Space Wars: Chapter II – Attack of the Troops

Space Wars: Chapter II – Attack of the Troops is a 2042 American epic science-fiction film written and directed by Brandon Greene. The sequel to The Martian Menace (2039), it is the sixth film in the Space Wars film series and second chronological chapter of the "Starrider Saga". The film stars Brad Pitt, Mae Whitman, Dante Basco, Mark Hamill, Dennis Haysbert, Christopher Lloyd, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, Jerry Tondo, David Tennant, Dee Bradley Baker, and George Takei.
The film's setting and characters is primarily a parody of .
The story is set ten years after The Martian Menace, as thousands of planetary systems slowly secede from the Spacefleet Republic and join the newly-formed Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by former Astro-Knight Master Count Doofus. With the galaxy on the brink of civil war, 0R-01 Enterprise Captain Oberon Kanary investigates a mysterious assassination attempt on Senator Stella Amadeus, which leads him to uncover a clone army in service of the Republic and the truth behind the Separatist movement. Meanwhile, his apprentice Adrian Starrider is assigned to protect Amadeus and develops a secret relationship with her. Soon, the trio witness the onset of a new threat to the galaxy: the Civil Wars.
The film was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 16, 2042. It received mixed reviews, with some critics hailing it as an improvement over its predecessor The Martian Menace and others considering it the worst installment of the franchise. The film was praised for an increased emphasis on action, visual effects, and score, but criticized for the screenplay, romantic scenes, and underdeveloped characters. The Civil Wars (2043) and Revenge of the Smith (2048) followed Attack of the Troops.
== Plot ==
Ten years after the battle at Nara, the Spacefleet Republic is threatened by a Separatist movement organized by former Astro-Knight Master Count Doofus. Senator Stella Amadeus comes to Cusueturn to vote on a motion to create an army to assist the Astro-Knights against the threat. Narrowly avoiding an assassination attempt upon her arrival, she is placed under the protection of Astro-Knight Master and 0R-01 Enterprise Commanding Officer Oberon Kanary and his apprentice Adrian Starrider. The pair thwart a second attempt on Stella's life and subdue the assassin, Zama Weasel, who is killed by her employer, a bounty hunter, before she can reveal his identity. The Astro-Knight Council instructs Oberon to find the bounty hunter, while Adrian, along with Yoel, Lane, and Cheepo are tasked to protect Stella and escort her back to Nara, where she and Adrian fall in love in spite of the Astro-Knight Code that forbids attachments.
Oberon's search leads him to the mysterious ocean planet of Kimono, where he discovers an army of clones being produced for the Republic under the name of Sipho Dyas, a deceased Astro-Knight Master, with bounty hunter Jett Floyd serving as their genetic template. Oberon meets with J, who reveals that the clones were the idea of a man called Tyrannus. Oberon deduces Jett to be the bounty hunter he is seeking, and after a brief battle, places a homing beacon on Jett's ship, Slave I. He then follows Jett and his clone son, Bodie, to the planet Genesis. Meanwhile, Adrian is troubled by visions of his mother, Sheryl, in pain and decides to return to his homeworld of Earth with Stella and his team to save her. Walter reveals that he sold Sheryl and Kelly to moisture farmer Klieg Lares, who then freed them and Kelly is dating Klieg's daughter, Bella. Kelly tells him that she was abducted by Sand Bandits weeks earlier and is likely dead. Determined to find his mother, Adrian ventures out and finds her at their campsite, still barely alive. After she dies in his arms, an enraged Adrian massacres the Bandits. He later declares to Stella that he will find a way to prevent the deaths of those he loves.
On Genesis, Oberon discovers a Separatist gathering led by Count Doofus, who is developing a droid army with Trade Federation Viceroy Newt Gundam and ordered the attempts on Stella's life. Oberon transmits his findings to the Astro-Knight Council but is captured by Separatist bots. Doofus meets Oberon in his cell and explains his role in the Confederacy of Independent Systems' formation, while implying that the Smith Lord Dark Hideous is in control of a large portion of the Spacefleet Senate. He then invites Oberon to join him and stop Hideous. When Oberon refuses, Doofus claims that Oberon's late master and Doofus' former apprentice Qi-Gong Jarek would have, had he been alive. Meanwhile, the Senate Representative proposes a successful vote to grant emergency powers to the President Commander, allowing the clone army to be authorized.
