Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones is a 2002 American epic space opera film directed by George Lucas and written by Lucas and Jonathan Hales. The sequel to The Phantom Menace (1999), it is the fifth film in the Star Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the "Skywalker Saga". The film stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz.
This article is about the film. For the video game, see Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (video game). For the soundtrack, see Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (soundtrack). For the novelization, see Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (novel).Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
- George Lucas
- Jonathan Hales
George Lucas
- May 12, 2002 (Tribeca)
- May 16, 2002 (United States)
142 minutes[1]
United States
English
$115 million[2]
$653.8 million[2]
The story is set ten years after The Phantom Menace, as thousands of planetary systems slowly secede from the Galactic Republic and join the newly formed Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku. With the galaxy on the brink of civil war, Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates a mysterious assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, which leads him to uncover a clone army in service of the Republic and the truth behind the Separatist movement. Meanwhile, his apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect Amidala and develops a secret romance with her. Soon, the trio witness the onset of a new threat to the galaxy: The Clone Wars.
Development of Attack of the Clones began in March 2000, some months after the release of The Phantom Menace. By June 2000, Lucas and Hales completed a draft of the script, and principal photography took place from June to September 2000. The film crew primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, Australia, with additional footage filmed in Tunisia, Spain, and Italy. It was one of the first motion pictures shot completely on a high-definition digital 24-frame system.
The film was released in the United States on May 16, 2002. It received mixed reviews from critics; the film's increased focus on action was praised, while the characters and dialogue were regarded more critically. It performed well at the box office, making $653.8 million worldwide. Yet, it became the first Star Wars film to get outgrossed in its year of release, placing third domestically after Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and fourth-highest-grossing worldwide after the former two films and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.[3] Revenge of the Sith (2005) followed Attack of the Clones, concluding the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Plot[edit]
Ten years after the battle at Naboo,[a] the Galactic Republic is threatened by a Separatist movement organized by former Jedi Master Count Dooku. Former Queen turned Senator Padmé Amidala travels to Coruscant to vote against a motion to create an army to assist the Jedi against the growing threat. Narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt upon arrival, she is placed under the protection of Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Apprentice Anakin Skywalker. The pair thwart a second assassination attempt on Padmé and subdue the assassin, Zam Wesell, whose employer, a bounty hunter, kills her before she reveals his identity. The Jedi Council instructs Obi-Wan to find the bounty hunter, while Anakin is tasked to protect Padmé and escort her to Naboo. Despite the Jedi Code that forbids attachments, the two fall in love.
Obi-Wan's search leads to Kamino, an ocean planet. There he discovers a clone army is being produced for the Republic under the name of Sifo-Dyas, a deceased Jedi Master. The bounty hunter Jango Fett serves as their genetic template. Obi-Wan deduces Jango is the bounty hunter he is seeking and places a homing beacon on Jango's ship, Slave I. He then follows Jango and his clone son Boba to the planet Geonosis. Meanwhile, Anakin is troubled by visions of his mother Shmi in pain, and returns to his homeworld of Tatooine with Padmé to save her. His former owner Watto reveals that he sold Shmi to a moisture farmer named Cliegg Lars, who then freed and married her. Cliegg says Tusken Raiders abducted Shmi one month earlier and she is likely dead. Anakin finds her at the Tusken campsite, barely alive. After she dies in his arms, an enraged Anakin massacres the entire tribe. He later confesses his actions to Padmé and vows to prevent the deaths of those he loves.
On Geonosis, Obi-Wan discovers a Separatist gathering led by Count Dooku, who is developing a droid army with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray, who ordered the assassination attempts on Padmé. Obi-Wan transmits his findings to the Jedi Council but is captured by Separatist droids. Dooku meets Obi-Wan in his cell and explains that the Republic is under the control of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. He invites Obi-Wan to help him stop Sidious, but Obi-Wan refuses. Senate Representative Jar Jar Binks proposes a successful vote to grant emergency powers to Chancellor Palpatine, allowing the clone army to be officially brought into action as the defence force of the Republic.
