Thrilling space battles and lightsaber duels aside, fanboys and girls love that brief exchange in the first Star Wars movie when Obi-Wan Kenobi talked to Luke about his father Anakin Skywalker, and how they fought together in many a battle during the Clone Wars. Though barely a minute's worth of dialogue, it was just enough to spark the imagination: You mean there's history to this story? What was Luke's father really like? And what in the world is a 'Clone War'?
Fans wanted to know and it helped pave the way for the three prequels that dealt with that period of Star Wars lore. Except creator/director George Lucas made one crucial mistake (among many)—he cheated fans out of the epic battles they were hoping to see. Attack of the Clones ends with the start of the Clone Wars, and Revenge of the Sith wraps it up about midway through. We see very little of the full-scale intergalactic war between droids and troopers in which Anakin distinguishes himself as a Jedi hero to the Republic.
Anakin Skywalker
Practically speaking, such a production would be tough to film. It took years before Lucas felt technology was ready to show large-scale battles through computer animation. So it only stands to reason that animation would also be used to tell the rest of the story in between Episodes II and III. Thus animator Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack) was commissioned to depict some of the Clone Wars through a micro-series of animated shorts. The overall response was very enthusiastic, due to the slick and stylish animation which, like Samurai Jack, told much of its story with minimal dialogue. I highly recommend it to Star Wars fans.
Now comes Star Wars: The Clone Wars, essentially a glorified pilot episode for the brand-new animated series from Lucasfilm Animation, beginning this fall. Lucas had a hand in the creative process as executive producer, but the film is helmed not by Tartakovsky, but Dave Filoni, whose only previous work is with the TV series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The resulting look of the film is a sort of hybrid between the "realism" of the live-action CGI animation and the stylized comic book feel of Tartakovsky's hand-drawn series. Compromise is the key word here.
Padawan Ahsoka
For those familiar with the previous animated series, this film more or less takes place between the two seasons. For those who are at least familiar with the movies, it's enough to know that it takes place between Episodes II and III. And for those who haven't a clue (or care) about the Republic and Separatists, this is not your film.
After a short intro reminiscent of old 1940s news reels, we find Anakin and Obi-Wan with a contingent of clone troopers fully immersed in a heavy skirmish with hordes of droid armies. Master Yoda complicates matters for the two Jedi heroes by sending them Ahsoka Tano, a teenage Padawan apprentice assigned to serve under Anakin, studying the ways of the Force while helping to save the galaxy.
After the battle is over, the three are quickly assigned to another mission of vital importance: Jabba the Hutt's son has been kidnapped. (Seriously?) If the Republic hopes to forge peace with the Hutt gangster clans in order to ensure safe trade passage, the Jedi must quickly recover Rotta the Huttlet (Seriously??). Yes, this is a plot with a gurgling, whimpering baby slug at the center—seriously. Little do our heroes suspect that evil Sith lord Count Dooku and his apprentice Asajj Ventress (from the first Clone Wars micro-series) are using this plot, under the orders of Darth Sidious, as means to discredit the Jedi with the Hutts.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Clone Wars is not bad, and not without its moments. The sequence where Anakin and Ahsoka lead troops in a battle up the side of a cliff is often breathtaking and clever. There are nighttime lightsaber duels framed against the light of a full moon that are stunning. And there are plentiful nods to classic moments from the beloved sci-fi saga, from sound effects and creature design to a few recurring musical motifs. And though most of the voice acting is handled by unknowns imitating the original actors—and doing a decent job of it—Samuel Jackson, Christopher Lee, and Anthony Daniels are on hand to reprise their iconic roles (as Mace Windu, Count Dooku, and C-3PO, respectively).
Unfortunately, about the most that can be said for The Clone Wars is that it reminds you of the other movies that you either loved or loved to hate. Though fans may enjoy the movie, no one would be foolish enough to put it on par with the original films—the special effects and design are all spot-on, but it's still an animated copy of the real thing. And those who disliked the tone of the prequels will find this to be more of the same—more political scheming by the Sith, endless explosions between robots and troopers, corny dialogue peppered with amateur one-liners, and lots of whining. Either way, it's not a good thing.
Yoda
The animation is not as groundbreaking as the filmmakers would like to think. It's stylish eye candy at times, for sure. But more often than not, it looks like the sort of CGI commonly shown on Saturday morning television and Nickelodeon. Much of the action is smooth and flawless, but some of it is rather choppy looking. Plus, things like hair and skin look rather fake and plastic in this (like the Happy Meal toys being used to promote it). Pixar this is not, and it's ironic that this movie comes out the same summer as WALL•E, which felt closely related to Star Wars in many ways.
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The story and dialogue also feel juvenile, even for Star Wars. Here again it feels like your average Saturday morning cartoon with the lame one-liners (though some of the droids give humorous commentary before being summarily destroyed). Anakin and Ahsoka have lots of banter about what it means to be a Jedi and the importance of following orders. The teenage apprentice is plucky, but she's also very irritating in the way she often disobeys Anakin and complains about everything. Of course, she's not nearly as laughably grating as Jabba's purple, tattooed, uncle Ziro the Hutt, who speaks in a swishy Southern drawl. (Seriously???)
There's also something to be said for the role of John Williams' rousing score. Here it's reduced to a cheaply produced rendition of the opening march, with some smatterings of familiar themes. The rest is a hodgepodge of rock and world music that unintentionally removes us from the Star Wars universe that we're used to.
How you like it depends on who you identify with. Kids will enjoy it, fans will tolerate it, geeks will feel obligated to love it, and cynics will note that at least Jar Jar doesn't make an appearance. It's a thoroughly so-so affair, but at least this much can be said about The Clone Wars: it proves you don't have to be George Lucas to direct stiff characters and wooden dialogue in a semi-enjoyable Star Wars story that relies heavily on computer animation.
>Talk About It
Discussion starters
What side of Anakin Skywalker do we see in this movie: hero or tragic servant to the Dark Side? Ignoring the fact that Anakin eventually becomes Darth Vader, do you think he's ready to take on an apprentice in this movie/series? Why or why not?
Is Ahsoka respectful of her elders—Anakin, Rex, Obi-Wan, and Yoda? Do you believe her attitude changes later in the film? Will this movie cause kids to become more mindful of obedience, or will they think it's cool to strike out on their own?
Anakin says that a Jedi must be humble. Which Jedi seem to have humility down? Which ones still need to learn it? In what ways is humility demonstrated in this movie?
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What does Ahsoka mean when she tells Anakin that old sins can cast long shadows? How does that relate to his past? How can we dispel the shadows of a sinful or painful past?
The Family Corner
For parents to consider
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is rated PG for sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking. Though an animated feature, the content is perfectly in step with that of most other Star Wars movies, with plenty of action-packed shoot-outs, lightsaber duels, and explosions. There's nothing bloody or as graphic as Revenge of the Sith, though a few severed alien heads are shown quickly in passing. I noted a "damn" and an "oh my God" as the only offensive language in the film. As for the "momentary smoking," I can only assume it refers to one of the Hutts smoking, just like Jabba in Return of the Jedi. Overall, this entry in the Star Wars saga has a lighter, Saturday morning cartoon feel, appropriate for most kids into sci-fi action/adventure.
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