Stars:
Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L.
Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Frank Oz
Writers:
George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Director:
George Lucas
Feature
length: 142 minutes
Extras:
Commentary By George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman,
John Knoll, and Ben Snow, Eight Deleted Scenes With Optional Introductions By
George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and Ben Burtt, State Of The Art: Previsualization
Of Episode II” Documentary, “Films Are Not Released; They Escape”
Documentary, Three Featurettes, Comprehensive Award-Winning Twelve-Part Web
Documentary Series, “Across The Stars” Music Video, Theatrical Teasers,
Trailer, and TV Spots, Theatrical Posters And Print Campaign From Around The
World, “R2-D2: Behind-The-Dome” Mockumentary Trailer, Production Photo
Gallery, Episode II Visual Effects Breakdown Montage, DVD-ROM Web Link To
Exclusive Star Wars Content
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound EX, and French and Spanish Dolby
Surround Sound 2.0
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions and English Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Two-Disc Amaray Style Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 50
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound EX and Dolby Surround Sound 2.0
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Pictures and LucasFilm, LTD.
Home
Video Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and Lucasfilm LTD.
MPAA
Rating: PG
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
“Star Wars: Episode II: Attack Of
The Clones” will debut on DVD-Video and VHS in less than one month and like
many other journalists, I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the two-disc
set for review purposes and spent the next few days watching the film and all of
the extra features while jotting down pages of notes to refer to when the time
came to sit down and write my own DVD review of this highly anticipated title.
Well there is no beating around the bush here when I note that the direct
digital transfer to DVD is outstanding and the soundtrack truly rocks, but what
about the extra features? Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s and
Lucasfilm’s DVD-Video edition delivers on much of what I think fans will
appreciate as far as extra value materials are concerned, but some are bound to
be a little disappointed at certain elements that are not included, which I will
go into detail about presently.
I have to say that while there are a few flaws in “Star Wars: Episode II: Attack Of The Clones,” I still liked the film and I suspect that in hindsight after everyone has seen the entire “Star Wars Saga” as George Lucas intended it to be seen, viewers will appreciate this film and “Episode I” as parts of a larger whole more than they may now. Ten years after the events in “The Phantom Menace,” the Galactic Republic is still in political turmoil as a separatist movement led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) has brought an increasing number of systems as well as financial, industrial, and trade unions eager to profit from the break off to his side. The Jedi Knights are keepers of the peace and not an army so the subject of creating a standing army of the Galactic Republic has become as much of a controversy in the Senate as the increasing threat from the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
After a failed assassination attempt upon Senator Padme (Natalie Portman), Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his young adult Padawn Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) are assigned to protect her. Following a second failed assassination attempt resulting in a high flying chase across the megalopolis that is Coruscant, Anakin is assigned the task of accompanying Padme back to Naboo while Obi-Wan follows a trail much like a detective that leads to a rendezvous with the mysterious Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) and the discovery of a clone army that was supposedly sanctioned by the Jedi despite that fact that none of the council members appear to have ever even been aware of it. Things grow more complicated as a romance blossoms between Skywalker and Padme, which violates his Jedi vows and the threat of war becomes inevitable with the discovery of a droid army in creation for the Confederacy that brings opposing forces into mortal combat.
“Attack Of The Clones” features
state of the art special effects, some great action sequences, and a few
surprises that will make the die-hard fans eager to see the film on DVD again
and again. What works in the film are Christopher Lee’s performance as
“Count Dooku,” which has great subtlety in the mere mannerisms of the
character that say more about him than his dialogue. The Clone Troopers are
fantastic warriors and yet there are so polite! They are very different
behaviorally from the cold Storm Troopers seen in the original trilogy. Morrison
brings some humanity to his Jango Fett character and is the “Darth Maul” of
the film in terms of sheer coolness. Ironically it is the heroes of the story
that appear flat with the notable exception of Ewan McGregor as “Obi-Wan
Kenobi” and the combined talents of Frank Oz and ILM in creating an all CGI
“Yoda.” There are a few cameos from small characters who appeared in the
first film and a few visual gags to boot, but the film is at it’s weakest when
depicting the romance between Anakin and Padme, with dialogue that at times
sounds like bad “Romeo & Juliet.” Portman never seems comfortable and
Christensen seems too restrained with her.
Scenes where Portman’s character of “Padme” is stuck on a conveyer belt never seems to generate any thrills because quite honestly, she just doesn’t have the spunk and attitude Carrie Fisher bought to “Princess Leia” in the original trilogy and the wonder, temptation, and growth Mark Hamill bought to “Luke Skywalker” in the original trilogy is sorely missing in Christensen’s performance. However, one does get a sense, sociologically speaking, through comparing what we have now seen in Episodes I and II of Anakin’s upbringing to what we saw of Luke’s upbringing in “A New Hope,” that yields the impression that even with the wisest guidance in the core of the galaxy, nothing can substitute for a firm family upbringing as Luke had under his Step Uncle and Aunt.
