star wars the clone wars movie review

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Has it come to this? Has the magical impact of George Lucas' original vision of "Star Wars" been reduced to the level of Saturday morning animation? "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," which is a continuation of an earlier animated TV series, is basically just a 98-minute trailer for the autumn launch of a new series on the Cartoon Network.

The familiar "Star Wars" logo and the pulse-pounding John Williams score now lift the curtain on a deadening film that cuts corners on its animation and slumbers through a plot that (a) makes us feel like we've seen it all before, and (b) makes us wish we hadn't.

The action take place between the events in the "real" movies "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" and "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." The Republic is still at war with the Separatists, its access to the Galactic Rim is threatened and much depends on pleasing the odious Jabba the Hutt, whose child had been kidnapped -- by the Jedi, he is told.

It's up to Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan pupil, Ahsoka Tano, to find the infant, while Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda lead the resistance to a Separatist onslaught. And if all of this means little to you, you might as well stop reading now. It won't get any better.

This is the first feature-length animated "Star Wars" movie, but instead of pushing the state of the art, it's retro. You'd think the great animated films of recent years had never been made. The characters have hair that looks molded from Play-Doh, bodies that seem arthritic, and moving lips on half-frozen faces -- all signs that shortcuts were taken in the animation work.

The dialogue in the original "Star Wars" movies had a certain grace, but here the characters speak to one another in simplistic declamation, and Yoda gets particularly tiresome with his once-charming speech pattern. To quote the famous line by Wolcott Gibbs, "Backward ran sentences until reeled the mind."

The battle scenes are interminable, especially once we realize that although the air is filled with bullets, shells and explosive rockets, no one we like is going to be killed. The two armies attack each other, for some reason, only on a wide street in a towering city. First one army advances, then the other. Why not a more fluid battle plan? To save money on backgrounds, I assume. The trick that Anakin and his Padawan learner use to get behind the enemy force field (essentially, they hide under a box) wouldn't even have fooled anybody in a Hopalong Cassidy movie -- especially when they stand up and run with their legs visible, but can't see where they're going.

Ahsoka Tano, by the way, is annoying. She bats her grapefruit-sized eyes at Anakin and offers suggestions that invariably prove her right and her teacher wrong. At least when we first met Yoda, he was offering useful advice. Which reminds me. I'm probably wrong, but I don't think anyone in this movie ever refers to The Force.

You know you're in trouble when the most interesting new character is Jabba the Hutt's uncle. The big revelation is that Jabba has an infant to be kidnapped. The big discovery is that Hutts look like that when born, only smaller. The question is, who is Jabba's wife? The puzzle is, how do Hutts copulate? Like snails, I speculate. If you don't know how snails do it, let's not even go there. The last thing this movie needs is a Jabba the Hutt sex scene.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film Credits

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Rated PG for sci-fi action violence throughout, brief language and momentary smoking

Matt Manter as Anakin

Catherine Taber as Padme

James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi

Christopher Lee as Count Dooku

Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu

Directed by

• Dave Filoni
• Henry Gilroy
• Steven Melching
• Scott Murphy

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‘star wars: the clone wars’: film review.

There are admittedly some eye-catching sequences in the production, directed by Dave Filoni.

By Michael Rechtshaffen

Michael Rechtshaffen

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Situated chronologically between “ Attack of the Clones ” and “ Revenge of the Sith ” in the “Star Wars” saga, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” serves as the maiden voyage for Lucasfilm Animation, but despite the exclusively CG rendering, this anticipated new episode is at best a reasonable facsimile.

Frankly, given the newer installments’ increasing reliance on CG effects, the transition from live action to animation isn’t really all that dramatic — and that’s part of the problem with the latest adventure. The Bottom Line Anakin’s a real mannequin in this stiffly-executed CG feature.

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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 stand-alone event.

Given the prolonged awareness factor, the fanboys and junior Jedi Knights should still be out in full force — at least in the opening weekend — producing stellar though unlikely out-of-this-galaxy results.