Anakin and Padmé head to Geonosis to rescue Obi-Wan. While in the Geonosian droid factory, Anakin loses his lightsaber before Jango captures them. Dooku sentences the trio to be killed by alien beasts in the arena. A battalion of clone troopers led by Yoda, Mace Windu, and other Jedi suddenly arrive; Windu beheads Jango during the ensuing battle. Obi-Wan and Anakin intercept Dooku and engage in a lightsaber duel. Dooku injures Obi-Wan and severs Anakin's right arm; Yoda intervenes and defends them. To distract Yoda, Dooku uses the Force in an attempt to kill Anakin and Obi-Wan. Dooku escapes via his Solar Sailer to Coruscant and delivers the schematics for a superweapon to Sidious. As the Jedi acknowledge the beginning of the Clone Wars,[b] Anakin is fitted with a cybernetic arm and secretly marries Padmé on Naboo.
Pernilla August, Ahmed Best, Oliver Ford Davies, and Andy Secombe reprise their roles from The Phantom Menace as Shmi Skywalker, Jar Jar Binks, Sio Bibble, and Watto, respectively. Silas Carson also reprises his role from that film as both Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation; and Ki-Adi-Mundi, a Cerean Jedi Master sitting on the Jedi Council. Jimmy Smits portrays Bail Organa, a senator from Alderaan. Daniel Logan portrays a young Boba Fett, Jango Fett's clone and adopted son.
Jack Thompson, Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse appear as members of the Lars family and homestead; respectively as Cliegg Lars, Shmi's husband, Owen's father and Anakin's stepfather; Owen Lars, Cliegg's son, Shmi's stepson, and Anakin's stepbrother; and Beru Whitesun, Owen's girlfriend. Leeanna Walsman appears as Zam Wesell, a shapeshifting Clawdite bounty hunter and partner of Jango Fett, who was given the task of assassinating Padmé. Jay Laga'aia appears as Gregar Typho, Padmé's newly appointed captain of security. Rose Byrne and Alethea McGrath briefly appear as Dormé, Padmé's handmaiden and as Jocasta Nu, the librarian at the Jedi Temple, respectively. Ronald Falk provides the voice of Dexter Jettster, Obi-Wan's Besalisk friend who runs a diner on Coruscant and informs him about Kamino.
Daniels and Best also make cameo appearances as Dannl Faytonni and Achk Med-Beq, respectively, attendees of the Coruscant Outlander Club who witness Anakin and Obi-Wan capturing Zam Wesell.[15][16] E! reported that Lucas had asked NSYNC to film a small background cameo appearance, in order to satisfy his daughters. They were subsequently cut out of the film in post-production, although briefly visible during a crowd shot from above.[17][18] The end credits erroneously list Alan Ruscoe as playing Neimoidian senator Lott Dod. The character was actually another Neimoidian, played by an uncredited David Healy and voiced by Christopher Truswell. Archival recordings of Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn from The Phantom Menace, appear as a disembodied ghostly voice heard by Anakin through the Force as he was slaughtering the Tusken Raiders; Qui-Gon also appears earlier in the film in the form of a statue in his likeness during a background scene when Obi-Wan visits the Jedi Archives. Fiona Johnson reprised her The Matrix (1999) role as the Woman in the Red Dress in an Easter egg cameo appearance, with her character named "Hayde Gofai" in later Star Wars media, briefly offering a seductive look to Anakin Skywalker at the Outlander Club.[19]
Production[edit]
Writing[edit]
After the mixed critical response to The Phantom Menace, Lucas was hesitant to return to the writing desk. In March 2000, just three months before the start of principal photography, Lucas finally completed his rough draft for Episode II. Lucas continued to iterate on his rough draft, producing a proper first and second draft. For help with the third draft, which would later become the shooting script, Lucas brought on Jonathan Hales, who had written several episodes of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles for him, but had limited experience writing theatrical films. The final script was completed just three days before the start of principal photography.[20]
As an in-joke, the film's working title was Jar Jar's Great Adventure, a sarcastic reference to the negative fan response to the Episode I character.[21]
In writing The Empire Strikes Back, Lucas initially decided that Lando Calrissian was a clone and came from a planet of clones which caused the "Clone Wars" mentioned by Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope;[22][23] he later came up with an alternate concept of an army of clone shocktroopers from a remote planet which were used by the Republic as an army in the war that followed.[24]
Release[edit]
Marketing[edit]
