Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)

Director:

George Lucas

Writers:

George Lucas (story)
George Lucas (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 May 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A Jedi Shall Not Know Anger. Nor Hatred. Nor Love.

Plot:

Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala while his teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, makes an investigation of a separatist assassination attempt on Padmé which leads to the discovery of a secret Republican clone army.

Plot Keywords:

Assassination Attempt | Army | Clone | Senator | Bounty Hunter

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 35 nominations

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman	...	Senator Padmé Amidala
Hayden Christensen	...	Anakin Skywalker
Christopher Lee	...	Count Dooku / Darth Tyranus
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Mace Windu
Frank Oz	...	Yoda (voice)
Ian McDiarmid	...	Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
Pernilla August	...	Shmi Skywalker-Lars
Rose Byrne	...	Dormé
Temuera Morrison	...	Jango Fett
Daniel Logan	...	Boba Fett
Jimmy Smits	...	Senator Bail Organa
Jack Thompson	...	Cliegg Lars
Leeanna Walsman	...	Zam Wesell
Ahmed Best	...	Jar Jar Binks (voice)

Also Known As:

Attack of the Clones (USA) (short title)
Attack of the Clones: The IMAX Experience (USA) (IMAX version (promotional title))
Star Wars II (USA) (promotional abbreviation)
Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones (USA) (video box title)
Star Wars: Episode II (Australia) (TV title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sustained sequences of sci-fi action/violence.

Runtime:

142 min | USA:120 min (IMAX Version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.81 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | Hong Kong:I | South Africa:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Austria:10 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-11/9 | France:U | Germany:12 | Iceland:10 (original rating) | Iceland:LH (video rating) | Netherlands:12 | Netherlands:MG6 (video rating) | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:G | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG (cut) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Chott el Djerid, Nefta, Tunisia

Company:

Lucasfilm

Trivia:

This film marks the first time Yoda uses a lightsaber. Previously the puppet had problems grasping his own lightsaber and making it look realistic.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Obi Wan sends the message for help to Anakin and Amidala, Amidala presses a red button in order to transmit the message to the Jedi council. A minute later she presses the same red button in order to view a map of a galaxy, without first doing anything which might be expected to change the function of the button. There have been some desperate attempts to explain this one away, but we don't buy it.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Naboo lieutenant: Senator, we're making our final approach into Coruscant.
CordÈ: Very good, Lieutenant.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Sith Apprentice (2005)

I loved it and I think it's getting too much criticism

I happen to be one of the folks who really has enjoyed these films in the prequel trilogy. I also can see why people would not like the films and I don't deny people the right to their opinion. What has been bothering me has been some of the reasons people are giving for hating these new films... they are childish, they have too many special-effects, the acting is bad, the writing is bad, Lucas has sold out and has lost his touch... it makes me wonder if people are actually remembering the original trilogy correctly. Don't get me wrong, I love the original trilogy, but they weren't exactly well-acted or well-written movies. We didn't love them because they were these great Shakespearian works of art; we loved them because we were little kids totally enraptured by this exciting fantastical world. It seems that those same kids that loved the films 20 years ago have grown up into stuffy old yuppies that have no idea how to have fun anymore. Our generation has grown up and it seems that we wanted Star Wars to grow up with us, to morph into some new R-rated grown up version to satisfy our more mature needs. Well, we didn't like the original trilogy because it was all grown up and serious. We liked it because it was silly and fun and awesome to look at. I am personally glad that George Lucas did not make the prequels into a new grown up version. I like the adventure and excitement and I challenge the one major complaint that says that they do not live up to the originals. Let's look at what people have complained about when comparing these to the original trilogy.

-The new movies are too childish and geared towards kids: So, somehow we're supposed to believe that the droids, aliens, spaceships swamp monsters, and warriors with mystical powers from the original trilogy were of the more mature variety.

-The new movies have too many special effects: We're forgetting that the original movies were also special effects laden. Lucas has always pushed the limits of technology, even inventing new technology all the way. He has not sold out or changed or just now relied on special effects, he has always concentrated on the effects. If he had digital technology 20 years ago, he would have done the same thing then that he has now. That's what he does; he makes up worlds that don't exist and then comes up with a way to put them on film.

-The writing has been bad on the new films: Does anybody recall Lucas ever receiving a Pulitzer Prize?

-The acting has been bad on the new films: Carrie Fisher??? Mark Hamill??? Harrison Ford??? We're not exactly talking about Academy Award winners here. Name me one of the original main actors who was actually a great actor (other than Sir Alec). Now, Harrison Ford has had a great career, but he's no Jack Nicholson. And where are Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill now?

-Anakin is just a whiny little brat: Does anybody also remember how whiny Luke was in the first two movies? I mean, he did nothing but whine and complain until Jedi. And how many times did they say that Luke was just like his father? Should anybody then be surprised that Anakin was a whiny adolescent?

I think my point here is that people from my generation have taken something they loved as a kid and put it up on a pedestal so high that they are confused as to why they liked it. They think the original movies were these serious Academy Award caliber pieces of art and that's why they liked them. In fact, we liked them because they were cool and had monsters and space battles and there were toys that we could play with and have fun. The new movies are of the same mold as the original, they are unchanged. WE have changed and we're having a hard time dealing with that fact. Some would argue that these movies are not true Star Wars movies. I say, they are exactly the same... that's why I love them. If I want a serious film, I'll go find somethings starring Daniel Day-Lewis. I like action and science fiction, so I'll stick to the childish, poorly acted stuff.