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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 26, 2002

'Clones' details will test keen moviegoers

By Scott Bowles and Christopher Theokas
USA Today

Han Solo doesn't have a cameo in "Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones", but look closely and you'll find a few Millennium Falcons.

They're among the many hidden gems to look for in George Lucas' latest saga, which opened May 16.

"I like putting a lot on the screen for fans to notice, or imagine, or interpret," Lucas says. "I think it's what a good movie does."

And no one watches a film over and over like a "Star Wars" fan, says Ty Ingram, critic for the entertainment review site zap2it.com.

"When you have as large a mythical world as 'Star Wars', there's no end to what you can deconstruct and analyze," Ingram says. "Some of it may have meaning, some of it may be fanaticism. But people watch the films dozens of times to catch everything."

For those who don't want to fork over the money to sit through the repeated viewings, however, here are a few things to look for when the lights go down:

  • When Anakin and Padme arrive on Naboo, you'll spot three Millennium Falcons in the background and at the docking station.
  • When Yoda is meditating and Anakin is killing the Tusken Raiders, listen for the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn, Anakin's old master.
  • When the clones attack and the evil Count Dooku is fleeing Geonosis, keep an eye out for a cameo of the Death Star.
  • Remember the royal guards from "Return of the Jedi"? The red-cloaked personal protectors of the emperor make a background appearance in "Clones," but keep an eye out. They're there for only a second.
  • During the chase scene in Coruscant, Anakin and Obi-Wan zip by different billboards with strange writing. The writing is in a style called Aurabesh and corresponds with our alphabet. Fans with much time on their hands have already begun trying to translate them.
  • The ceiling of the dining room at the Lars homestead, which will become Luke Skywalker's future residence on Tatooine, has a pattern similar to the tattoo on the mug of Darth Maul, the bad guy from "Phantom Menace."
  • The shaaks — the cow-like creatures that are roaming Naboo — became the butt of jokes among Lucasfilm special-effects wizards. You can find one floating in an asteroid belt, and another is on fire in the final, climactic battle scene.
  • While the end credits scroll along, look for the name "Michael Smith." Mr. Smith is credited as "Javva the Hutt." He's not a character in the film; he's the guy who got coffee for the cast and crew.