Today THQ released the Attack of the Clones game for the GameBoy Advance. The game closely follows Episode II’s story and brings you to under more Tatooine, Coruscant, and Geonosis. Read the full article here.

With the power of the Force, players assume the role of three different “Attack of the Clones” heroes: Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi. “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones” is now available at major retailers nationwide.

“Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones” closely follows the storyline of the film and allows players to command Republic gunships, Speeders and Jedi Starfighters in space combat. Players must wield their lightsabers in side-scrolling lightsaber action combat against the mysterious Jango Fett, evil Count Dooku and various other enemies from the “Star Wars” universe. Eleven unique levels take gamers to various “Attack of the Clones” locations, such as Tatooine, Geonosis and the streets of Coruscant.

Actor David Prowse hopes he gets the role of Darth Vader again in Episode III. The 66 years old actor thinks young Hayden Christensen isn’t up to the job. This article appeared in the Daily Telegraph lately; you can read it all here.

The 66-year-old, who suffers from arthritis and walks with the aid of a cane, doesn’t think young Hayden Christensen is up to the job of playing Vader in the final Star Wars flick. “I don’t know if he can do it. He must only be 5ft 9,” Prowse reasoned, remembering, “When I played him I was 6ft 7 and 20 stone,” and saying that he wants director George Lucas to give him a call.

[...]

Prowse also said that he thinks real Star Wars fans won’t be happy if anyone else plays Anakin Skywalker’s evil alter-ego. “I have such a huge following that if George Lucas offered the part to someone else, I’m sure fans would boycott the film,” Prowse speculated.

Two seperate rumors sprouted their head today; one concerning Padme and the other concerning the droids.

First off, E! Daily News reported this quote from Lucas concerning the C3PO and R2D2 and why they don’t remember everything in the 1977 Star Wars (besides the fact that they had no idea the prequels were coming):

(SPOILER ALERT “Well, one, his brains have, his memory system has been erased and so has R2’s. So, they don’t remember anything from the first trilogy. I’m telling you something from Episode III, but I shouldn’t be telling you that, but I think most of the fans already know that.”

Secondly, MTv Movie House reports a rumor that Natalie Portman will shoot a scene to appear on the Return of the Jedi DVD. People, don’t expect a flashback. Don’t expect her to survive either. I think it is going to be something more subtle. But thats just me; I’m just a gungan with a lightsaber.

In an interview with Cinescape George Lucas explains the complicated storytelling of his Star Wars films. You can read the complete article at Cinescape.

“Whenever you talk to an author and somebody that writes, they write this back-story, [and it’s] basically character driven,” Lucas said. “What you’re doing is setting up who your characters are. Obviously there are a lot of technical issues going on. I had to get somewhere. Okay, this is the father; these are the kids. Where the hell did they come from? In [PHANTOM MENACE], I was dealing with the beginning. I was dealing with a lot of issues a lot of fans didn’t want to hear about – symbiotic relationships and things. The public yawned and people weren’t ready for it when I said Anakin was basically created by the midichlorians, which is a spiritual, symbiotic idea. In that case I was talking much further back, indicative of all creation. At the same time, it is inevitable we would get to the love story. It is inevitable that, let’s face it – Padme is going to get pregnant.”
He added, “I knew when I made the film a lot of fans weren’t going to like this because I wasn’t making the movie they wanted. They wanted me to start with EPISODE II. They wanted to see Jedis fighting; they wanted to see battles. They wanted to see THE MATRIX. I knew that I was telling a story that I wrote 30 years ago and I had to start at the beginning and I had to do all the groundwork, which means you have to lay all the pipe for the world you are creating.”

Suite101 has published an article about the sense and the nonsense of the Force. From midichlorians to the philosophy of Zen, it’s all included. Here’s an excerpt. You can read the complete article here.

In the first of the prequels, The Phantom Menace, the Force is opened up to even more interpretation. Two more aspects of the one energy are developed, one being the Unifying Force, and the other being the Living. According to creator George Lucas, the former has to do with destiny and purpose, while the latter involves intuition, spontaneity, and empathy with all living creatures. Though the Jedi Council emphasizes the Unifying Force, others such as Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn champion the Living, and this article deals with why this is so.

To begin with, the Living Force is first and foremost about being in the present moment. This sounds like a simple thing, yet it is anything but. Just as Yoda criticizes Luke Skywalker for, we too spend most of our lives everywhere by where we actually are, anxiously peeking over time’s shoulders, trying to get a glimpse of the future. Of course, just as a horizon will recede when one attempts to chase it down, so will the future get farther and farther away, which is no doubt why even the Jedi cannot accurately predict it.

I saw Attack of the Clones in digital today, and surprisingly I was not overwhelmed by what I saw. Before you jump all over me with your reactions though, I will say this- it is the most crisp picture I have ever seen on the big screen. Also, it will age a lot better than film; when a month or two has passed, the film will have aged whereas the digital print will look the same as the first day. The future is bright.