Adrian, Stella, Yoel, Lane, and Cheepo head to Genesis to rescue Oberon, but Adrian loses his lightsaber and they are captured by Jett. Doofus sentences the six to death, but they are saved by a battalion of space troopers led by Yoga, Mane Windup, and other Astro-Knights. Windup beheads Jett during the ensuing battle. Oberon and Adrian intercept Doofus, and they engage in a lightsaber duel. Doofus injures Oberon and severs Adrian's right arm, but Yoga intercepts and defends them. Doofus uses the Source to distract Yoga and escapes to Cusueturn, where he delivers the plans of a super-weapon to Hideous, who addresses Doofus by his Smith name Tyranny. The Council is left disturbed by Doofus' claim of Hideous controlling the Senate. As the Astro-Knights acknowledge the beginning of the Civil Wars, Adrian is fitted with a robotic hand and marries Stella on Earth, with Kelly, H.U.E., R.O.V.E.R., and X'ahmers as the only witnesses.
== Voice cast ==
* Brad Pitt as Oberon Kanary, the Commanding Officer of the OR-01 Enterprise and an Astro-Knight and mentor to his Cadet-Squire learner, Adrian Starrider, who investigates the assassination attempt of Stella, leading him to discover the production of a Clone Troop Army for the Spacefleet Republic. In the 10 years since The Martian Menace, he has grown wiser and more powerful in the use of the Source.
* Mae Whitman as Stella Amadeus, the former Queen of Nara, who has recently been elected the planet's Senator, and Adrian's love interest.
* Dante Basco as Adrian Starrider, a former slave from Earth and Oberon's gifted Cadet-Squire apprentice who is assigned to protect Stella with whom he falls in love. He is believed to be the "special" of Astro-Knight prophecy destined "to bring balance to The Source." In the 10 years since The Martian Menace, he has grown powerful but arrogant, and believes that Oberon is holding him back.
* Christopher Lloyd as Count Doofus/Dark Tyranny, A former Astro-Knight Master and the old mentor of Oberon's late master Qi-Gong Jarek, who is now the puppet leader of the Separatist movement as well as Dark Hideous' new Smith apprentice and a suspect in Oberon's investigation. He is a parody of .
* Dennis Haysbert as Mane Windup, an Astro-Knight Master sitting on the Astro-Knight Council who warily watches the Spacefleet Senate's politics.
* George Takei as Yoga, The centuries-old Astro-Knight Grandmaster of an unknown alien species. In addition to leading the Astro-Knight Council, Yoga is the instructor for the young Cadet Squires/“Younglings”.
* Mark Hamill as The President Commander/Dark Hideous, A former senator from Nara, as well as a secret Smith Lord, who amasses vast emergency powers as the President of the Spacefleet Republic upon the outbreak of the Civil Wars.
* Harvey Fierstein as Yoel, an Astro-Knight and helmsman of the 0R-01 Enterprise who accompanies Adrian to protect Stella.
* Gedde Watanabe as Lane, an Astro-Knight and Chief Engineer and Second Officer of the 0R-01 Enterprise who accompanies Adrian to protect Stella.
* Jerry Tondo as Cheepo, an Astro-Knight and navigator of the 0R-01 Enterprise who accompanies Adrian to protect Stella.
* Minae Noji as Sheryl Starrider, Adrian's mother and a former slave.
* Kyle Hebert as Kelly Starrider, Adrian's older brother and Sheryl's eldest son.
* David Tennant as H.U.E., a protocol robot built by Adrian as a child who serves the Starrider and Lares family. He later leaves Earth to accompany Adrian and Stella.
* Dee Bradley Baker as:
**R.O.V.E.R., Adrian's astromech robot who often accompanies him and Oberon on missions.
** Jett Floyd, a bounty hunter who gave his DNA for use by the cloning facilities on Camino for the creation of the clone army. He is a parody of .
** Spacetroopers, the DNA clones of bounty hunter Jett Floyd to serve as the military of the Spacefleet Republic. They are a parody of the .
