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Highly positive Clone Wars review from SFX

CaptainWacky

CaptainWacky

I want to smell dark matter
The 20th Century Fox fanfare is such an integral part of the Star Wars experience that seeing the Warner Brothers shield dissolving into “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…” is a rather disconcerting experience. The absence of an opening crawl – to say what it’s been replaced with would be an unfair spoiler – and slightly remixed theme tune do nothing but add to the suspicion that The Clone Wars comes from a very different place to the live-action movies.
But make no mistake, as soon as you’re plunged into the heart of a Jedi vs battledroids confrontation on a distant world, this is pure, unadulterated Star Wars. The characters may be heavily stylized CG caricatures of the saga’s heroes and villains, but the essence of George Lucas’s creation remains in a movies that nests at least two of the prequels. Indeed, The Clone Wars’ brand of simplistic, action-heavy storytelling is a fantastic breath of fresh air after the complex political machinations that bogged down much of Episodes I and II.
The film’s biggest strength is that it’s clearly been made by fans for fans. It’s easy to picture planning meetings dissolving into sessions of “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” particularly when Anakin leads a vertical assault on a distant temples, clone troopers and giant walkers scaling a massive cliff as Separatist fire rains down on them. The movies packed with sequences that more than hold their own against their live-action equivalents.
And while it’s hardly Apocalypse Now, Clone Wars doesn’t sanitise the violence. Some scenes are surprisingly brutal: a battledroid grabbing a trooper by the neck before shooting him point blank is up there with the charred corpses of Luke’s aunt and uncle in the Star Wars pantheon of unpleasantness. This is the Clone Wars as many fans of the original trilogy wanted to see them, much closer to the prequels that existed in our heads than The Phantom Menace turned out to be.
As a curtain-raiser to the upcoming Clone Wars TV series – set to continue filling the gaps between Episodes II and III – this is an impressive statement of intent. The CG proves surprisingly effective, with the cast’s cartoony, almost puppet-like appearance perfectly suiting the material. The animation may not possess Pixar levels of complexity – probably impossible when you’ve eventually got to churn out weekly episodes – but with its vibrant colour scheme and simple, get-to-the-point-dialogue, The Clone Wars is straight out of the comic-book school of storytelling. Needless to say, the hardware and spaceships look fantastic – you have to look very hard to see where what you see here defers from the (admittedly just as CG) equivalents in the prequels.
Although the mention of protecting shipping lanes through the Outer Rim conjures unpleasant memories of Trade Federation blockades, the plot involving the kidnap of Jabba the Hutt’s son rarely lets the excitement levels dip – in fact, the action’s so relentless that come the final quarter you might find yourself begging for a breather. Slug Jr proves an ingenious McGuffin, both a convincing reason for conflict between the Republic and Count Dooku’s Separatists (both sides want to keep Jabba onside) and a brilliant plot device for exploring the relationship between future Vader Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, when they have the play nursemaid.
The character stuff works as well as it does is a welcome surprise. Cartoon Anakin process to be a much more likeable character than the Hayden Christensen version, suggesting he might become the rogue-ish Han Solo character the prequels lacked, while one glance between Anakin and the secret missus Padme, shared via hologram, conveys more sexual chemistry than any number of musings about the romantic properties of sand.
The newbies, too, fare well, with the impetuous Ahsoka mostly avoiding the annoying qualities that are usually the hallmarks of a screen sidekick, and Asajj Ventress displaying plenty of menace and her fair share of skill with a lightsaber. Even the usually faceless clones are given a chance to develop, with their haircuts (some of them hilarious) suggesting they’ve grown individual personalities.
Above all The Clone Wars is fun. Sure, a few gags fall flat, but this gets back to the adventure serial roots that first inspired George Lucas all those years ago. The kid in you will love it.
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LOL THEY WAS PROBABLY PAID OFF BY LU-CASH AND HIS NECK AND BEARD EVERYONE NOSE DAT CGI SUCKZ!!!!1
 
It looks good and I'll probably see it because I'm interested in the CGI, but I don't like how the voices sound on the trailer. Are they all voiced by new people, or is it just disconcerting to see Ewan McGregor's voice matched up with a weirdly shaped cartoon version?

Oh and is it necessary to see the series first?
 
The only returning voices are Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels (because he will do ANYTHING) and the bloke who voiced General Grevious (becuase he works at ILM). Why they didn't get Temuera Morrison for the clones I don't know. Apparently Hayden Christensen asked to voice Anakin but was turned down...

