Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Obi-Wan: I have to admit that without the clones, it would have not been a victory.
Yoda: Victory? Victory you say? Master Obi-Wan, not victory. The shroud of the dark side has fallen. Begun the Clone War has.
Ok, after the premiere of “The Phantom Menace,” Lucas decided to give it gas and start with ideas for the sequel. And bit by bit, we got “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”!
Ten years have passed since the battle for Naboo, and now the Galactic Republic has a new threat in the form of separatist movement led by renegade Count Dooku, former Jedi Master, and who’s increasingly managing to persuade more planets and organizations to his side and in addition is preparing an army for quite certain war.
Meanwhile, former queen (and now senator) Padmé Amidala travels to Coruscant to vote against creating Republic’s army as response to separatist threats, and barely escapes assassination, so it’s decided she’ll be assigned bodyguards, and those are none other than her old acquaintances, Obi-Wan Kenobi (“promoted” to Jedi Master class) and his student (Padawan), now grown-up Anakin Skywalker, who apparently never stopped being infatuated with Padmé, although he hasn’t seen her in 10 years.
Since assassination attempt traces lead to a certain professional bounty hunter, named Jango Fett, the Jedi Order gives Obi-Wan the task to find that bounty hunter, and Anakin to continue being Padmé’s bodyguard and to temporarily hide somewhere safe, on her home planet Naboo.
Obi-Wan’s investigations lead all the way to unusual planet Kamino, where he discovers one late Jedi concluded a contract with planet’s representatives to make clone army (which are being “grown” at great speed) for Republic’s needs (although it seems he informed no one about this). Obi-Wan also discovers the “donor” of genetic material for clones and lo and behold, it’s Jango Fett (who for some reason has a son he didn’t want Kaminoans to quickly “grow,” but to grow as normal child and live with him). So now pursuit of the bounty hunter begins.
And so, while Obi-Wan’s kidneys are being rearranged by travels, storms and armed bounty hunters, Anakin is like on annual vacation. His bodyguard job comes down to walking in nature with Padmé and stubborn courting. Although Padmé feels emotions toward Anakin, she knows excellently the Jedi code forbids emotional and physical relationships, but Anakin finds ways to slowly bypass the system like he’s been rigging tenders in Serbia his whole life. But, on the other hand, Anakin has for some time been tormented by nightmares in which he foresees his mother (Shmi) is in trouble.
Still, this trio will soon meet on one planet in not exactly favorable circumstances, which will be followed by one epic showdown, and who will save their skin alive and who won’t, you’ll find out if you watch “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones”!
The film was shot all over the world, from Australia through Africa and Europe to America. Again beautiful landscapes, colorful costumes of various races and dynamic worlds await us.
But where the film decided to raise the game is on the technology level and to push Hollywood into the “digital age.” Using now powerful digital cameras enabled Lucas to realize some of his visions during filming. Then, over 2,000 visual effects were inserted into the film and now CGI was intensively used. Yoda was for the first time digitally “brought to life” (but an interesting decision was made not to make his movement overly fluid, but to resemble mildly “puppet” style, to maintain continuity from original films, and also since Yoda was already very old then).
Music was again handled by legendary John Williams who again did a good job with epic dramatic music, and definitely the number “Battle of Heroes” dominated, which accompanied Obi-Wan and Anakin’s showdown.
As for action element, “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” is perhaps the best done, not only at this film’s level, but the entire trilogy. Yes, the space battle at film’s beginning is great, but lightsaber duels took absolute victory. Obi-Wan and Anakin against Count Dooku, Obi-Wan against Grievous, Mace Windu against Palpatine (Darth Sidious), Yoda against Palpatine… and of course, the greatest treat (and longest and most complicated fight scene)… Obi-Wan against Anakin (after he crossed to the dark side of Force). The last duel was also most prepared, starting from choreography to inserting parts with lava and explosions and what have you. There’s also the scene where Obi-Wan says one of the cult lines.
