Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a 3d animated cartoon, featuring all your favorite characters from the prequel trilogy, and some of your faves from the original trilogy.
I got to see Star Wars: The Clone Wars last weekend and quite enjoyed it. The film takes place during the Clone Wars, a period of unrest chronologically placed between the second and third prequel movie.
The film is a full blown 3d animated adventure with lots of action and a couple of laughs. The story is a little weak - Anakin is sent to rescue Jabba the huts kidnapped offspring from a bunch of bounty hunters. Like the Star Wars movies, The Clone Wars has planet hopping tendencies - lots of travelling back and forth. There are also lots of references to the real life films, and with George in the credits - I think we can take this as cannon.
There are lots of 3d animated cartoons around and unfortunately this one isn't as visually impressive as the others. I do really like the style they have gone for, much more puppet-like, artistic, and stylised than other films, but compared to anything by Pixar it is lacking. That said the cartoon is soon going to be a tv series and for that these models will be ideal - better than any other 3d toon that I've seen for sure.
There were some nice touches in the film, I particularly enjoyed the vertical battle ascending to the clifftop temple. The new apprentice Sith was also cool - I was pleased to see Ventress brought to life in one of the films. She was first designed for Star Wars Episode two (before Dooku was dreamed up and I loved the design then as much as I do now. I suspect she will show up as a regular in the cartoon series.
I wasn't expecting it but somehow the producers managed to get some of the voice cast from the movies to reprise their roles in the film. It's just as well really as I can't believe anyone else can be Samuel L Jackson as well as... well... Samuel L Jackson.
I'm of two minds about the film, I did enjoy it but at the same time I'm not sure it should have been released at the cinema (yes Gnorb - you were right), released straight to DVD it would have been perfect. I do recommend watching it but possibly not at the cinema, unless you're an absolute Star Wars nut.
Its actually pretty damn cool even for the mature starwars loving fan. Id recommend it to anyone
October 12, 2008