For the visuals alone “Attack Of
The Clones” is worth seeing and DVD by far is the best way to view this film
at home at this time regardless of whether you like to watch your films in the
anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio in which it was theatrically
presented or prefer a 4 by 3 panned and scanned aspect ratio for whatever the
reason might be because Fox and Lucasfilm has got both consumer groups covered
with separate “Widescreen” and “Full Screen” versions debuting day and
date of each other on DVD-Video as well as a VHS tape release priced to sell too
all of which are sold separately.
I prefer anamorphic widescreen and
the picture quality is amazing. Presented in the theatrical (2.35:1) aspect
ratio, I could see so much more visual detail than I did this past summer when I
saw the film projected on the big screen. This is the first live action film to
skip the film process completely and be digitally transferred directly from the
data source to the DVD. The results are stunning clarity and detail with an
almost hyper reality look to it that does not in any way betray the film like
look of the feature and yet there has never been a DVD before that looks quite
like “Attack Of The Clones.” There are no artifacts or imperfections to
speak of. Even the darkest scenes somehow seem vibrant and the colors just jump
out at the viewer. In fact the DVD looks so good that I am forced to wonder how
the classic “Star Wars” trilogy will match on DVD considering the age and
method of production alone.
The English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound EX track is simply sublime. The extra discrete rear channel helps to heighten the viewing experience and makes such scenes like the chase through the rings of Geonosis unforgettable. The sound effect for the seismic charges reminds me of the sound the “Wave Motion Gun” on the “Yamato” would make in the classic anime TV series “Starblazers.” French and Spanish Language Dolby Surround 2.0 Soundtracks coupled with optional English Captions and Closed Captions for the hearing impaired are also included as options. In addition when the film first plays on DVD, the English Subtitles are automatically enabled for viewers to read the appropriate English translation of the various alien languages when appropriate. These subtitles can be turned off as well. There is also an optional subtitling that lets the viewer know the name of who is speaking in the feature length audio commentary mix with George Lucas, Rick McCallum, Ben Burtt, Rob Coleman, Pablo Helman, John Knoll, and Ben Snow. The commentary is screen specific and reveals exactly where one can see certain visual gags like the three Tie Fighters chasing an X-Wing Fighter in a chasm on Coruscant that is admittedly so small and quick that it is easy to miss. Lucas goes into detail about the film and hints about what is to come in the third feature, which he says will address the mystery of not only how the Jedi archives were tampered with, but who did it and exactly how the Jedi are able to communicate with the departed from beyond. He also notes that the presentation on the DVD is the version that was seen in theaters with digital projection so there is a few visual tweaks added that were not seen in the film-projected version. He also mentions several deleted scenes one wishes were included in some form, even if it was just script pages with diagrams on disc two.
Like the interactive menus on last
year’s “The Phantom Menace” DVD, viewers have a choice that is
automatically selected upon loading the disc or can be chosen by following these
simple instructions. To access the Coruscant themed menus, during the “Attention Warning”
screen, press Audio on your DVD player’s remote control. To access the Kamino
themed menus during the “Attention Warning” screen, press the number 2 on
your DVD player’s remote control. To access the Geonosis themed menus, during
the “Attention Warning” screen, press 10+, 2, and 2 on your DVD player’s
remote control. There is an Easter egg with disc credits and various outtakes
intercut between them. To access the outtakes reel, go to the Options menu page
and press 10+, 1 and wait for the pause as the player accepts the input. Then
press 3 and wait for the pause. Finally, press 8 on your DVD player’s remote
control. The DVD transfer is THX Certified complete with the THX Optimizer™
program for picture and sound calibration.
The
menus on disc two stems to various locales seen in the film from a starting
point within the Jedi archives. There are a number of documentaries and
featurettes included on the second disc beginning with “From Puppets To
Pixels: Digital Characters In Episode II” (52:19), which is presented in a
widescreen aspect ratio with English Dolby Pro Logic Sound and optional English
Subtitles. Sometimes the quality of the video elements change from digital
clarity to analogue quality, which suggests that this was put together from
several sources. There are some amazing moments to watch, like Frank Oz voicing
Yoda from a half a world away through the advancements of digital satellite
technology, but the documentary can be a bit dull at times and lacks the
momentum the other featurettes and documentaries have. This is the weakest
element on the DVD. The other weak point is that there are some interesting
videomatics presented in much of the documentary and featurettes on the DVD, but
aside from a “Episode II Visual Effects Montage” (3:38), we never get a to
enjoy a direct comparison in it’s entirety. Storyboards are also not included
on the second disc.