In November 2001, three teaser trailers for Attack of the Clones were released, which were shown on the Internet, as well as the DVD-ROM selection of The Phantom Menace DVD release. The first one was released on November 2 with the Disney Pixar film Monsters, Inc. in theaters.[48] A second teaser debuted online three days later on November 5. This was followed by a third teaser trailer, which was released on November 16 with the global release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States. Just like its predecessor, fans paid full admission at theaters to see the trailers.[49] The next trailer premiered on Fox Network on March 10, 2002, between Malcolm in the Middle and The X-Files, followed by a theatrical debut five days later on March 15 with the opening of Ice Age.[50] It was made available on the official Star Wars website the same day.[51] The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas from Chicago predicted before the film's release that U.S. companies could lose more than $319 million in productivity due to employees calling in sick and then heading to theaters to see the film.[52]
Theatrical[edit]
The film premiered as part of the inaugural Tribeca Film Festival at the BMCC Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers St. in New York City[53] at a Sunday, May 12 set of screenings benefitting the Children's Aid Society, a charity supported by George Lucas.[54] Attack of the Clones was then screened out of competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival,[55] before getting a worldwide theatrical release on May 16, 2002. The film was also later released in IMAX theaters; the film had not been filmed for IMAX but was "up converted" with the digital remastering process. Because of the technical limitations of the IMAX projector at the time, an edited, 120-minute version of the film was presented.[56]
Before the film's release, there was a string of controversies regarding copyright infringement. In 2000, an underground organization calling itself the Atlas Group, based in Perth, Western Australia offered a copy of the screenplay, with an asking price of US$100,000, to various fan sites and media organizations, including TheForce.Net. The scheme was subsequently reported to Lucasfilm Ltd. by the fan site.
An unauthorized copy was allegedly made at a private showing, using a digital recorder that was pointed at the screen. This copy spread over the internet, and analysts predicted up to a million fans would have seen the film before the day of its release.[57] In addition, authorities seized thousands of bootlegs throughout Kuala Lumpur before the film opened.[58]
Home media[edit]
Attack of the Clones was released on DVD and VHS on November 12, 2002.[59] On the first day of release, over 4 million DVD copies were sold, becoming the third-highest single-day DVD sales of any film, behind Monsters, Inc. and Spider-Man.[60] This THX certified two-disc DVD release consists of widescreen and pan and scan fullscreen versions. The set contains one disc with the film and the other one with bonus features. The first disc features three randomized selected menus, which are Coruscant, Kamino and Geonosis. There is an Easter egg located in the options menu. When the THX Optimizer is highlighted, the viewer can press 1-1-3-8. By doing this, some bloopers and DVD credits will be shown.[61] The DVD also features an audio commentary from director George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor and sound designer Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman, and ILM visual effects supervisors Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow. Eight deleted scenes are included along with multiple documentaries, which include a full-length documentary about the creation of digital characters and two others that focus on sound design and the animatics team. Three featurettes examine the storyline, action scenes, and love story, and a set of 12 short web documentaries cover the overall production of the film.[62]
The Attack of the Clones DVD also features a trailer for a mockumentary-style short film known as R2-D2: Beneath the Dome. Some stores offered the full mockumentary as an exclusive bonus disc for a small extra charge. The film gives an alternate look at the "life" of the droid R2-D2. The story, which Lucas approved, was meant to be humorous.[63]
The film was re-released in a prequel trilogy DVD box set on November 4, 2008.[64]
The six-film Star Wars saga was released on Blu-ray Disc on September 16, 2011, in three different editions.[65]
On April 7, 2015, Walt Disney Studios, 20th Century Fox, and Lucasfilm jointly announced the digital releases of the six released Star Wars films. Attack of the Clones was released through the iTunes Store, Amazon Video, Vudu, Google Play, and Disney Movies Anywhere on April 10, 2015.[66]
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment reissued Attack of the Clones on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download on September 22, 2019.[67] Additionally, all six films were available for 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos streaming on Disney+ upon the service's launch on November 12, 2019.[68] This version of the film was released by Disney on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on March 31, 2020, whilst being re-released on Blu-ray and DVD.[69]
