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Attack of the Clones (2002)
Starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, and Samuel L. Jackson. Cinematography by David Tattersall. Edited by Ben Burtt. Produced by Rick McCallum. Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales. Directed by George Lucas.
Ten years have passed since Qui-Gon Jinn was killed and Obi-Wan took Anakin as his apprentice. Queen Padme Amidala is now a senator and has returned to Coruscant to represent her planet’s interests while the council debates the secession of multiple planet systems. An attempt is made on her life and Obi-Wan is assigned to her as security. Feelings are shared between Anakin and Amidala and the two begin to fall in love. Meanwhile Obi-Wan has discovered a giant army of clone warriors being developed without the knowledge of the Jedi council. He follows the master clone Jango Fett and his son Boba to Geonosis where he meets Count Dooku, a former Jedi turned evil. Back on Coruscant Padme and Anakin have decided to return to Naboo, but dark nightmares turn Anakin’s attention to his home planet of Tatooine to find his mother. All the while a full scale civil war is brewing in the galaxy; leading into the epic Clone Wars.
George Lucas, a forerunner in the development of film technology, decided it was time to film his next Star Wars film, Attack of the Clones, completely in digital. The entire project was shot, edited, and presented in a digital format, making it the first “all digital” feature presentation. Lucas had hoped that by the time that he had finished Attack of the Clones there would be at least five hundred or so theaters sporting digital projectors, but when the film was released there were not quite a hundred properly equipped to display his film. Though the potential savings for switching from film to digital could be substantial, the initial investment is far more than many theaters can afford. More and more theater owners bit the bullet in the months and years following Attack of the Clones giving Lucas hope for a proper release of his sixth Star Wars project, Revenge of the Sith. Now the home theater is an entirely different story. Episode II was the first high definition film to be transferred into the DVD format straight from its master source, giving the film clarity in picture and sound that is nearly breathtaking. So if you couldn’t get to the digital presentation at your local movie house, you can have a similar, if smaller, effect in a well equipped home theater.
A number of fans were disappointed with Lucas’ The Phantom Menace; a film that could have not possibly lived up to its hype, but some redemption was earned with Attack of the Clones. The film is still more complicated and lengthy than one would expect from a Star Wars film, but some of the energy and excitement that was missing from the first film is proudly displayed here. The lightsaber battles are once again incredible and the last forty minutes of the film features the first fantastic battle in the highly anticipated Clone Wars. Attack of the Clones is defiantly a step in the right direction for the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
Budget: $120,000,000
Total US Gross: $302,181,125
Genre: Science Fiction
Runtime: 143 Minutes
US Release Date: 5/16/02
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best visual effects.
Tagline: A Jedi Shall Not Know Anger. Nor Hatred. Nor Love.
Quote: “Pain, suffering, death I feel. Something terrible has happened. Young Skywalker is in pain. Terrible pain.”
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