As for plot, it turned out solid, though a bit rushed. But, in the end we understand Anakin crossed to the dark side primarily in desire to save Padmé from death in his nightmares, and not because he was so enchanted by idea of power or distrust in Jedi Council (though there’s that too). But, one thing we established… and that’s George Lucas understands writing romantic dialogues and love scenes as much as I understand “Unruh effect” dealing with prediction that accelerating observer will perceive thermal bath of particles in what inertial observer considers vacuum… I not only have no idea what this means, but can’t even pronounce the definition without getting tongue-tied. Meaning, again cringe (not to say, shoddy) dialogues. I mean, maybe they’d be charming if said in the 80s… in fact they wouldn’t be even then, the man really somehow didn’t have feel for love in this trilogy (and one of film’s motifs is precisely tragic love).
Acting…
Ewan McGregor is standardly excellent as Obi-Wan Kenobi and nicely carried through his role in this trilogy and definitely one of best representations of Jedi and light side of Force in SW universe who doesn’t care who he’ll treat to his humor and sarcasm, but also had really excellent dramatic moments.
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader… you know what, somehow I think he still suffered same fate to be victim of how character was written, because in all parts that didn’t have romantic dialogues or some Shakespearean sentences, it seems to me he somehow did solid job. Despite criticism, time showed (many years later) how much audience loved this actor and his Anakin.
Natalie Portman didn’t have excessive screen time, but did everything she could with what she was given… but contributed more with her facial expressions than having any memorable dialogues.
Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/Sidious was excellent, because he gave some strong dramatic (and at moments exaggerated) note of pure evil, that theatrical Shakespearean (which isn’t surprise, because this actor devoted his whole life to theater, besides television and film).
Worth also mentioning is Samuel Jackson as always composed Jedi Mace Windu (although I expected him to say motherf***er when he found out Palpatine is the bad guy), Jimmy Smits as righteous and cunning senator Bail Organa and brief appearance of Christopher Lee as Count Dooku.
Of course, a SW film wouldn’t be a SW film if various political, military and mythological motifs weren’t threaded through. Anakin’s statement to Obi-Wan (“If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy”) is association with Bush’s statement after September 11; Anakin and Palpatine’s relationship has parallel with Faust and his pact with devil.
And as for earnings, film on budget of 113 million dollars “reached” 850 million.
All in all, “Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones” did nice job with rounding out the whole and correcting mistakes from previous parts. Although first part will be remembered under Jar Jar Binks, pod racing and legendary showdown of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan against Darth Maul, and second part for Jango Fett, clones and arena showdown, I’d dare say third part is perhaps the best in this trilogy, with lots of memorable scenes.
And for the end, a few curiosities:
- Original version of this film lasted almost four hours. The opening battle/Palpatine rescue alone lasted over an hour. Additional footage of Palpatine rescue scene was shown in video game made for this film
- McGregor and Christensen trained two months in sword fighting and physical fitness to prepare for their epic battle. As result of their training, the speed at which the duel was conducted in final film version corresponds to speed at which scene was shot and wasn’t digitally sped up
- Chancellor Palpatine’s strategy for preserving power is known to political scientists and called “Perpetual War”. Palpatine came to power through conflict with Trade Federation, gained greater privileges during Clone Wars and solidified his position through war against Jedi Alliance
- Volcanic world of Mustafar was designed to look like George Lucas’s vision of hell
- Every clone soldier in film is CGI. No real clone costume or helmet was used in film
- Dr. Eric Bui, psychiatrist from Toulouse, co-authored 2007 study in which Anakin Skywalker was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. When authors presented their findings at American Psychiatric Association annual meeting, they stated Skywalker meets criteria for diagnosis: difficulties controlling anger, stress-induced breaks with reality, impulsivity, obsession with abandonment and “pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, characterized by oscillating between idealization and devaluation”
And you, dear reader, which is your favorite part from this trilogy? 😁
Trailer
Imdb | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic
Format: Film
Premiere: 2002
Runtime: 142 minutes
