And then of course there's Anakin (Matt Lanter).and Ahsoka (Ashley Eckstein).Īside from Jake Lloyd's carefree slaveboy routine in Phantom Menace, Anakin has always been portrayed as a mopey, sour individual, impressively skilled but essentially charmless. Intriguingly, Asajj Ventriss (Nika Futterman) - whom we've only met in the Tartakovsky cartoons - also shows up for a memorable battle with Obi-Wan. Grievous is absent, though a preview at the start of the disc ensures his eventual appearance on the show. Jackson) all put in appearances - with the actors often credited (a surprise to me, since when I heard Mace speak I thought, "That's not a very good Sam Jackson impersonation.") Only Gen. Yoda (Tom Kane), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), Jabba the Hutt (Kevin Michael Richardson), R2-D2, and Mace Windu (Samuel L. The familiar faces from the prequel trilogy are mostly here: Palpatine (Ian Abercrombie), played as straight as ever Padme (Catherine Taber), still a bit stiff, even in cartoon form Dooku (Christopher Lee himself), perhaps a bit more athletic now that he's not played by a man in his 80s and of course Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor, who did his voice in the Tartakovsky, continuing his best Ewan McGregor impression). In fact, taken purely as a piece of fun swashbuckle, peopled by characters we care about and relate to, this otherwise slight venture is more successful in its minor mission than the prequels are in their more ambitious endeavors. Whatever the reason for the rejection, it disregards what The Clone Wars actually is: a solid premiere for a very promising series, inventing new characters (and, in some ways, re-inventing old ones), crafting a consistent tone and style to carry us forward, and populating the screen with a wealth of witty ideas and striking designs. Perhaps it was the growing backlash to George Lucas, perhaps critics resented what was obviously TV material being dumped on the big screen, or maybe the kid-centered, computer-animated approach was just a tough sell for adults already inclined to consider the franchise a cynical marketing ploy. Re-releases have lowered the prequels' critical scores over time (they were fairly well-received initially), but none of those films earned scores as low as The Clone Wars. Although the series itself has been acclaimed, earning several Emmies, establishing a new generation of Star Wars fans, and winning over many viewers who had been dismayed by the prequels, The Clone Wars got off to an ignominious start with this theatrical feature. In fact, I found The Clone Wars quite enjoyable - a surprise given its abysmal reputation. And actually I thought it did a pretty good job at that. After all, its stakes are hardly as high as any other Star Wars film (well, ok, maybe Phantom Menace) and its purpose is clearly to establish characters and solidify a universe that will pay off. Then again, this movie is probably best viewed not as a standalone film but as a pilot for the series. We are now four entries into this viewing diary and after two live-action features, a couple dozen cartoon shorts, and an animated feature we still haven't quite hit The Clone Wars proper. I don't think any other TV series I cover will require quite as much "easing into" as The Clone Wars. This is an entry in the viewing diary for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series (2008-14).
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