Story
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is set 10 years after Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The movie opens with an assassination attempt on Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), who is now a senator for the planet Naboo. The attempt fails but to keep Padme safe, Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) asks for Padme to be placed under the protection of the Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christen). After a second attempt is made on Padme’s life, Jedi Masters Yoda (voice of Frank Oz) and Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) assign Obi-Wan to track down the assassin. Anakin and Padme are sent to Naboo for safekeeping, and their relationship develops.Obi-Wan finds the assassin, bounty hunter Jango Fett (Temuera Morison), on the planet Kamino. Here Obi-Wan also discovers a secret cloned army. After failing to capture Jango Fett, Obi-Wan follows him to the planet Geonosis. Here Obi-Wan discovers the real culprit behind the assassination attempts, a Jedi Master named Count Dooku (Christopher Lee), who has turned to the Dark Side of the Force.Meanwhile, Anakin and Padme face more peril as they travel to the planet Tatooine after Anakin has premonitions that his mother is in terrible danger.
Themes
Cloning; death of a parent; revenge; deception and living a lie
Violence
This movie has stylised science fiction action violence and extended battle scenes that show war between robot droids, war machines and human clones. Several scenes show dismembered bodies, and several human characters are killed during the movie. But there is very little blood and gore. For example:
Sexual references
This movie has some low-level sexual references. For example:
- In one scene Anakin looks at Padme rather lustfully. Padme tells Anakin not to look at her that way because it makes her feel uncomfortable.
- Padme asks Anakin if he is allowed to love and have attachments as a Jedi. Anakin says that it’s forbidden. Then he says that compassion is central to a Jedi’s life and that you are encouraged to love in a way.
- Anakin tells Padme that he is haunted by the kiss that she should have never have given him.
- Padme tells Anakin that she loves him.
Alcohol, drugs and other substances
This movie shows some use of substances. For example, there is a nightclub scene in which patrons, including Obi-Wan, drink from glasses containing multi-coloured drinks. A man approaches Obi-Wan and asks him if he wants to buy some ‘death sticks’. He’s holding items that look a lot like cigarettes. Obi-Wan refuses and sends the man away.
Nudity and sexual activity
This movie has some partial nudity and mild sexual activity. For example:
- Women wear tight-fitting and low-cut clothing.
- One scene shows Anakin lightly touching Padme on her bare back, and then they kiss passionately.
- Padme and Anakin kiss in two later scenes.
Product placement
Although no product placement occurs in the movie, many associated toys and other merchandise has been marketed to children.
Coarse language
None of concern
Ideas to discuss with your children
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones is a science fiction action movie. It targets younger adolescent children as well as older viewers, but it’s likely to be too scary for children under 10 years. It will easily entertain its target audience, but its running time of 142 minutes might make it a bit long for some viewers.
The main messages from this movie are to do with how anger and hatred can corrupt what’s good in people and can bring out the worst in people.
Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include the following:
- Compassion: Jedi Knights are taught to show compassion towards others.
- Selflessness and self-sacrifice: Padme always puts her own needs aside for the needs of the inhabitants of her world. She also shows self-sacrifice when she risks her life to rescue Obi-Wan.
- Family ties: Anakin shows strong family ties when he sacrifices everything to try to rescue his mother.
This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues such as the consequences of arrogance. For example, Anakin can be arrogant and defiant. What can happen in real life if you’re arrogant?