Briefly alluded to in “Episodes II” and “III” as well as the subject of a very different-looking animated TV series from a few years back, “Clone Wars” finds Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Matt Lanter) reluctantly paired with overeager Padawan learner, Ahsoka (Ashley Eckstein), on a mission to rescue crime lord Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped baby.

There are admittedly some eye-catching sequences in the production, directed by Dave Filoni (Nickelodeon’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender”), from a script credited to Scott Murphy and TV animation veterans Henry Gilroy and Steven Melching.

But the distinctive animation style eschews photorealism in favor of something more of a high-tech marionette look recalling Sylvia and Gerry Anderson’s vintage “Thunderbirds” and “Fireball XL-5” ’60s series.

Unfortunately, that wood-carved appearance is all-too-fitting considering the less-than-fluid movement of the characters (they all appear to walk like C-3PO) and the lifeless dialogue.

Strained attempts at comedy are reserved for the constant bickering between Anakin and Ahsoka, who form something of a bizarre dysfunctional family along with the Hutt-let.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars Review

15 Aug 2008

NaN minutes

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

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.

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• DVD & Streaming

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

• Action/Adventure , Animation , Drama , Sci-Fi/Fantasy , War

Content Caution

In Theaters

• Voices of Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker; Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Tom Kane as Yoda; Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu; Anthony Daniels as C-3PO; Christopher Lee as Count Dooku; Ian Abercrombie as Chancellor Palpatine and Darth Sidious; Catherine Taber as Padmé Amidala; Bradley Baker as Capt. Rex and Commander Cody; Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress; Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba the Hutt; Corey Burton as Ziro the Hutt

Home Release Date

• Dave Filoni

Distributor

• Warner Bros.

Movie Review

Anakin Skywalker’s journey to the dark side was completed in 2005’s Star Wars: Episode 3 – Revenge of the Sith . But that hardly means George Lucas and Co. have run out of stories to tell from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

Enter Star Wars: The Clone Wars , the debut effort from Lucasfilm Animation. This animated movie chronicles the further adventures of Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi and their supporting cast of new and familiar characters. It also serves as an introduction to the Clone Wars series on cable TV’s Cartoon Network.

The story takes place during the three-year gap between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith . Call it Episode 2.5 if you will. The titular Clone Wars rage as the Jedi guardians of the Galactic Republic engage the droid armies of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (also known as the Separatists), led by the cunning rogue Jedi-turned-Sith lord, Count Dooku.

Dooku has kidnapped Jabba the Hutt’s infant son, Rotta (who resembles a wriggling, big-eyed, overgrown tadpole), and has framed the Jedi for the crime. Dooku hopes to secure a treaty between the Separatists and the Hutt clan, who control the shipping lanes in the Outer Rim Territories. Anakin’s task: Rescue the Huttlet and thus preserve the Republic’s strategically necessary relationship with the slimy interstellar gangster.

Anakin’s main sidekick this time around is a young apprentice Jedi named Ahsoka Tano—a headstrong young woman who tests Skywalker’s patience. Meanwhile, shadowy Sith assassin Asajj Ventress stalks their every move as they seek to return the littlest Hutt to his daddy.

Positive Elements

As with all the Star Wars films, there are many moments of heroism and bravery as Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka place their lives on the line for the sake of one another and for the Republic. That’s especially apparent when Anakin and Ahsoka sneak behind enemy lines to disable a shield generator. Likewise, Obi-Wan stands his ground even as hope for victory in a key battle fades. Two Republic officers, Commander Cody and Capt. Rex, also exemplify courage under fire.

Senator Padmé Amidala (Anakin’s soul mate, eventual wife and the mother of Luke and Leia) puts herself in considerable peril when she tries to clear the name of the Jedi by visiting Jabba the Hutt’s uncle, Ziro the Hutt. Yoda and Mace Windu offer strategic counsel in guiding all these characters through various webs of political intrigue and military confrontations. And, of course, R2-D2 and (to a lesser extent) C-3PO blend comic relief with courage in their stereotypically stalwart support roles.