The second documentary, “State Of The Art: The Previsualization Of Episode II” (23:29) is far more entertaining with a better pace than the longer documentary I have detailed above. It is great to see clips for “A New Hope” on the DVD if only to imagine how it might look when the DVD finally comes out in a few years. This documentary covers in detail the Speeder Chase and Clone War sequences with animatics that look excellent and include some interesting unused concepts. This documentary culminates in “George’s Science Project” where viewers get a better understanding of the commitment and teamwork that creates the family like environment at ILM. The closing credits feature some hilarious gags that one wishes there were more of, but still appreciates regardless.
There
are 8 deleted scenes have been digitally mastered with completed special
effects, a widescreen (2.35:1) aspect ratio, and a full English Dolby Digital
5.1 Surround Soundtrack especially for this DVD release. The scenes can be
viewed as one 12-minutes and 31-seconds reel with or without videotaped
introductions by George Lucas, Rick McCallum, and
Ben Burtt or can be viewed individually with or without the introductions. These
deleted scenes are made up of “Padme Addresses The Senate” (1:58), “Jedi
Temple Analysis Room” (1:08), “Obi-Wan And Mace At The Jedi Landing
Platform” (1:55), “Extended Arrival On Naboo” (1:55), “Padme’s
Parent’s House” (2:23), “Padme’s Bedroom” (1:23), “Dooku
Interrogates Padme” (1:06), and “Anakin And Padme On Trial” (: 43). Of all
the deleted scenes I wish the scene where we see Obi-Wan enter his Jedi
Starfighter and take off from Coruscant was edited back into the film. I do not
think it would have hurt the film’s momentum a bit.
There are three exclusive DVD featurettes covering the film related topics of “Story” (9:01), “Love” (9:37), and “Action” (8:11) as well as the 12 web documentaries from the official site, which cover “Here We Go Again: The Digital Cinema Revolution” (6.27), “Wedgie’em Out: Designing The Jedi Starfighter” (4:38), “We Didn’t Go To The Desert To Get A Tan” (6:12), “Trying To Do My Thing” (4:25), “A Twinkle Beyond Pluto: Filling Out The Star Wars Galaxy” (5:38), “It’s All Magic: Visual Effects Wizardry” (5:04), “Revv'in’ It Up To The Next Level” (5:17), “A Jigsaw Puzzle” (5:12), “Bucket Head: Introducing The Fett Family” (5:17), “Good To Go” (5:12), “P-19: The Wardrobe Of Padme Amidala” (4:51), and “Reel 6: The Geonosian Arena” (6:33). I think the web documentaries collectively are better than the “From Puppets To Pixels” documentary and it is fun to look back and remember when one could only guess at what the context story-wise was of the elements one viewed online. In particular I like the one that covers the on location shooting because there Lucas does reveal he shot some footage in Tunisia for Episode III was shot so he would not have to return again when production for Episode III takes place and the “Fett Family” featurette, which features probably the only official footage we will ever see on DVD of the animated “Boba Fett” introduction from the 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
There
is another interesting documentary regarding the sound production and refinement
for Episode II entitled “Films Are Not Released; They Escape” (25:40) as
well as the mockumentary trailer shown on Fox last spring for “R2-D2: Behind
The Dome” (6:03). There are several still galleries made up of captioned
production photos, one-sheet posters, international outdoor campaigns, and next
to Dex in his diner, a gallery of mock advertisements used in colleges and
universities around the country.
The
three teaser trailers “Breathing” (1:11), “Mystery” (1:22), and
“Forbidden Love” (2:21) along with the theatrical trailer entitled “Clone
War” (2:34) as well as twelve 30-second TV spots and the “Across The
Stars” (4:34) music video wrap up the extra features included within this
two-disc set.
What
is not included for DVD-Video users are any of the cryptic “George Lucas
Episode II Select” photos, which would have been fun to try and figure out in
hindsight exactly what we were looking at, the Holo-Net news web pages that were
featured on the website, and the C3PO and R2D2 introductions that are supposed
to tie the saga’s episodes together as seen on the Fox broadcasts of “The
Empire Strikes Back: Special Edition,” “Return Of The Jedi: Special
Edition,” and “The Phantom Menace” as well as syndicated broadcasts of
“A New Hope” last spring. If you want to see these introductions
collectively, you have to rent or buy the VHS release of “Attack Of The
Clones.”
The
menus on both discs are fully animated
with cinema quality action and full motion scene selections as well as animated
transitions and all are easy to navigate. DVD-ROM Users running Windows 98SE or
higher have access to exclusive web content. “Star Wars: Episode II: Attack Of
The Clones” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, November 12, 2002 from
Lucasfilm LTD. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.
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