Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Suspicious we are of The Clone Wars...
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Monday, 11, Aug 2008 09:59
Directed by Dave Filoni, out Friday August 15th in cinemas, starring Christopher Lee, Samuel L Jackson, Anthony Daniels, running time 98 minutes.
In a nutshell.
CGI Star Wars
What's it all about?
Far back, like ages ago, in a galaxy like well far away between Episode II and III, the Clone Wars are kicking off. The Separatists led by Count Dooku and Lord Palpatine are battling out with the Republic with their hero Jedis.
Someone has kidnapped Jabba the Hutt's son and the first to return it and blame the others will win his backing and freedom to travel the space lanes of the outer rim. We follow Obi-Wan, Anakin and his new Padawan Ahsoka Tano as they head out to find the son, while double crosses traverse the galaxy.
In 2003, there was a 25-episode 2D Clone Wars series, which looked a bit like Johnny Bravo. Now comes a 3D CGI film which will lead into a 22-episode CGI TV series. It seems the Clone Wars were long with loads of battles.
To watch an exclusive Clone Wars clip, click here
Who's in it?
Christopher Lee, Samuel L Jackson, and Anthony Daniels are all reclaiming their roles, but elsewhere we have sound-a-likes. Surprisingly James Arnold Taylor (Final Fantasy X, The Animatrix) is spot on as Ewan McGregor's impression of Alec Guinness. Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker is far and away better than Hayden Christensen, which leads me to think George Lucas should re-touch the first three films with a CGI Anakin and have Jar Jar Binks as a man in a suit.
Elsewhere no complaints.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
Do you still do that Oscar for cartoons? Yes, Wall-E is a shoe-in.
What the others say
Hollywood Reporter: "In the absence of any extensive innovation, the video game-ready results play more like a feature-length promo for the imminent TV series of the same name than a standalone event."
The People: "It's not a patch on the best of the proper films, and considering we already know the ending of the saga, it's a bit of a pointless detour."
So is it any good?
There is that great moment of film history when Luke asks Obi Wan: "You fought in the clones wars?" Obi replies: "Yes, I was once a Jedi Knight the same as your father."
Luke's naive voice of awe created the perfect back-story.
And this back story is brought to life in glorious CGI Jedi fun, thanks to Mr Lucas and his strange fat-covering beard. But is this film any good, or just a big-screen promotion for the forthcoming Clone Wars TV series?
The Fear is Star Wars: The Clone Wars could end up just being the Star Wars Holiday Special - and at least that had all the original stars.
After the disappointment of the pre-quellogy, I was suspicious that Lucas had fallen over to the dark side.
So I waited for the 20th Century Fox theme to toot out and build a frenzy. But the fanfare was not there (Warner Brothers now distribute), then were no words streaming down the screen, just some lame announcer voice giving the intro. I resigned myself to despondency. Why, Lucas, have you forsaken us?
More fool me.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars was great. The big, big monster battle scenes were big and monster, and even close to Saving Private Ryan beach landing-ly good at times.
It was an exciting, well balanced film, with an amazing amount of action for its 98 minutes.
'Comedy' drones are a little annoying, as was the new character of the padawan - seemingly in place to act as a young character young viewers can connect too. The baby hutt was tiresome too, but while I expected a number of episodes of the upcoming TV show sewn together, the film does stand up on its own right (please sense the disbelief on my part).
The animation is flawless, and in places amazing, and the caricatures are spot on.
Maybe in places the film is too violent, but only Republic Clones and Separatist droids get killed - and despite showing individual personality - they don't matter and have no family to go back home to.
I have to say Star Wars: The Clone Wars is just great -not amazing - but great and easily better than Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I know it's just the money-making toy-selling band-wagon rolling on and on, but I really enjoyed it.
8/10
Darth Daniel Barnes
"I saw Star Wars The Clone Wars preview at London's Leicester Square. Please read my review: http://www.jedi-robe.com/news.html?newsId=47 Cheers" - Master Jedi-Robe