Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Review

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

Release Date: 16th May 2002 - Australia

Production Companies

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution

20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 142 minutes

Budget: $115,000,000

Box Office Gross: $653,779,970 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
After several assassination attempts have put Padmé Amidala, now the Senator of Naboo, in grave danger, the Jedi assigns Anakin Skywalker to protect her at all costs. Anakin develops a romance with Padmé, which the Jedi Code forbids.

Meanwhile, his master Obi-
Wan Kenobi is looking for
the assassin Jango Fett and

has found some clues that

lead to discovering a clone
army. A sinister plot from 

a group of Separatists with 

Count Dooku as their
leader would soon escalate
into a full-scale war with the Republic.

Cast

Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan
Kenobi

Natalie Portman - Padmé

Amidala

Hayden Christensen - Anakin
Skywalker

Ian McDiarmid - Supreme
Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

Christopher Lee - Count Dooku

Samuel L. Jackson - Mace
Windu

Temuera Morrison - Jango Fett

Frank Oz - Yoda (Voice)

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO/
Dannl Faytonni

Kenny Baker - R2-D2

Daniel Logan - Boba Fett

Leeanna Walsman - Zam
Wessell

Silas Carson - Nute Gunray/
Ki-Adi-Mundi

Ahmed Best - Jar Jar Binks
(Voice)/Achk Med-Beq
Jimmy Smits - Senator Bail
Organa
Pernilla August - Shmi
Skywalker
Jack Thompson - Cliegg Lars
Joel Edgerton - Owen Lars
Bonnie Piesse - Beru
Jay Laga'aia - Captain Typho
Andy Secombe - Watto (Voice)
Oliver Ford Davies - Sio Bibble
Ayesha Dharker - Queen
Jamillia
Anthony Phelan - Lama Su (Voice)
Rena Owen - Taun We (Voice)
Ron Falk - Dexter Jettster (Voice)

Rose Byrne - Dormé
Verónica Segura - Cordé
Alethea McGrath - Madame Jocasta Nu
Matt Doran - Elan Sleazebaggano
Matt Sloan - Plo Koon
Zachariah Jensen - Kit Fisto
Alex Knoll - J.K. Burtola
Phoebe Yiamkiati - Mari Amithest
Matt Rowan - Senator Orn Free Taa
David Bowers - Mas Amedda
Steven Boyle - Senator Ask Aak/

Passel Argente
Matt Sloan - Plo Koon

Marton Csokas - Poggle the Lesser

(Voice) (Uncredited)

Amy Allen - Aayla Secura/Mya Nalle/

Yma Nalle/Lela Mayn (Uncredited)

Orli Shashan - Shaak Ti (Uncredited)

Nalini Krishan - Barris Offee (Uncredited)

Mary Oyaya - Luminara Unduli

(Uncredited)

Lily Nyamwasa - Adi Gallas (Uncredited)

Tux Akindoyeni - Agen Kolar (Uncredited)

Susie Porter - Hermione Bagwa/WA-7

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer/
Director - George Lucas

Character Creators: Aayla Secura -

John Ostrander and Jan Duursema (Uncredited)

Screenplay - Jonathan Hales

Script Supervisor - Jayne-Ann Tenggren

Producers - Rick McCallum and

Lorne Orleans (IMAX Version)

Casting Director - Robin Gurland

Production Designer - Gavin Bocquet

Concept Design Supervisors - Doug Chiang,
Ryan Church and Erik Tiemens
Supervising Art Director - Peter Russell

Art Directors - Ian Gracie, Phil Harvey,

Fred Hole, Jonathan Lee and Michelle McGahey

Supervising Construction Manager - David Bubb

Construction Manager - Greg Hajdu

Set Decorator - Peter Walpole

Assistant Set Decorator - Beverley Dunn
Property Master - Ty Teiger 

Costume Designer - Trisha Biggar

Makeup Supervisor - Lesley Vanderwalt

Creatures Supervisor - Jason Baird

Director of Photography - David Tattersall

Director of Photography: Additional Shooting

Crew - Giles Nuttgens

High Definition Camera Supervisor - Fred Meyers

Camera/Steadicam Operator - Brad Shield

Camera Operator - Calum McFarlane

Techno Crane Operator - Geoff Brown

Production Supervisor - Stephen Jones

Production Manager: Tunisia - Peter Heslop

Production Coordinators: Additional Shooting

Crew - Helen Gregory and Virginia Whitwell

First Assistant Director - James McTeigue

First Assistant Directors: Additional Shooting

Crew - Richard Hewitt and Richard Whelan

Second Second Assistant Director - Paul Sullivan

Stunt Coordinator/Sword Master - Nick Gillard

Special Effects Supervisor - David Young
Special Effects Supervisor: ILM - Geoff Heron