** Stella's newly appointed captain of security
* Nika Futterman as Bodie Floyd, Jett Floyd's clone and adopted son.
** Futterman also voices the Handmaiden of Stella.
* Claudia Black as Zama Weasel, a bounty hunter and partner of Jett Floyd, who was given the task of assassinating Stella.
* Eric Bauza as:
** Noob Banme, the alien Viceroy of the Trade Organization and one of the leaders of the Separatist movement, who puts a hit on Stella as revenge for his loss against her people on Nara in The Martian Menace.
** Ko-Da-Muddy, a alien Astro-Knight Master sitting on the Astro-Knight Council.
** Jeff, a comically heavily-armed Astro-Knight member of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
** The Governor of Nara
* Shelley Calene-Black as Najera, an Astro-Knight master and high-ranking member of the Astro-Knight Council.
* Amanda C. Miller as Zuva, the leader of the free Zephilim and ally of the Astro-Knights of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
* Martin Freeman as Ross Organitza, A senator from Alara.
* Adriano Giannini as Rat, an Italian Astro-Knight and lookout of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
* Raman Hui as Jin, an Asian Astro-Knight and member of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
* Chung Chan as Lee, an Asian Astro-Knight and member of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
* Jim Cummings as:
** Trumphion, an alien elephant warrior whom she appoints Representative of Nara in the Galactic Senate.
** Luca, an elderly member of the 0R-01 Enterprise.
** Walter, Adrian, Kelly, and Sheryl's former slave owner.
* Chris Rager as Klieg Lares, Bella's father who freed Sheryl and Kelly from slavery.
* Kara Edwards as Bella Lares, Klieg's daughter and Kelly's girlfriend.
* Laura Bailey as Jason Quasar, an orphaned boy thief was stealing tires off of Kelly's car.
* John DiMaggio as Doug, Oberon's Basilisk friend who runs a diner on Cusueturn and informs him about Kimono.
* Morgan Freeman as Qi-Gong Jarek (statue and voice cameo only)
== Music ==
=== Soundtrack ===
No. Title.......................................................................Music
# "Lake Shore Drive"....................................Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
# "Spirit In The Sky"....................................Norman Greenbaum
# "I'm Not In Love"....................................10cc
# "Fooled Around And Fell In Love"....................................Elvin Bishop
# "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang"....................................Silver
# "Rock This Town"....................................Stray Cats
# "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)"....................................Looking Glass
# "Freaks"....................................Bionic Jive
# "This Isn't Love"....................................Work Of Art, Vince DiCola
=== Score ===
# "Space Wars (Main Title)"....................................Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, Bob Karlan
# "Count Doofus Medley"....................................Vince DiCola
# Trouble Abounds"....................................Vince DiCola
# "Danielle"....................................Vince DiCola
# "Trouble For Oberon"....................................Jeff Russo
# "I'm Going In"....................................Vince DiCola, Kenny Meriedeth
# "The Civil Wars Have Begun/Wedding On Nara"....................................Michael Giacchino
# "Closing Credits"....................................Cliff Eidelman, Czech National Symphony Orchestra"
# Space Wars (End Title)"....................................Alexander Courage, Gerald Fried, Bob Karlan
== Production ==
After the mixed critical response to The Martian Menace, Brandon Greene and Soulmemoria Animation were hesitant to return to the writing desk. Development of Attack of the Troops began in March 2040, some months after the release of The Martian Menace. By June 2040, Greene and Pendleton Ward completed a draft of the script, and principal photography took place from June to September 2040. The film crew primarily shot at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney, Australia, with additional footage filmed in Tunisia, Spain, and Italy. It was one of the first motion pictures shot completely on a high-definition digital 24-frame system.
== Release ==
On November 2, 2041, a teaser trailer for Attack of the Troops was released on YouTube and the film was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 16, 2042.
== Reception ==
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65% based on 252 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Space Wars Chapter II: Attack of the Troops benefits from an increased emphasis on thrilling action, although they're once again undercut by ponderous plot points and underdeveloped characters." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 39 critics, which indicates "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale, the same score as the previous film.
== Sequels ==
The last two sequels, The Civil Wars, was released in 2045 and Revenge of the Smith, was released in 2048.
== Trivia ==
* The film is a parody of (2002).
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