Product Description

The STAR WARS saga continues on DVD with Episode II Attack of the Clones. Anakin Skywalker has grown into an accomplished Jedi apprentice, and he faces his most difficult challenge yet as he must choose between his Jedi duty and forbidden love. Relive the adventure the way it was meant to be seen in spectacular digital clarity, including the climactic Clone War battle and Jedi Master Yoda in the ultimate lightsaber duel. Experience this 2-disc set that features over six hours of bonus materials, and see how Episode II unlocks the secrets of the entire STAR WARS saga.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2050 in DVD
• Brand: TCFHE
• Released on: 2005-03-22
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 142 minutes

Amazon.com
If The Phantom Menace was the setup, then Attack of the Clones is the plot-progressing payoff, and devoted Star Wars fans are sure to be enthralled. Ten years after Episode I, Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman), now a senator, resists the creation of a Republic Army to combat an evil separatist movement. The brooding Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is resentful of his stern Jedi mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor), tormented by personal loss, and showing his emerging "dark side" while protecting his new love, Amidala, from would-be assassins. Youthful romance and solemn portent foreshadow the events of the original Star Wars as Count Dooku (a.k.a. Darth Tyranus, played by Christopher Lee) forges an alliance with the Dark Lord of the Sith, while lavish set pieces showcase George Lucas's supreme command of all-digital filmmaking. All of this makes Episode II a technological milestone, savaged by some critics as a bloated, storyless spectacle, but still qualifying as a fan-approved precursor to the pivotal events of Episode III. --Jeff Shannon

DVD features
Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones is a superior DVD, repeating many of the elements that made its predecessor, Episode I, The Phantom Menace, so good. The picture and sound are spectacular, helped immensely by the fact that the film was shot entirely in digital, making this the first live-action direct digital-to-digital DVD transfer. This version of the film was the one shown in digital-projection theaters; there are subtle differences from the standard theatrical version, such as showing Anakin's right hand in the final scene. Again, there's a commentary track compiled from various people, including George Lucas (why can't he pronounce the names he created?), producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, ILM animation director Rob Coleman, and three visual effects supervisors discussing how the film was made and offering teasers to Episode III.

On the second disc are eight deleted scenes with optional introductions. Most interesting are a scene of Padme addressing the Senate to oppose the creation of a Republic army, and some bits with her family and home on Naboo, but it's probably telling that, unlike with Phantom Menace, none of the deleted scenes was incorporated into the film on the DVD. Three substantial documentaries on digital characters, animatics, and creating sound elements are complemented by three insubstantial featurettes, a recycled but interesting 12-part Web documentary, and various other items that should keep fans busy while they wait for Episode III. --David Horiuchi

From The New Yorker
The Republic? The Federation? The Separatists? The clone army? The droid army? The Siths? The Kith? The Kin? The plot is incomprehensible to anyone over fourteen, and the actors intone their starched-collar lines as if they were attending a convention of rural vicars. But, allowing for some dull moments, George Lucas's latest movie has considerable style. Digital invention is becoming grander, wilder, more free-spirited: the multi-levelled cities of the future overflow with life. It would be nice to think that Lucas's visual imagination is just now taking off. -David Denby
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Superb Movie
Exciting action scenes, great special effects, witty dialogue, angst-filled romance. Ignore naysayers who say the dialogue is terrible, (I would like to know what is so bad about it. It is an adventure movie and yet the dialogue is almost corn-free, yet many pretentious "acting" movies are full of corn), or the acting is bad. Hayden Christensen is convincing showing his angst and sometimes being a petulant brat, (he does play a teenager, yet critics seem to have a problem with him actually playing his part)setting up his path to the darkside. The mentor-student, father-son relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin is well done, shown in the movie with the fast and sometimes witty Star Wars dialogue I love.
If it seems I am attacking the critics it is because I do see a lot of pandering to snobbishness in many of their reviews, instead of an honest assessment of the movie. Also, too much nostalgic feelings from die-hard original Star Wars trilogy fans gets in the way of some of the reviews. Many of these reviewers are TOO stuck on their nostagia, and review by constantly comparing them to the old movies (a very high-standard indeed!), and whether they fulfill their nostagia, instead of just taking in the new movies as they are. If they just don't care for the movie, fine, but there is too much going into many reviews that have nothing to actually do with the quality of the movie itself.
In any case, just try the movie if you haven't seen it already. Ignore the snobs and the overly nostalgic. Have fun and be wowed, and see the new movie Revenge of the Sith in theaters, another 6 out of 5 star movie!