...yeah.

You might need to watch the Cartoon Network episodes first, I doubt there'll be that much crossover, frankly. Apart from Asajj Ventress, but all you need to know about Asajj Ventress is: She's awesome.
 
lol. Awesome, okay, I've got that.

I wonder why Lucas didn't shell out for McGregor and Christenson. Well, I wonder why he didn't shell out for McGregor, anyway.
 
McGregor's probably busy traveling the world on a motorbike "for charity" (with 18 memembers of the film crew.)

I do find the idea that they actually turned Hayden down quite funny.
 
Hayden - I want to play Anakins voice!

Cartoon people - Yeah, we've decided to go with someone who can emote.

Hayden - Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
 
They were going to use Natalie until they found out I don't like her anymore.
 
Another positive review from Empire.

Brad Bird famously promised to punch anyone who refers to animation as a genre - it’s just a technique. It’s with a similar, if rather less belligerent, ethos that Lucasfilm brings us The Clone Wars. Animation, they argue, is just a new way of continuing the story that began in 1977. Whether or not you agree is up to you, but regardless of the nomenclature used, this latest offering is a very different experience to that of Episodes past.

The spiritual (and chronological) successor to Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated series, this computer-generated tale boasts similarly stylised visuals and over-the-top action. The hyperreal outlook takes some getting used to, but once you’ve made the transition, the beauty of Filoni’s brave new world becomes apparent. The cast of caricatures bear an intricate, textured aspect like that of hand-painted models, each familiar face lovingly exaggerated to fit the new mould.

There’s little reference to the larger saga here, focusing instead on the action, which unfolds through a series of slick skirmishes and colossal set-pieces. The stand-out is a giddy, vertical firefight on the craggy side of a plunging rock face - an arresting sequence that dares to try something genuinely fresh and inventive.

Traditional lightsaber duels are here as well, of course, thanks to the welcome return of Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress, whose sinister looks and dual ’sabers are as crowd-pleasing here as in Tartakovsky’s cartoon.

Ahsoka Tano is the main addition to the roster: a precocious youngling who serves as Anakin’s unwanted padawan. Probably the most worrisome aspect of the film for fans, this sassy, smart-mouthed Jedi-in-training is actually surprisingly affable, striking up a snappy rapport with Anakin, who casts aside his usual pouty petulance. In fact, there’s a lightening of tone all round, allowing some tremendous fun with battle droids (who have finally found their natural habitat) and the introduction of Zero The Hutt - a drawling, cross-dressing pimp of a character and the closest Star Wars has to an intergalactic Huggy Bear.

If this doesn’t sound quite like the Star Wars you remember, that’s because in many ways it’s not. The absence of the Fox fanfare (substituted by Warner Bros.’ theme) is followed with no opening crawl, and the main title feels awkward without John Williams’ iconic score – replaced by a proficient but less grand offering from Kevin Kiner. All of this detracts from the film’s cinematic impact. Indeed, serving as an elongated introduction to the new Clone Wars series (destined for British TVs next year), this feels more like great television writ large than a movie in its own right.

The biggest grumble for fans will be that Clone Wars skews towards a younger audience than the live-action films. Despite the occasional hint of darkness (Ahsoka’s omission from Episode III bodes ill), this is a more frivolous affair than we’re accustomed to. However, Lucas has oft said that while the fans have grown up, Star Wars never has, and in many ways The Clone Wars accomplishes exactly what he set out to do 30 years ago: take people out of themselves to a galaxy far, far away. It may not be what the (now older) fans are hoping for, but this is entirely in keeping with Lucas’ original vision - whether you like it or not.

Verdict
An enjoyable escapade and a great introduction to the forthcoming series - just not the seventh Star Wars film fans were hoping for.
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Maybe they just watched jumper
 
Apparently Hayden Christensen asked to voice Anakin but was turned down...
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Seems silly..
 
Maybe Tomtrek's a fucking liar!?
 
The ORIGINAL TRILOGY is all i need to maintain a woody!
 
But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with people such as myself enjoying the continuing adventures.
 
^^^i say it does...freaks.
 
Well FUCK YOU UP THE NOSE then.
 
Just prepare to be dissapointed is all i'm sayin'.
 
by what? YOUR PENIS?
 
no, by yer innability to wank after i castrate u.
 
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