When Anakin complains about having Ahsoka assigned to him as an apprentice, Obi-Wan reminds him, “Teaching is a privilege” and something that is part of a Jedi’s responsibility. Anakin slowly warms to Ahsoka and is able to see the young woman’s strengths, one of which is acting in a very motherly way toward young Rotta, who is sick almost to the point of death when they rescue him. (In one of the oddest twists of all, we learn that Jabba is a devoted father who loves his son and refers to him as his little “punkie muffin.” Really. )

Anakin’s torturous path toward the dark side of the Force is nowhere to be seen in this story. Instead, we’ve got an old-fashioned, Saturday matinee story of good vs. evil where the distinction between the two is in no danger of being confused.

Spiritual Elements

Speaking of the Force, Clone Wars assumes that viewers are already fully in the know regarding the pseudo-spiritual energy field that the Jedi harness for good and the Sith (dark Jedi) for ill. There are no long, expository conversations about the nature of the Force like the ones that pop up occasionally throughout the live-action films. Mostly, we see how it equips Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka (as well as their dark-side opponents Dooku and Asajj) with superhuman agility in combat, as well as the ability to telekinetically shove objects and people out of their way.

Even though Anakin isn’t initially enthusiastic about being paired with Ahsoka, he says, “It’s the will of the Force that you’re at my side” and that there are “no accidents.” These Jedi convictions about what happens and why are broadly similar to the Christian doctrine of providence , which also emphasizes the purposefulness of everything because all events are under God’s control.

A character uses spiritual verbiage to talk about the reality of consequences, saying, “Old sins cast long shadows.” C-3PO says, “Oh, thank the maker.”

Sexual Content

Both Jabba and Ziro employ female entertainers whose dancing is somewhat sensual. The woman who dances for Jabba wears a form-fitting full-body outfit that’s much less revealing than the one that’s seen in Return of the Jedi . In the case of Ziro’s dancer, we see her silhouette as she undulates in the darkened background behind him. Ahsoka’s outfit reveals her midriff, while Asajj’s exposes some cleavage.

Also, it seems that there may be more to Ziro than him being just a quirkier Hutt than Jabba. Shawn Adler, writing for MTV Movies Blog , states, “OK, let’s be straight for a second: Jabba’s uncle, Ziro the Hutt, a new character introduced specifically for the upcoming animated series, is a gay stereotype that makes what Jar Jar Binks represented to the island of Jamaica look subtle by comparison. It’s not the look or design that pushes it over the top into stereotype, of course, but the voice (performed by Corey Burden), a lispy, high-pitched twang purposively reminiscent of Truman Capote.” Adler goes on to report that it was George Lucas himself who asked for the lisp.

Violent Content

Combat scenes permeate The Clone Wars as the Jedi square off against droid armies on the ground and their fleet of warships in space. Lasers and lightsabers play a dominate role in frequent firefights that include a considerable number of explosions and casualties on both sides. Droids meet their end in all manner of ways, including getting their metallic heads lopped off.

More intense is when a similar fate befalls several Republic soldiers who’re wearing armor from head to toe. Several take energy shots to the head and are knocked down so fast it seems as if they, too, were decapitated. One beam blasts a hole all the way through the torso of a soldier. Combatants on both sides meet a fiery death in space as well, especially when a small craft crashes into the landing bay of a larger transport ship.

The majority of the violence is free from blood and gore. One notable exception: The heads of four failed bounty hunters are presented to Jabba on a plank of wood.

An obligatorily extended lightsaber battle between Obi-Wan and Asajj ends without either warrior vanquishing the other. Dooku has the ability to hurl lightning bolts from his fingertips, and Asajj uses the Force to choke a man, à la Darth Vader.

Crude or Profane Language

One “d–n.” Beyond that, the worst of it is the putdown “scum.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Ziro smokes from a hose-like apparatus.

Other Negative Elements

Anakin doesn’t think much of Ahsoka at first, largely because he’s arrogant and not interested in training anyone else. He often dismisses Ahsoka’s good ideas about how to deal with the problems they face. And his pride keeps getting them into trouble—a character trait that’s consistent with how he’s depicted in the live-action flicks. Anakin’s grumpiness is also evident in his disdainful attitude toward Jabba’s son, whom he dubs “Stinky” (a moniker reinforced by the Huttlet’s loud belch).

Dooku schemes, manipulates and lies constantly. As does the series’ ultimate villain, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who is secretly an evil Sith lord plotting the fall of the Republic.

I’ve never been to a movie where sparkling white, armor-clad Imperial Stormtroopers guarded the box office. Until Star Wars: The Clone Wars , that is.

At the pre-release screening I attended in suburban Denver, the line of devotees snaked around the block. And Stormtroopers weren’t the only ones in attendance. One family sported authentic-looking Jedi robes—Dad, Mom, the kids, everyone. And a woman from a fan club talked with me about her group’s prized possession: a three-quarter-size X-Wing fighter.

It’s a testament to the enduring cultural mystique of George Lucas’ Star Wars saga that even an animated offering such as this inspires rabid identification among the faithful. And it’s exactly fans like these who’ll likely continue queuing up throughout the film’s theatrical run—then buy the Blu-ray DVD and watch the TV series—to discover what Lucas might still have to offer that’s new and interesting.

As it turns out, there’s little that’s changed here except for the downshift from live action to computer animation. From a fan’s perspective, Clone Wars is neither breathtaking nor awful. Mostly, we get more of the same stiff dialogue and rather predictable storytelling that Lucas majored on in the last three movies. (He served as executive producer on this project, but did not write the screenplay.) Combat is intense—plenty o’ lasers and ‘splosions—but for the most part the ride is quite smooth. The major bumps being a brief glimpse of four unfortunate bounty hunters’ noggins and a soldier who gets a hole blasted in his chest.

In other words, it’s cartoonish.

Which is exactly the point. At the end of the day, Star Wars: The Clone Wars isn’t really intended to be a stand-alone theatrical offering. Think of it instead as a marketing vehicle for the upcoming Cartoon Network series, an 88-minute big-screen preview of what you can likely expect when the story migrates to the tube.

Still, if 30-plus years of Star Wars history—coupled with the image of those watchful Jedi and Stormtroopers in Denver—is any indication, I’d say it’s probably unwise to underestimate the drawing power of the Force. And, if you twist that phrase a half-turn, it’s probably unwise to dismiss the drawing power of the Force, especially upon young new fans who may just be discovering the George Lucas universe for the first time. Those who are curious about the heroes and villains he’s crafted will certainly need some help navigating the violent and spiritual worldview that the franchise as a whole espouses—even if this film mostly assumes that everyone is totally familiar with it already.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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Vincent Janoski

Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Kids Will Love It, Geeks will Shudder

The action picks up shortly after Episode II: Attack of the Clones and owes a lot to the aforementioned Tartakovsky versions in voices, style, and tone. But that is where the similarities end. We're thrown smack in the middle of the narrative with no explanation of character or setting, because, well, you know it all by now, don't you? Obi-Wan and Anakin are deep into battle when they are called to action to find and rescue Jabba the Hutt's little "punky muffin" (yes, that is what Jabba called him). The message is delivered by Ahsoka Tano, Anakin's new padawan learner, a whiny, vacuous little twit who, if she wasn't a force-wielding Jedi who kicks some serious Droid behind, would fit right in as a character on Hannah Montanna . I knew we were lost when Anakin called her "Snips" and she called him "Sky-guy" and R2D2 "Artooie." With the introduction of Ahsoka, one can almost forget Hayden Christensen ever happened. But there are some neat new characters who make appearances and, of course, plenty of aliens.

As far as the animation rendering goes, there are some stylistic choices that give the whole thing a "dirty," monochromatic feel with the look of papier-maché sculptures. The animation was supposedly done to resemble Japanese anime, but methinks they confused anime with Supermarionation. I felt like I was watching an episode of Thunderbirds .

Let's be clear. It's Star Wars, and it satisfies your yearning for clone trooper-on-droid action and light saber duels. We get to see lots of armored and unarmored clones do their business and big spaceships battling in the void. My 5-year-old simply loved it and would not have let me hear the end of it if he was forced to wait until the DVD, or worse, the TV show. There are some very silly things about this Clone Wars such as the fact that the battle droids all sound like Erkle from Family Matters , and Zero (Cero?) the Hutt sounds more like Capote the Hutt. But there are some very cool things about this version of Clone Wars too which should add some real variety to the mythos. Ventress is one of these things. This character is one evil Sith witch and is the best carry-over from the Tartakovsky toons. She should make the subsequent TV episodes fun to watch, if the show lasts that long for her to become a major feature that is. I also can't wait to see more Jedi and General Grievous.

In short, see it if you or the geeklets can't bear the wait, but you might spend your money better somewhere else waiting for the inevitable repeat during the TV release.

Matt Jancer

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David Nield

Scott Gilbertson

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Amanda Hoover

Star Wars: Clone Wars Review

Even most die hard Star Wars Apologists (of which I am one) admit to one degree or another that the latest set of Star Wars movies (The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith) were a mild disappointment at best and a complete raping of our childhoods at worst. The name Jar Jar Binks will go down in cinematic history as perhaps the most hated and despised character ever to hit the silver screen and George Lucas saw his almost religious like following of worshipers who saw him as a cinematic deity lose their faith almost overnight like Dorothy pulling back the curtain to reveal the true identity of the Wizard of Oz.

So now comes an animated feature called “Star Wars: Clone Wars” that takes place between episodes 2 and 3, directed by someone else and once again raising our hopes that perhaps a good Star Wars movie could exist again… or making us brace ourselves for the raping of our fond memories yet again. So did Star Wars: Clone Wars continue to defile our childhood memories and the original trilogy as Jar Jar did? You know what… it actually didn’t.

THE GENERAL IDEA

The war between the separatists and the Republic continues to intensify and grows increasingly close. Any advantage could become pivotal to either side. Many systems still remain neutral in the conflict as each side tries to win over more supporters. In the midst of this situation, hyperspace trade routes in the Outer Rim Territories (under the control of the Hutts) is becoming even more important. When Jabba The Hutt’s son is kidnapped (yes you read that right… Jabba’s son), the Jedi Council sees an opportunity and offers to send Jedi to rescue the Hutt if Jabba would be willing to allow the Republic to use the hyperspace routes in the Outer Rim. Anakin Skywalker is assigned his own Padawan Learner, a young girl named Ahsoka Tano and the two set out to rescue the Hutt. Little do they know, it’s all a part of Palpatine and Doku’s plan.

The action of the film was far more intense than I was expecting. There were so many giant set pieces and grand action sequences that the film hardly ever stopped to catch its breath. And it’s not just that there was a LOT of action… it was all really good action. From the giant space battles to the huge ground troop battles, the lightsaber duels and the Jedi throwing themselves into swarms of battle droid fights… it was all really quite spectacular. To me, it was easily the most action packed Star Wars movie to date, and maybe the most action packed Sci Fi film I’ve ever seen (animated or otherwise). It was fantastic. My hats off to them.

As much as I worried about how the animation looked in the trailers, I’ve got to admit within about 3 minutes I was totally sold on it and thought it worked and looked quite beautiful. Yeah, the facial animation could have been a lot better, but aside from that I thought the landscapes, the structures, the ships, the movements and the environments in general were all done wonderfully in my opinion, but I can see why others may differ.

I don’t really know where to start. First of all they butchered the theme music. HOW THE HELL DO YOU BUTCHER THE CLASSIC AND IMMORTAL STAR WARS MUSIC?!?!?! After the words “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away” appear, you expect to hear that immortal music… but instead it was some pseudo variation of it… this was the movie serving notice that this was NOT a true star wars movie.

Instead of the iconic opening crawl setting the stage, some 1960’s game show announcer does some ass awful narration to start the film. I wanted to claw out my own ears he sounded so bad. Damn… and we’re only 30 seconds into the movie!

The dialog was beyond horrendous. I’m not even going to go into it.

The new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was so freaking annoying… so “modern youth”… so bitch like I wanted to climb into the screen, kick her in her little kid ribs and shove a lightsaber down her annoying little throat. She was NOT what a padawan or Jedi is supposed to be… not even close. She was so mouthy she made Anakin look like the Dali Lama of Padawans. It made me angry whenever she spoke. Her action sequences were sweet… but they should have kept a gag on her.

I’m sorry… but the main plot is Jedis rescuing Jabba The Hutt’s kidnapped son?!?!?! LAME!!

Ok, here’s the thing. Once I accepted that this film was unapologetically a little kids movie and I moved beyond my rage about that annoying fact, I actually found myself being able to have some fun with it. Yes, there are many rotten things wrong with this “movie”, but as I mentioned there was a hell of a lot of really high quality action and “fun” that had me being entertained despite the weaknesses. I refuse to call this a true “Star Wars” movie, and I’ll never accept it as cannon, but for what it was, by the time the credits roled I didn’t mind it too much. Overall I give Star Wars: Clone Wars a 6 out of 10.

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128 thoughts on “ star wars: clone wars review ”.

@” You know what, there is something wrong with all of you. Sure maybe the music is bad, or the mon-clauis is stupid but I think your all wrong.”

Um, how can we be wrong with our OPINION? And theres nothing wrong with us, its just that film is SUBJECTIVE.

You know i agree Mr. Keith.

Well I disagree with all of you. Star Wars The Clone Wars is the best Star Wars I have ever seen. You know what, there is something wrong with all of you. Sure maybe the music is bad, or the mon-clauis is stupid but I think your all wrong. Oh and Jason, I’m a star wars geek or huge fan, what ever you want to call me, but sating that if you dont hate this new star wars your not a real fan, that is insulting. People have different thoughts then you people do. One other thing, lay off the cussing, it doesnt make you cool. That goes for each and every one of you.

I agree with “Mysterious” & “Hoang”… its all about the force that keeps u going… everything has good n bad in it… i was waiting for some star wars substance to be thrown at me… i enjoyed… Enjoyed the series too !! Let the force be with all : ).

Wow, i can’t believe people keep wasting time posting comments like this. I guess i’m only a small starwars fan. I haven’t even watched all Starwars movies, only a few of them, but i just love it. I mean, it doesn’t necessarily need an excellent plot/acting/whatsoever, it just keeps us entertained, by the idea of a fantasy world where people can control the power of the force, which has long been in our dreams since childhood. Honestly, I don’t see any problems in this cartoon. Why the Jedi rescue Jaba’s son? Just see it, and you will know why. Lucas has made the reason simple that a kid can understand. ‘Sky guy’? What is the problem with that? Throw it away and you’ll see how boring the voice acting would become. Are you people going to watch this 100 times? If not, then go and do something else. Just don’t waste your time overwhelming your kids.

this movie sucks donkey penis!~!

DO NOT WATCH IT, ONLY IF U DONT LIKE STARWARS!!!

>Even most die hard Star Wars Apologists (of >which I am one) admit to one degree or another >that the latest set of Star Wars movies (The >Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and >Revenge of the Sith) were a mild disappointment

It is a fact that there are fractions like there is also a fact that there are a fraction that doesn’t think that the prequels were disappointment. Also you haven’t included the young generations that discovered Star Wars Universe through prequels. If you try to talk with the young ones (like we were during Original Trilogy) you could find that their view about prequels is completly different. And as I said there is older fraction that is strong and that is on the same front.