Special Effects Supervisor: Additional Shooting

Crew - Tom Harris

Creature Effects Supervisor: Additional Shooting

Crew - Nick Dudman

Droid Unit Supervisor/R2-D2 Operator -

Don Bies

Visual Effects Supervisors - Pablo Helman,

John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Ben Snow

Visual Effects Producers: ILM - Jill Brooks,

Gretchen Libby and Heather MacDonald

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM - Judith Weaver

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Alex Jaeger

Visual Effects Conceptual Artists: ILM -

Christian Alzmann, Michael Brunsfield,

Warren Fu, Philip Metschan and Wilson J. Tang

Effects Directors of Photography: ILM -

Martin Rosenberg, Carl Miller and Pat Sweeney

Model Supervisor: ILM - Brian Gernand

Animation Director - Rob Coleman

Animation Supervisors: ILM - Chris Armstrong

and Hal T. Hickel

Technical Animation Supervisor: ILM - James Tooley

Pre-Visualisation/Effects Supervisors -

Daniel D. Gregoire and David Dozoretz

Computer Graphics Supervisors: ILM -

Kevin Barnhill, Dan B. Goldman, Samir Hoon,

David Meny, Robert Marinic, Curt I. Miyashiro,

Patrick T. Myers and Henry Preston

Motion Capture Supervisor: ILM - Jeffrey B. Light

Digital Modelling Supervisors: ILM -

Geoff Campbell and Russell Paul

3D Matchmove Supervisor: ILM - Jason H. Snell

Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Jean Bolte

Digital Matte Sequence Supervisors: ILM -

Jonathan Harb, Paul Huston and Yusei Uesugi

Digital Compositing Supervisors: ILM -

Jeff Doran, Dorne Huebler and

Marshall Richard Krasser

Editor/Sound Designer/Supervising

Sound Editor - Ben Burtt

Assistant Editors - Todd Busch,

Cheryl Nardi and Joseph Jett Sally

Location Assistant Editor - Jason Ballantine

Technical Supervisor - Michael Blanchard

Supervising Sound Editor - Matthew Wood

Apprentice Sound Editor - David Acord

Sound Effects Editors - Teresa Eckton

and Bruce Lacey

Sound Fu - Christopher Scarabosio

Sound Recordist - Paul 'Salty' Brincat

Foley Artists - Dennie Thorpe and Jana Vance

Re-Recording Mixers - Rick Kline,

Gary Rydstrom and Michael Semanick

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Gary A. Rizzo

Music - John Williams

Supervising Music Editor - Kenneth Wannberg

Scoring Engineer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

2003 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Rob Coleman,

Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow (Nominated)

Review
Though not up to the standard of the other Star Wars movies, ATTACK OF THE CLONES is a visual spectacle and, in some ways, an improvement on The Phantom Menace. The love relationship between Anakin and Padmé was a bit heartwarming but very awkward, and the acting of Hayden Christensen isn't always consistent, especially when being introduced as Anakin Skywalker. Although he's not giving his best performance due to its shallowness and misdirection, the feature has made him a star, but he hasn't fully matured into the role.

I'm glad that Jar Jar Binks gets toned down from his screen time as an annoying comic relief from what is to be a minor role. However, he does play a large part in one scene, contributing to fans hating the character even more. I praise the way Yoda is now in CGI instead of relying on old-school puppetry and the fantastic lightsaber duel between him and Count Dooku. The film's climax is when the clone troopers arrive at the arena to assist the Jedi in their fight against the Separatists leading up to the Clone Wars.

ATTACK OF THE CLONES is a semi-decent Star Wars movie, but it's not its best. I would disagree with the fans, who were very negative in their response to this prequel. I don't blame them, and I probably re-watch the film in a marathon.

Star rating: (4/5) Good Movie

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