedi duels had whipped the theater into a frenzy. Now, this wild space free-for-all pushed the energy to a whole new level. It was a visual feast like nothing else!
But the critics? They weren't sold. They'd rather dig into plot coherence or deep themes. "What's a three-minute space battle doing for the story?" they grumbled. Why not focus on Queen Amidala's struggle to lead her people through the crisis instead?
Still, there was no denying it—Dunn's flashy approach had the fans eating out of his hand. The cheers and gasps from the back rows proved the special effects hit hard and left a mark.
Just as the dazzling space fight risked losing its sparkle, the screen cut back to Queen Amidala.
Cameron nodded to himself. "Smooth editing, perfect pacing," he muttered.
But things were looking grim for the queen. The droid army kept growing, closing in fast. Capture seemed inevitable. She knew if they took her alive, it could spell doom for Naboo's fight for justice.
After a few nail-biting moments that had the audience on edge, a glimmer of hope appeared—they found a spare armored vehicle! It was a hulking beast, stashed away by Naboo just for the queen's escape.
The thing was massive—tall, wide, and downright intimidating! With no driver around, Amidala climbed in herself. She fumbled with the controls, pressing buttons like a kid in a candy store, until—*vroom!*—the beast roared to life.
*Buzz buzz buzz!* The rumbling engine and the sheer power of the armored tank flattened everything in its path. The droid army's puny bullets couldn't even scratch it—they scattered like scared ants!
Cue another heart-pounding chase! After Jedi lightsaber clashes and space battles, Dunn cranked up the adrenaline again with this wild ride.
Amidala, who clearly had no clue how to drive, swerved the tank toward the city gates. Lucky for her, the thing was a juggernaut, smashing through obstacles like they were paper.
Dunn timed it perfectly—another three-minute thrill ride! Even the critics forgot to nitpick this time. They just stared at the screen, dumbfounded. "Wait, movies can *do* this?"
Wave after wave of non-stop action left everyone breathless, emotions riding high with the film's vibe. Even the stars in the front row—Liam Neeson and Ben Affleck—were wide-eyed, totally blown away.
So thrilling! So epic! So *awesome*!
"Dunn, you never fail to surprise," Cameron said, eyes glued to the screen.
Dunn just smirked.
He'd borrowed the pacing for these last 40 minutes straight from *Transformers*—relentless visual punches to keep the audience hyped. And it was working like a charm. The Jedi fights nodded to *The Matrix*, the space battle paid homage to the original *Star Wars* trilogy, and Natalie's car chase? Pure *Mad Max: Fury Road* vibes.
And this? This was just the beginning!
Amidala's tank crashed through the city gates with a *bang!*, only to find an even bigger Trade Federation droid army waiting outside. Unlike the city's grunts, these guys had *cannons*.
*Boom boom boom!* The thunderous blasts—tweaked with electronic flair—shook the theater. The unstoppable tank finally met its match, flipped over by a direct hit.
Amidala crawled out, face smudged with dirt, looking rough but unbroken. Her fierce gaze still screamed "queen." "We're surrounded," she said, voice steady despite the chaos.
"Your Majesty, we'll follow you to the death!" her people cried.
"No more running—let's die together!"
"We'll take them down with us!"
Amidala gave them a grateful look, took a deep breath, and declared, "Naboo will never surrender. As long as I'm alive, we fight!"
The audience ached for her—such a fragile figure carrying the weight of a planet's survival. Then, a ray of sunlight hit her face, lighting up her determined expression.
A sharp, piercing horn blared from the horizon.
Amidala's face lit up. "The Gungans! They're here!"
"They didn't abandon us—they came!"
Relief washed over the theater, mirroring the characters on screen. Dust kicked up at the edge of the frame as the Gungan army charged into view—thousands of warriors on horseback!
Jar Jar Binks, the comic relief up till now, rode out front in heavy armor on a white steed. The Gungan cavalry thundered across the plains behind him!
Dunn brought in Hans Zimmer for the score here, blending slick electronic beats with symphony-level grandeur. It turned this massive showdown into a legendary, goosebump-worthy moment. (Yeah, he totally lifted this from *Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers*—Gandalf's cavalry charge to save Helm's Deep.)
Hooves pounded, shaking the earth! The Trade Federation lined up, cannons and guns aimed at the swamp-born Gungans.
The Gungans charged fearlessly, firing arrows and swinging spears. Friends fell left and right, but they didn't flinch—pure courage!
This was it—the movie's *real* climax! Fans were losing it, critics were on board, and even the VIP guests were speechless, just gaping in awe.
Heart-stirring? Oh, absolutely!
Cameron finally got why Dunn kept saying "the best is yet to come." This massive, breathtaking spectacle was it!
The stunned, thrilled faces in the crowd didn't escape George Lucas's notice. He sighed, a bittersweet smile tugging at his lips.
Dunn's work was incredible, no doubt. But… was this still *his* *Star Wars*? Lucas shook his head, a twinge of regret creeping in. Maybe picking Dunn, with his bold, in-your-face style, wasn't the best call after all.