On This Day: May 16, 2002

By: Ciaran Duggan

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones opened in theatres across the United States fifteen years ago today.

Episode II is the fifth film of the Star Wars saga and the second installment of the Prequel Trilogy.

The film is set ten years after to the events of Episode I - The Phantom Menace and the story centres around a galaxy on the brink of civil war.

Jedi Master Count Dooku has pioneered a separatist movement to secede from the Republic and his initiative is backed by thousands of systems across the galaxy.

Meanwhile Jedi apprentice Anakin Skywalker is assigned to protect Padme Amidala who he falls in love with throughout the course of the film (even though Jedi are forbidden to fall in love).

By the end of the movie the Jedi are drawn into the beginning of a new conflict: The Clone Wars.

Fan opinion of this film varies although many fans and film critics judge Attack of the Clones to be the weakest of the Star Wars films. 

Film critic websites IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have given a rating of 67%, 65% and 54% respectively. This suggests it was a still an entertaining film, but critics focus on the seemingly jarring dialogue uttered by the characters as the inherent weakness of the movie. 

In less than ten days fans will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of A New Hope, but today marks the 15th anniversary since Attack of the Clones was released - a landmark not to be ignored.

Hayden Christensen, who first played Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones, attended Star Wars Celebration Orlando last month to celebrate 40 years of Star Wars, including this film. 

Where does Attack of the Clones rank for you compared to the other Star Wars films? Let us know in the comments below.

Source(s): Star Wars ; Lucasfilmwiki

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