Ten years after initially meeting, Anakin Skywalker shares a forbidden romance with Padmé Amidala, while Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates an assassination attempt on the senator and discovers a secret clone army crafted for the Jedi.
With the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, this is the perfect opportunity to recap the epic space opera audiences have enjoyed for over 40 years.
Three years into the Clone Wars, the Jedi rescue Palpatine from Count Dooku. As Obi-Wan pursues a new threat, Anakin acts as a double agent between the Jedi Council and Palpatine and is lured into a sinister plan to rule the galaxy.
Two Jedi escape a hostile blockade to find allies and come across a young boy who may bring balance to the Force, but the long dormant Sith resurface to claim their old glory.
After a daring mission to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebels dispatch to Endor to destroy the second Death Star. Meanwhile, Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side without falling into the Emperor's trap.
Three decades after the Empire's defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Defected stormtrooper Finn and the scavenger Rey are caught up in the Resistance's search for the missing Luke Skywalker.
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued by Darth Vader and a bounty hunter named Boba Fett all over the galaxy.
Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for battle with the First Order.
During an adventure into the criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.
Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a "Super-Soldier serum". But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a war monger and a terrorist organization.
Director:
Joe Johnston
Stars:
Chris Evans,
Hugo Weaving,
Samuel L. Jackson
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director:
Joss Whedon
Stars:
Robert Downey Jr.,
Chris Evans,
Scarlett Johansson
Ten years after the invasion of Naboo, the Galactic Republic is facing a Separatist movement and the former queen and now Senator Padmé Amidala travels to Coruscant to vote on a project to create an army to help the Jedi to protect the Republic. Upon arrival, she escapes from an attempt to kill her, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker are assigned to protect her. They chase the shape-shifter Zam Wessell but she is killed by a poisoned dart before revealing who hired her. The Jedi Council assigns Obi-Wan Kenobi to discover who has tried to kill Amidala and Anakin to protect her in Naboo. Obi-Wan discovers that the dart is from the planet Kamino, and he heads to the remote planet. He finds an army of clones that has been under production for years for the Republic and that the bounty hunter Jango Fett was the matrix for the clones. Meanwhile Anakin and Amidala fall in love with each other, and he has nightmarish visions of his mother. They travel to his home planet, ...Written by
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
With an estimated budget of $120 million, this was the most expensive Star Wars film until Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), with an estimated budget of $200 million. See more »
Goofs
When Ki Adi Mundi first draws his lightsaber in the Arena, it is blue. After Yoda and the clones arrive, his lightsaber is green. Seconds later, when he gets on a ship, his lightsaber is blue again. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Naboo lieutenant:
Senator, we're making our final approach into Coruscant.
CordÈ:
Very good, Lieutenant.
See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening logo for 20th Century Fox is static (to match the opening of Episodes 4, 5 and 6), instead of the animated 3-D logo used in Fox films at the time. See more »
Alternate Versions
The original UK releases were cut by the distributor to secure a PG rating (an uncut 12 rating was available). About 1 second of footage was excised, removing a head butt in the fight scene between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett.
The cut was waived in 2011.
(The film was also rated PG in Ireland and played uncut in Irish cinemas). See more »
And now, the Darth Vader origin story really begins. In fact, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" sort of renders its predecessor useless. "Episode I" feels like a mostly unnecessary part of the story now that "Episode II" gives a better glimpse into the troubled young man Anakin Skywalker – the future Darth Vader – has become.
Of course, "Attack of the Clones" also has troubles of its own. Although it is quite the grandiose visual effects spectacle – more so than any of its predecessors – it is the smaller, character- driven parts of the story that George Lucas absolutely botches, to almost comical effect.
Central to the entire prequel trilogy is the story of how Darth Vader becomes Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire rises to power, which means Lucas has a trajectory he must follow. It's clear in many ways that the story and screenplay is slave to this. Everything must add up to fit with the original "Star Wars" trilogy and Lucas must connect the dots, even if they don't all want to connect.
The dots that are most critical to the story are the ones that trace Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) path to the dark side and becoming the father of Luke and Leia. Therefore, he must turn evil – and fall in love – at the same time.
Because "The Phantom Menace" does very little legwork for Anakin's turn to the dark side, everything falls on "Attack of the Clones" to put it in motion. Right away, we are presented with a cocky, reckless young padowan of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who is nothing like little "Ani" in "Episode I." He is also extremely forward with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), because, well, they have to fall in love and there just isn't much time for them to do so in a believable way.
Before ripping into this unfortunate romantic subplot, it's worth noting that most else about "Clones" is entertaining. Running through the film is a pretty solid mystery thread: As a dangerous separatist movement gains steam in the Republic, now-Senator Amidala finds her life threatened and Obi-Wan and Anakin are assigned to protect her, and if possible, identify her would-be assassin. Obi- Wan traces a poison dart to a mysterious planet called Kamino, where he uncovers a big secret and a conspiracy unfolds.
Ever since Alec Guinness' Ben Kenobi mentioned fighting with Luke's father in the Clone Wars in "A New Hope," "Star Wars" die-hards have been itching to see the Clone Wars and find out just what they were all about. "Attack of the Clones" sets this up an exciting way and introduces some exciting villains to boot in Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). For the first time, fans can piece together how the Galactic Empire came into power, and that's exciting.
