Search - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Suitable for Children, Sci-Fi Violence Movie Release: 2002 DVD Release: 03/22/2005 Format: DVD - Soft-Matted WSE for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 22 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Total Copies: 17 Genres: Science Fiction, Sci-Fi Action, Space Adventure See Also: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones [Fullscreen]

The second prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy takes place ten years after the events depicted in Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace. Now 20, young Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is an apprentice to respected Jedi knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). Unusually powerful in the Force, Anakin is also impatient, arrogant, and headstrong -- causing his mentor a great deal of concern. The pair are ordered to protect Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), the former queen of the planet Naboo, now representing her world in the Galactic Senate. Someone is trying to assassinate her on the eve of a vote enabling Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) to build a military force that will safeguard against a growing separatist movement led by mysterious former Jedi Count Dooku (Christopher Lee). After another attempt on Padme's life, Obi-Wan and Anakin separate. The young Jedi and Padme fall in love as he escorts her first to the security of Naboo and then to his home world of Tatooine, where the fate of his mother leads him to commit an ominous atrocity. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan travels to the secretive planet Kamino and the asteroid-ringed world of Geonosis, following bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) and his son, Boba (Daniel Logan), who are involved in an operation to create a massive army of clones. A vicious battle ensues between the clones and Jedi on one side and Dooku's droids on the other, but who is really pulling the strings in this galactic conflict? In late 2002, the movie was released in IMAX theaters as Star Wars: Episode II -- Attack of the Clones: The IMAX Experience, with a pared-down running time of 120 minutes in order to meet the technical requirements of the large-screen format. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan Kenobi
Natalie Portman - Padmé Amidala
Hayden Christensen - Anakin Skywalker
Christopher Lee - Count Dooku
Samuel L. Jackson - Mace Windu

Whether you love or dislike the latest installment of the Star Wars installment, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, there is no question that Fox and Lucasfilm have done an amazing job in translating this title to DVD. As has widely been mentioned, the image, framed at 2.35:1 and anamorphic (there is a separate disc with a cropped pan-and-scan picture), was taken directly from the digital source, the first for a live action movie (other films have been too, but all others were animated, such as Monsters, Inc.). This direct translation is unquestionably a revelation in how good a picture can look. Colors are impressive in every way, with excellent saturation and fine detail. The darker scenes are solid and show no sign of digital breakdown, something that can harm even the best transfers. The sound, a 5.1 EX Dolby Digital track in English, is also very good, but maybe not quite as aggressive as would be expected. The sound is very clear up front, and there are some uses of the surrounds, but not as often as could have been. Just as with Episode I: The Phantom Menace this is a two disc set, with a commentary on the first disc with George Lucas, producer Rick McCallum, editor Ben Burtt, animation supervisor Rob Coleman, effects artists Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow.

The second disc contains all the other supplements, and while they are plentiful, they do tend to lack a little substance. Up front are three documentaries, the first, at 56 long minutes, is called "From Puppets to Pixels" and takes an exhaustive look at the creation of digital characters, in particular, Yoda. The second examines the pre-visualization of the film, from early computer setups to the final product. Finally, "Films Are Not Made, They Escape" discusses in length the sound design of the film. Again, with far too many "talking head" interviews, it says a lot but lacks much interest. While extensive, all three of these are, technical and ultimately, boring. As with the Phantom Menace disc, this one contains 12 featurettes of various subjects originally shown on the Star Wars website. Three additional features on the story line, love story, and action scenes don't amount to much more than fluff pieces. Of greater interest are eight deleted scenes, with optional introductions and a great mockumentary trailer "R2-D2: Beneath the Dome." Finally, along with a "music video" for "Across the Stars" from John Williams are gallery sections, poster art, a brief visual effects reel, theatrical teasers, and trailer, plus 12 television spots. It's a full plate that looks like it will leave you filled, but in the end is somewhat empty. Still, fans of this film, who are a very devoted bunch, will be pleased. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide