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Reel Time
Appeal of ‘Clone Wars’ may be limited to diehard franchise fans
By LEE CLARK ZUMPE
Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008 |
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![[Image]](/content_images/081208_lemovies-02.jpg) |
| Photo courtesy of LUCASFILM LTD. AND WARNER BROS. PICTURES |
| Count Dooku unleashes dark side lightning in a scene from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” |
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Taken as a standalone effort, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” stands as moderately exhilarating escapist summer fare that will have broad appeal among longstanding Star Wars aficionados, gamers and animation film buffs.
Lucasfilm Animation brought this new chapter in the Star Wars canon to life, developing a storyline that fits neatly in between “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.”
Screenwriters Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy are to be applauded for their strict commitment to maintaining the continuity of the saga: There is nothing about the plot that contradicts with or deviates from the overall story arch.
As the title suggests, the tale takes place at the height of the Clone Wars, the intergalactic conflict first mentioned in “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.” In the live action feature films, audiences only caught a glimpse of the commencement and conclusion of hostilities. “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” features franchise characters like Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Padme Amidala as well as Senator Palpatine and Count Dooku.
New to the franchise is a Padawan named Ahsoka, who has been assigned to train with Anakin.
The story revolves around rescuing Jabba the Hutt’s offspring from unknown abductors, a mission the Jedi are reluctant to embrace due to the Hutt’s nefarious dealings as a crime lord. Palpatine convinces the Jedi Council to take on the operation to help sway Jabba into signing a strategic treaty with the Republic.
Helping to make the new installment interconnect even more flawlessly, several actors have reprised their roles. Lending their voices are Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, Christopher Lee as Count Dooku and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO.
Although “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” doesn’t interfere with the continuity of the series, viewing it can be somewhat frustrating for those familiar with the franchise. Knowing that, chronologically, Anakin has already taken his first steps down the path that leads to dark side of the Force, accepting him as the story’s protagonist or even as a war hero is somewhat difficult.
Also difficult to accept is the benevolent relationship which develops between Anakin and Ahsoka. Keep in mind that Anakin is at best only a few short years from falling completely under the spell of Darth Sidious and that, as his first act as Sidious’ apprentice, he enters the Jedi Temple and slaughters all of the Jedi, including younglings.
The softening of Anakin’s character at this point in the series is problematic and anachronistic.
Taken in context of the complete saga, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” offers fans an exciting, visually spectacular addendum to the narrative without doing much to enhance it. Though the new animated feature in no way overthrows the story arch – at least from a technical standpoint – it does defer Anakin’s descent toward evil in order to frame him as the film’s central hero.
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Article published on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008
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