Interspersed with this unraveling mystery, however, is the Anakin- Padme romance, a subplot that reveals the most hideous weaknesses of Lucas' storytelling ability, namely that he cannot write good dialogue and he most certainly cannot create a genuine romance.
The feistiness of the Leia-Han backward romance accidentally worked out really well for Lucas because of Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford's repartee. This romance, however, is way more dramatic, serious and creepy. For one, the age gap between the two is uncomfortable, and largely because Padme says that she still sees him as a little boy. For another, he comes on to her aggressively and with a stalker-like anger that she apparently doesn't mind after he's persistent enough. And amidst it all, Anakin is having nightmares about his mother and is dealing with feelings of revenge that don't seem to bother Padme. There's just no way it had to be this ugly, but again, Anakin is Luke and Leia's father, and that has to happen somehow.
In a film without "Star Wars" in the title, "Attack of the Clones" would've warranted more scathing backlash, but the romance failure is somehow more acceptable in this instance because "Clones" is part of a story and a universe bigger than itself. You just have to brush it off. At least, unlike "Phantom Menace," the film feels more connected to that universe in other ways (and there's exceptionally less Jar Jar Binks in it).
With an iconic lightsaber duel at the end to top it all off, "Clones" skates by on adventure even though it does make it clear that no matter what happens in "Episode III," the prequels won't have the same heart and same lovable nature as the original films do.
~Steven C
Check out Movie Muse Reviews for more
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And now, the Darth Vader origin story really begins. In fact, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones" sort of renders its predecessor useless. "Episode I" feels like a mostly unnecessary part of the story now that "Episode II" gives a better glimpse into the troubled young man Anakin Skywalker – the future Darth Vader – has become.
Of course, "Attack of the Clones" also has troubles of its own. Although it is quite the grandiose visual effects spectacle – more so than any of its predecessors – it is the smaller, character- driven parts of the story that George Lucas absolutely botches, to almost comical effect.
Central to the entire prequel trilogy is the story of how Darth Vader becomes Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire rises to power, which means Lucas has a trajectory he must follow. It's clear in many ways that the story and screenplay is slave to this. Everything must add up to fit with the original "Star Wars" trilogy and Lucas must connect the dots, even if they don't all want to connect.
The dots that are most critical to the story are the ones that trace Anakin Skywalker's (Hayden Christensen) path to the dark side and becoming the father of Luke and Leia. Therefore, he must turn evil – and fall in love – at the same time.
Because "The Phantom Menace" does very little legwork for Anakin's turn to the dark side, everything falls on "Attack of the Clones" to put it in motion. Right away, we are presented with a cocky, reckless young padowan of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) who is nothing like little "Ani" in "Episode I." He is also extremely forward with Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), because, well, they have to fall in love and there just isn't much time for them to do so in a believable way.
Before ripping into this unfortunate romantic subplot, it's worth noting that most else about "Clones" is entertaining. Running through the film is a pretty solid mystery thread: As a dangerous separatist movement gains steam in the Republic, now-Senator Amidala finds her life threatened and Obi-Wan and Anakin are assigned to protect her, and if possible, identify her would-be assassin. Obi- Wan traces a poison dart to a mysterious planet called Kamino, where he uncovers a big secret and a conspiracy unfolds.
Ever since Alec Guinness' Ben Kenobi mentioned fighting with Luke's father in the Clone Wars in "A New Hope," "Star Wars" die-hards have been itching to see the Clone Wars and find out just what they were all about. "Attack of the Clones" sets this up an exciting way and introduces some exciting villains to boot in Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) and Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). For the first time, fans can piece together how the Galactic Empire came into power, and that's exciting.
Interspersed with this unraveling mystery, however, is the Anakin- Padme romance, a subplot that reveals the most hideous weaknesses of Lucas' storytelling ability, namely that he cannot write good dialogue and he most certainly cannot create a genuine romance.
The feistiness of the Leia-Han backward romance accidentally worked out really well for Lucas because of Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford's repartee. This romance, however, is way more dramatic, serious and creepy. For one, the age gap between the two is uncomfortable, and largely because Padme says that she still sees him as a little boy. For another, he comes on to her aggressively and with a stalker-like anger that she apparently doesn't mind after he's persistent enough. And amidst it all, Anakin is having nightmares about his mother and is dealing with feelings of revenge that don't seem to bother Padme. There's just no way it had to be this ugly, but again, Anakin is Luke and Leia's father, and that has to happen somehow.
In a film without "Star Wars" in the title, "Attack of the Clones" would've warranted more scathing backlash, but the romance failure is somehow more acceptable in this instance because "Clones" is part of a story and a universe bigger than itself. You just have to brush it off. At least, unlike "Phantom Menace," the film feels more connected to that universe in other ways (and there's exceptionally less Jar Jar Binks in it).
With an iconic lightsaber duel at the end to top it all off, "Clones" skates by on adventure even though it does make it clear that no matter what happens in "Episode III," the prequels won't have the same heart and same lovable nature as the original films do.
~Steven C
Check out Movie Muse Reviews for more