The Empire prepares to strike......
Ok, first of all, I would like to say that all of the people out there who went to this movie expecting it to be exactly on the same level as the older trilogy, and left feeling disappointed by the story, or the characters, or anything else. You can't expect it to be the same at all. The first trilogy was set during a civil war, during a dark time. The characters were varied. You had a rogue, a princess, a wookiee co-pilot, an old war hero jedi, and a young antagonist with hidden potential, who all came together to defeat a common enemy. Now, flash back a few decades. It is a peaceful time, but with a stirring in the air, of a coming change. The government is becoming stale and corrupt, and the Jedi are losing their mystique and grandeur, because they are attached to the stale government. So, you can expect a few things. Dense political plotlines, corrupt individuals, Jedi who aren't in touch with their powers anymore, and a more old school soceity. You must understand this. Han Solo would never blend in an environment such as this, he wouldn't match. The characters in this movie were superb in my opinion, because they fit the times that they were set in. Obi-Wan (Ewan) was much more fleshed out, and you could tell that he was scared for Anakin, and his fear would lead to failure in his training of Anakin. Anakin ( Hayden) also came to full veiw. No longer the child who screamed "wizard!", He had come into the light as a troubled young man who would become The Darth Vader we all know. And Yoda, I know there are a few people out there who said that yoda's fight was sacrilige, I disagree. Yoda has trained for hundreds of years, His skills would reflect that. And add the fact that he wasn't at the end of his life like he is later. Padme was the same, but for good reason. Mace had more screen time, and Dooku was a good addition to the story, it's good to hear some smack talking in a fight. I miss that. The movie exceeded my expectations in many ways. I now have to wait a couple more years to see the empire rise to power and the climactic lightsaber battle that is inevitable, but I can make it now, thanks to the second chapter not sucking. Now I can watch a newer Star Wars DVD without wincing, the years will pass more easily that way.

I really wanted to hate this movie
After the horror that was The Phantom Menace, which I own for those insomina plagued nights, I knew that I was going to hate this movie. I read the bad reviews and I knew that I'd agree with them. But, I was dragged to see it and I knew that it would be a grim few hours.

This is one case where I'm glad that I was totally wrong. I liked the movie so much that I've been back to see it again. The acting, that many have cited as dry, was appropriate to the setting and the circumstances of the film. I really didn't expect to see cheerful and lively characters in a story about an impending civil war. The romance, although muted, was appropriate for two very young characters who probably have never had much experience with romance to begin with. The middle was mostly talk and no action. I like a film that takes it's time and lets itself develop, instead of assaulting the viewer with non stop action and little plot or character development. I really felt that it was essential to the film to have the characters talk, as this is the installment of the series that starts to explain why Anakin becomes Darth Vader and why the Republic falls. I wish they'd actually developed them a little more, personally.

Hayden Christiansen delivered a solid performance as a moody, confused kid. The fact that he wasn't overly eloquent helped me to believe that the cute kid in PM could actually turn into the nasty guy that I believed was hiding in my closet when I was growing up. Natalie Portman again reminded me why she's one of my favorite actresses. She was able to blend the strong assertive side of her character with an almost maternal caring for Anakin. Ewan McGregor and his dialogue tied in the shame that Obi-Wan displayed in the later episodes toward Darth Vader and the driving desire to rectify his mistakes.

The special effects were dazzling. The seismic charges blew me away (by far the best sound effect that I've heard in a while), the speeder chase was amazing and the set design was just beautiful. And seeing lightsabres glowing throughout an arena was a childhood dream of mine.

There were a few flaws, but overall, it was fantastic.