3D re-release[edit]
On September 28, 2010, it was announced that all six films in the series were to be stereo-converted to 3D, and re-released in chronological order beginning at The Phantom Menace which was released on February 10, 2012. Attack of the Clones was originally scheduled to be re-released in 3D on September 20, 2013,[70] but was postponed due to Lucasfilm's desire to focus on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.[71][72][73] However, the 3D presentation of the film was first shown at Celebration Europe II from July 26 to 28, 2013.[74][75][76]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65% based on 257 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones benefits from an increased emphasis on thrilling action, although they're once again undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters."[77] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 39 critics, which indicates "mixed or average reviews".[78] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale, the same score as the previous film.[79]
Numerous critics characterized the dialogue as "stiff" and "flat".[80] The acting was also disparaged by some critics.[81] Conversely, other critics felt fans would be pleased to see that Jar Jar Binks has only a minor role.[82] Additionally, Jar Jar's attempts at comic relief seen in The Phantom Menace were toned down; instead, C-3PO reprised some of his bumbling traditions in that role. McGregor referred to the swordplay in the film as "unsatisfactory" when comparing it to the climactic duel in Revenge of the Sith as it neared release.[83] ReelViews.net's James Berardinelli gave a positive review, saying "in a time when, more often than not, sequels disappoint, it's refreshing to uncover something this high-profile that fulfills the promise of its name and adds another title to a storied legacy."[84]
Roger Ebert, who had praised the previous Star Wars films, gave Episode II only two out of four stars, noting "[As] someone who admired the freshness and energy of the earlier films, I was amazed, at the end of Episode II, to realize that I had not heard one line of quotable, memorable dialogue." About Anakin and Padme's relationship, Ebert stated, "There is not a romantic word they exchange that has not long since been reduced to cliché."[81] Leonard Maltin, who also liked all of the previous installments, awarded two stars out of four to this endeavor as well, as seen in his Movie and Video Guide from the 2002 edition onward. Maltin cited an "overlong story" as reason for his dissatisfaction and added "Wooden characterizations and dialogue don't help."[85]
Box office[edit]
During its opening day, Attack of the Clones made $30.1 million, combined with $6 million from midnight screenings.[86][87] At that point, it had the highest Thursday gross of any film, taking the former record held by Independence Day.[88] It would go on to make $116.3 million within its first four days, making it the second-fastest film to approach the $100 million mark, behind Spider-Man.[89] Plus, it had grossed over $80 million over the weekend,[90] becoming the third-highest three-day opening weekend of all time, after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Spider-Man.[91] Attack of the Clones had the highest opening weekend for a 20th Century Fox film until 2003 when it was taken by X2.[92] That year, The Matrix Reloaded beat Attack of the Clones for having the biggest Thursday opening of any film.[93] The film would stay at the top of the box office for two weeks until it was dethroned by The Sum of All Fears.[94]
Attack of the Clones grossed $310,676,740 in North America and $338,721,588 overseas for a worldwide total of $649,398,328. Though a box office success, it was nevertheless overshadowed by the even greater box office success of The Phantom Menace three years earlier.[2] It was not the top-grossing film of the year, either in North America (where it finished in third place) or worldwide (where it was fourth), the first time that a Star Wars film did not have this distinction. In North America, it was outgrossed by Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, both of which were more favorably received by critics. Worldwide, it was also outgrossed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Adjusted for inflation, Attack of the Clones is the lowest-performing live-action Star Wars film at the North American box office, though is still among the 100 highest-grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation. The film sold an estimated 52,012,300 tickets in the US in its initial theatrical run.[95]