Episode I: Darth Maul Journal
by Dave Wolverton

RATING:
Buy Episode I: Darth Maul Journal at Amazon.com

SYNOPSIS

Episode One Journal – Darth Maul is exactly that: the “diary” of Darth Maul, dealing mostly with the events of “Star Wars – Episode One: The Phantom Menace”. Darth Maul records his take on all of the happenings in TPM, and along the way, we also get a little bit of background on Maul, and a little bit of information on his relationship with Darth Sidious, and on Maul’s Sith training. There are also a couple of incidents not included in TPM that are recounted by Maul in his chronicle, that in addition to providing a few extra action sequences, give some explanation for the seemingly perplexing lag-time between the Sith Lords becoming aware of Queen Amidala’s escape from Naboo, the point at which Maul lands on Tatooine, and the point at which Maul meets up with Qui-Gon and Anakin. The concluding entry in the journal is scribed by Darth Sidious…for reasons fairly obvious to anyone who has seen TPM.

MY WORDS OF WISDOM

Episode One Journal – Darth Maul is a quick, fun read. Just as with the other “journal” books (there are several from the classic trilogy, and also others from TPM), it is really nifty to see the familiar plot elements of the films re-envisioned through one character’s perspective. It deepens the story, enriches our appreciation of the whole. It is especially gratifying to see TPM specifically through Darth Maul’s eyes. Firstly, since he is a Sith-of-so-very-little-words in the movie, this puts more flesh on his immensely intriguing bones. It’s nice to see him as more than merely Darth Sidious’ mute puppet. And secondarily, Maul’s outlook is understandably different from the story as told by the Jedi and their allies. As the ghost of Obi-Wan once opined, it all does depend entirely on your point of view! While the tale that is TPM unfolds in Maul’s diary, we also get a sense of the philosophy of the Sith, and of what being raised to be an agent of the Darkside entails. (In a nutshell, the darkside appears to flow through and be honed by a rather abusive childhood. Cool!)

The interludes in this book not explored in TPM allow for some surprises, but mostly, if you’ve seen the movie, you know the plot of this journal. The pleasure of this little tome comes in hearing Darth Maul’s voice, and with the unexpected dark humor mined from evil and its service. And as with the Jedi Apprentice books where we learn more about the bond between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi and thus feel the pain of Qui-Gon’s death in TPM all the more, reading of Darth Maul’s sense of his encounter with Qui-Gon on Tatooine, seeing Qui-Gon as Maul sees him and knowing what is to come in their final meeting, that last duel now has the resonance of a confrontation of true enemies, not simply a clash of chance combatants. And the coup de grace of the novelette is the marvelous, creepy, chilling epilogue by Darth Sidious.

Each one of these smaller books adds a layer to the saga. If you enjoy the foreshadowing and the connectivity of the Star Wars mythos, these various journals and young adult novellas are not to be missed.

At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) LucasArts revealed some information about the development of some new games. Bounty Hunter, The Clone Wars, Galaxies, and Knights of the Old Republic were discussed.

Star Wars: Bounty Hunter (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
You are Jango Fett, the galaxy’s most dangerous bounty hunter, hired to hunt down the elusive leader of a mysterious cult – dead or alive. Through 18 action-packed levels across six diverse worlds, face off against galactic scum, fearsome beasts, and brutal competition that stand between you and your prey: a deranged dark Jedi. This hunt will lead you to the darkest corners of the Star Wars universe where no one else has dared to go, but you are the fearless, ruthless, and relentless Jango Fett. For the galaxy’s most wanted, there is no place to hide…

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (GameCube, PlayStation 2)
It starts where Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones ends. As Jedi Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu or Obi-Wan Kenobi, you lead the Republic Army in the greatest battles of the epic Clone Wars. Your directive: to stop the Separatists from reassembling an ancient Sith weapon of mass annihilation.

Star Wars: Galaxies: An Empire Divided (PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox)
LucasArts today announced its intent to develop versions of the company’s highly anticipated first game of its Star Wars® Galaxies™ online series for Xbox™ Live and PlayStation®2. Specific release dates for the Star Wars Galaxies-branded massively multiplayer games for the two next generation console platforms will be announced at a later time. This December LucasArts will release a Windows PC version of the game, developed by Sony Online Entertainment, titled Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided™.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (PC, Xbox)
Engage in this saga set in the Golden Age of the Republic – over 4,000 years before the first Star Wars film, when both Jedi and Sith number in the thousands. With the Galaxy reeling from a recent conflict with the Dark Lords, the ongoing battle between the Jedi and the Sith rages on. Your actions determine the outcome of this colossal galactic war – and your destiny as a Jedi.

We have teamed up with CafePress.com to offer you GalaxyFarAway.com T-shirts, mugs and caps to show your love for the site! Check out the ‘There is no try’ logo and buy one today!

I just got my June 6th issue of Rolling Stone magazine, and the contents page has a very cool artwork for Episode II! Check it out now!