>at best and a complete raping of our childhoods >at worst. The name Jar Jar Binks will go down >in cinematic history as perhaps the most hated >and despised character ever to hit the silver >screen

It think this is based mostly on a Internet hype at the time without arguments. The same thing has repated itself with the great movie Valkyrie again without any solid arguments. Negative reviews started long before the premiere, like there was a case with TPM. Most surveys shows that Jar Jar was within young viewers funny and great characther – comic relief charachter like C3PO in the original trilogy. It is also great that George Lucas has stroke back to those critics as we can see even some Jar Jar episodes in the Carton Network new series and that was a great revenge for the critics. Jar Jar is back.

>You know what… it actually didn’t.

Altough there was some devided opinions during the Cinema distribution of Clone Wars Cartoon after the complete aired 1st season I think there is a hardly room for a skepticism left now. Even the veterans on milleniumfalcon.com were excited with each and new episode.

Altough the most prequel skepticism was diminished after the ROTS distribution it was interesting still to see that there are active separatists in the review arena. It reminds me on the age of original trilogy when people were saying that The Empire Strikes Back was bad compared with ANH. After that debate transfered to ROTJ where some people were again saying that ROTJ was disappointment. Then few years went by and now the Original Trilogy is untouchouble union. Funny how times makes things to bond together. There is no doubt in my mind that in the future all 6 Star Wars films will be reviewed as a union saga – and it is already happening. The people who are still pushing for distinction will remain only as a silly footnote in history. It was interesting to watch the debate anyway.

Way to go Lucasfilm.

This movie was the most horrible movie I have ever seen!!! The Story line was crap and where the hell did they get Jabba’s son from? It doesn’t make sence at all! Maybe, just maybe, if they had done this with people it would have been a little more exciting! I have been a fan of star wars ever since I was like 3, and this movie just frickin ruined that!

Hutts are hermaphrodites and they generally only have one child in there very long lives. That being said you could understand how important the son was to jabba. The hutts were one of the most powerful clans in the galaxy and controlled vast amounts of space, planets, resources and networks; so it is in the best interests of the republic to help them. Besides, did we forget that Palpatine orchestrated all of this( and pretty much everything in any star wars movie) for the benefit of himself?

Before I go any further I just like to say:

THESE ARE JUST MOVIES!!! They aren’t some “holy grail” of cinema, shesshhh. I can understand if you don’t like this movie or the prequels, that’s fine, but calling someone not a true fan JUST because they like the prequels is just arrogant.

Anyway, I’ve been watching the series and I have to say, it surpassed my expectations. Sure, it’s not the best cartoon ever, but it’s defently better than some of the shows that cartoon network has shited outa their asshole lately.

Back to the point, I’m sure this movie dosen’t live up to expectations, BUT it IS a kid’s movie, intended for KIDS!! If you ’77 adults can’t get past the fact that the prequels and clone wars won’t live up to ESB, ANH, or RotJ…. then no one can help you.

As stated before, the same things that the prequels are being bashed for, the original trilogy was bashed for. I’ll admit Christensen wasn’t the best choice for Anakin but for a Canadian actor, he did pretty well.

errors aside, these are just movies, to ENTERTAIN people, not for every flaw to be picked apart by some “nothing-better-to-do-but-complain-about-how-my-childhood-got-destroyed-by-this-movie” Nitpickers.

I am a Star Wars fan and love the Clone Wars and the series. I don’t see what’s wrong with it, it’s a good moive and the series is AWESOME! I really get upset when somebody talks crap about this moive. Ahsoka is amazing and I really don’t see why you want to kill her. The story is also incerdible.

