"She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar" complains a plaintive Anakin Skywalker early on in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, perhaps echoing the disappointment the creators of The Phantom Menace must have felt regarding Star Wars partisans' tepid reaction to Episode I. As such, this second prequel is crammed full of fan service-y tidbits and grace notes - sometimes interesting, sometimes awkward - meant to spark associations with the films of the original trilogy.
Yet though the effort to please is plainly visible onscreen, Attack of the Clones leaves most people cold. Prequel whisperer Eric Wheeler returns as our special guest to help us unpack the glimmers of artistic ambition and the inevitable commercial retrenchment of Star Wars Episode II.
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Directed by George Lucas
Produced by Rick McCallum
Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Starring Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Temuera Morrison, and Ian McDiarmid
Check out the rest of our series on the Star Wars saga:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure
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