Internationally, Attack of the Clones made $69.1 million during its opening weekend from 71 countries, breaking Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone's record for having the largest international opening weekend. The combined total gross increased to $173.9 million, making it the highest worldwide opening weekend at that time.[96] It made a total opening weekend gross of $54 million in Europe, with $17 million from the UK, $11 million from Germany, $7.6 million from France and $4.5 million from Spain.[97] The film also recorded the highest opening weekend in Hungary, surpassing The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.[98] With a total gross of $954,000, Attack of the Clones had the second-highest opening of any film in Singapore, behind The Lost World: Jurassic Park.[99] Meanwhile, in Japan, it earned a total of $13.8 million in its first two days of release, joining The Phantom Menace, Mission: Impossible 2 and A.I. Artificial Intelligence to rank themselves in the list of the country's top five highest opening weekends of all time.[100] Outside the United States and Canada, the film grossed over $10 million in Australia ($18.9 million), France and Algeria ($30.6 million), Germany ($35 million), Italy ($12.9 million), Japan ($78.1 million), Spain ($16.1 million), and the United Kingdom and Ireland ($58.7 million).[2]
Accolades[edit]
Following suit with the series' previous installments, the Academy Awards nominated Attack of the Clones' Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow for Best Visual Effects at the 2003 Academy Awards.[101][102] Natalie Portman was also honored at the Teen Choice Awards,[103] and the film received an award for Best Fight at the MTV Movie Awards.[104] In contrast, the film also received seven nominations from the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Picture, Worst Director (George Lucas), Worst Screenplay (George Lucas), Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen), Worst Supporting Actress (Natalie Portman), Worst Screen Couple (Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman) and Worst Remake or Sequel.[105] It took home two awards for Worst Screenplay (George Lucas) and Worst Supporting Actor (Hayden Christensen).[106]
Legacy and influence[edit]
In a 2023 interview, cartoonist and animation producer ND Stevenson said that he was compelled by the shapeshifting character, Zam Wesell, causing him to think more about shapeshifting, and said the film was where his "love of shapeshifters specifically started.[110] In other interviews, Stevenson expressed his affinity for Wesell,[111][112] even stating that Double Trouble in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is meant as an homage to Wesell.[113] Stevenson also said that at an early age, Wesell created a huge impression on him, noting he latched onto Zam because she was a shapeshifter, causing him to come up with a version of the story when Zam lived, "became the main character" in a "whole parallel world" that Stevenson constructed.[114]
In the archivist field, the film has been critically approached for its depiction of a librarian stereotype in the character Jocasta Nu, the Jedi archivist/librarian of the Jedi Temple library. Some have noted that the archives depicted in the film resembles a library, while Nu wears clothing which represents her "devotion to knowledge and learning" and provides reference assistance to Obi-Wan Kenobi.[115][116] For instance, scholar Eric Ketelaar argued that Nu is an example of an archivist that "mediates, shares, or obstructs" power of the archives, as dictated by the film's plot.[117][118] In contrast, former Society of American Archivists president Randall C. Jimerson stated that the film provides a "more confident view of archives" than other media, showing the powerful and confident role of an archivist despite "archival sabotage".[119] Otherwise, Richard Pearce-Moses, stated the Nu's notion, that information not within the archives doesn't exist, is a "naïve" and is believed by some in regard to information not on the internet.[120]
Other scholars have critically approached the film with different perspectives. Anna Lancashire stated that the film has the impact of turning the other films into an "epic commentary on American and international politics and economics", and on political empires based on aggressiveness, "human greed...hatred, and fear".[121] Timothy P. Chartier argued how the film can be used in classrooms for topics such as linear algebra, calculus, and numerical analysis.[122] Scholar Bradley Schauer said that the film is a unified, classical text, and argued that it has different meanings for "both general and specialized audiences".[123]
More recently, independent academic Keri Thomas considered the movie as a reference point for discussion on the digitisation of medieval manuscripts: "At the moment, digital manuscripts capture a folio page exactly as it is in that moment and from then on, that’s the page you’re going to get whenever you access it online. There will never be differences due to light, for example, or how it is being handled. Is the digital manuscript, therefore, a clone?"[124]