Also, there is an article inside about the new prequels. They also have a ranking of all the Star Wars movies so far. They rank Episode II at #3 after The Empire Strikes Back and the original Star Wars. There is also an interesting observation; when Star Wars came out in 1977, it was beat out for the Best Picture Oscar by Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. This time his Hollywood Ending is opening at the same time and will also be featured alongside Episode II at Cannes.

With a stellar estimated $32.1 million dollars on Saturday, Episode II has jumped to a total of $86.1 million by the end of Saturday. This takes the weekend total to nearly $56.7 million with Sunday to go. Expect final total in a few hours. Check out our daily box-office analysis for more.

Is there a real chance that in the future we will swing lightsabers and fly X-Wings? Read this interesting report about the reality of Star Wars Science. You can find the complete story at msnbc.com.

EVEN AMONG science-fiction stories, the “Star Wars” movies are something of a breed apart. Instead of attempting to foretell our future in space, the tale is set “long ago, in a galaxy far away.” And the scientific marvels of that long-ago age, such as faster-than-light travel and synthetic space gravity, are employed primarily to facilitate a ripping good yarn.

For example, director George Lucas patterned the space chases and races after dogfights in World War II epics, motorcycle chases and chariot races. As a result, spaceship engines scream — even though there is no medium to transmit sound in the vacuum of space. The winged fighters bank and pirouette in space just as they would in Earth’s atmosphere. Weightless hovercraft swoop a couple of feet off the ground as if they were wheeled vehicles. And passengers aboard starships don’t have to trouble themselves over the effects of zero-gravity. “

But strangely enough, there are some things that seem, well, less unbelievable now than they did in 1977 when the first “Star Wars” movie came out, says Jeanne Cavelos, an astronomer and author who wrote “The Science of ‘Star Wars.’”

Holonet News has a very interesting report on a certain stolen speeder from a building in Coruscant; quite funny.

There are also other stories on the site straight out of Episode II or indirectly referring to it.

For those of you just planning on skimming through my review, let me make it easy for you.

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones is the most deep and rich Star Wars film of them all.

When I say deep and rich, I mean from the standpoint of storyline, characters and locations. The film has definite flaws; more so than the original trilogy; but it also has a storyline that is vast beyond anything any other Star Wars film has demonstrated in the past.

Yoda is the star of the film, and thankfully has been given more than just his wise and preachy Episode I role- there is humor, wisdom and power in his character this time around. Without going into details of the plot, I will say that after this film you will never look at Yoda the same way again.

Jar Jar has a much smaller role this time around, though frankly I did not find him offensive the first time around. I actually kind of liked him. This time, much of the humor is left to Obi Wan and comic relief to C3PO. Both are handled well; especially a part where you get to see 3PO’s “dark side“.

The visuals are stunning- if you thought Episode I couldn’t be beat, Lucas and friends have outdone themselves again. The new planets and characters are very fresh; reminds me a lot of Return of the Jedi. The film also takes you back to a few familiar places and things that remind you that this is Star Wars (a certain colored milk, anyone?).

Having said all that, the film does have its flaws. The first half has the story moving swiftly, but each scene feeling laborious. The dialogue is delivered, as in Episode I, with a certain bearing that is more common on the stage than in film. I do not think it is as much a problem of quality of dialogue or acting as it is of editing- the scenes move along a bit too quickly, telling you the story but not allowing it to sink in. As a sum, these swiftly moving scenes feel laborious.

But all of this is done away with as soon as the intrigue of the political and military maneouvres sets in. This film is unique in the Star Wars saga to have a definite sense of suspense about the heroes’ choices and the villains motives.

Finally, the greatest complement I can bestow upon Attack of the Clones is that the last scene makes you want your Episode III now!

Enjoy!
DevanJedi

Additional thoughts on second viewing: – Most of the scenes that felt wooden the first time around felt a lot better on second viewing. I think the reason for that is that they seemed very un-starwars-like the first time around. Also, I had said in my review that the scenes move very quickly, not allowing the message to sink in; this is not a problem in the second viewing since the message has already sunk in. This is still a flaw with the film, but one that disappears for the repeat-viewing fan.
(SPOILERS highlight to read)
- Yoda’s fight felt even more spectacular the second time around! – Christopher Lee as Count Dooku is the best acting performance in the film! – Since the scenes are short, all emotions that are carrying Anakin to the dark side have to be conveyed perfectly in every inflection of his voice and facial expression- he carries it off very well. – I am surprised that Padme is not scared of Anakin!

Signing off!
DevanJedi

I can’t wait; 6 hours to go. Actually, a little more. I’ve been finding ways to keep myself busy all day now (look here; I scanned my ticket!). Now look what I’ve found- Zam uses a cell phone! Tell me which model it is gets a free GFA t-shirt. Make up a name, the most innovative one wins- reply before midnight 16th May! Send it in to skywalker@galaxyfaraway.com!