“Begun the Clone War has.”

From Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.

In the 10 years since The Phantom Menace, the galaxy and characters have changed dramatically.  Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is now a Jedi knight and has become quite the fighter alongside his teacher and friend, Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor).  On the political front, Padme’s term as Queen of Naboo has ended, but she now serves as a senator for her small planet; Padme works with Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) trying to defeat the Trade Federation and their mass production of battle droids before the droids can force the galaxy into submission.  Obi Wan is sent to locate and stop the Sith Lord, Count Dooku (Sir Christopher Lee) after a long-forgotten discovery connects Dooku to a plan that could place the entire galaxy at risk.  Following an assassination attempt, Anakin is sent to act as a bodyguard for Padme, and while the two struggle to keep their affection for each other in check, both decide to disobey orders and head off across the galaxy to join the fight.  As the heroes dive deeper into the mystery that surrounds them, it becomes very evident that there is much more going on below the surface.

The second movie in the prequel trilogy is more developed than it’s predecessor, both in story and action.  The sets and locations are breath-taking to see and enrich the story so much.  The special effects are more refined than any of the movies released before this Episode; some shots are outdated in technology now, but they were well-advanced for 2002.  One area of frustration can come from Yoda’s jarring transformation from ancient-looking puppet in Episode I to completely CGI in Episode II, but it is a change that works to benefit the series.  Christensen’s addition to the cast works because his portrayal of a tormented young man is the driving force of the plot.  The rest of the cast is a diverse collection of actors (and creatures) that create a Star Wars story like no other.  Attack of the Clones is a fun adventure from start to finish and a strong addition to the series.

| Rated: PG-13 | Running Time: 142 minutes |Genre: fantasy/action/sci-fi |

||Family Viewing||Cursing: 2 of 10|Nudity: 1 of 10|Sexuality: 0 of 10|Gore: 3 of 10

|AVAILABLE FOR HOME VIEWING|