To Derek Porter: I don’t agree with you. All of the Star Wars moives were more then awesome. Also Star Wars is not just for kids 2-7 I am 12 years old and enjoy it come on open your eyes! Adults love it! Teenagers love it! Kids love it! SO I say maybe the ages 5-72 love Star Wars? I would agree. U SUCK

Also people who have watched the moive and still didn’t like it here’s a note for you: MAKE SURE YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND THE MOIVE BEFORE U START JUDGING IT!!!!!!!

People who haven’t seen it: MAKE SURE U HAVE SEEN THE MOIVE BEFORE JUDGING IT!!!!!!!

I strongly encourged you guys to be a little more intelligent & less annoying and stupid.

I just watched the 3rd episode of the Malevolence series and it was AWESOME ! The storyline is written beautifully, the series really shows Anakin’s pre-Vader ethics and decision making abilities. The animation is top-notch and stays true to the mechanics of the original 6 movie series. The explosion and the way it rocked the Malevolence ship was astounding. This animated series is proving to be extremely satisfying to my need for more of the Star Wars story. I can’t wait to watch the last part of the Malevolence series and the 96 more episodes to follow.

(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)

Has it become a trend to just bash anything Star Wars nowadays?

I actually enjoyed this movie a lot more than some of the originals, and I’m looking forward to a lot more of it in the near future!

I still don’t get why people call it a kids movie when it clearly isn’t.

Maybe I’m just ahead of the curve? I donnow…

Personally, I believe if the big critic cheeses had reviewed it positively, everyone would’ve reacted accordingly as well.

It’s different, and in a good way. And for that, I love it.

The cartoon network Clone wars series was much better than this film. Even if they didn’t have the 3D graphics, the faces were usually better somehow, the story line was far more interesting because it was so much less a kid’s movie. I agree that this new padawan to Anakin absolutely sucked and left what I would liken to a rotten marzipan taste in my mouth. I heard that the director? for the cartoon network version wasn’t invited to continue. I think it was a bad choice, but/and I thought the ewoks were a bad choice, too, for Return of the Jedi. That said, I will go to see any Star Wars film at the cinema,and probably buy the dvd, too. I’m hoping for more of it on any level.Bring on more prequels and sequels!

Oh hey guys. I thought this movie was really awesome. I loved the cinematics and it was spectacular. Me and all my friends went to see it and the blasters were soo cool. I really hope everyone else enjoys this movie as much as I did, May the force be with everyone.

I wanted this film to fit in with the rest. I didn’t mind that it was a cartoon, but too many things don’t make sense, namely the bratish attitude and the talking back of the padawan (also, where the hell was she by ep 3?) And perhaps the most distressful of all, what’s with the Ventress character? Is she a sith, I thought there could only ever be 2 of those, a master and an apprentice. Although I like the weird gay hutt, there I said it.

It’s uncommonly rare when a sequel beats the first one, but Star Wars saga was one of the few who did it with Empire Strikes Back. I didn’t like the opening, some lines of the script, some characters (like that padawan kid and Jabba’s uncle among others) and the ending, which looked like they pushed it ’cause there was no time left. Perhaps they did this movie for little, very little children. They should’ve launched it chronologically (before ROTS), like the Cartoon Network’s Clone Wars, which I found more interesting for linking events explaining further events (that’s was one of the reason for making the new trillogy).

They should get a new director, polish some of the writers and get on to produce some Old Republic stories (1,000 years before this plot) or something happening after ROTJ. And please, leave Star Wars for grown ups and use Jar Jar only for the kiddies.

People, George Lucas is just human. Sometimes we ask way too much from him, trying to re-live what he brought us on ’77. Most of these ‘judges’ make their own films and post it on Fan Films or You Tube, trying to make a statement… and that’s corny… Short Circuit corny. Give him a break, please?

This is the Switzerland of reviews. I can’t tell if he liked it or not. I did, however, learn that he didn’t like the recently released star wars movies. That’s a shame. I do agree that Jar Jar was horrid, but the movies themselves were pretty well put together.

burgess… i understand its just this film dosnt really fit in with the other movies but i suppose there have been worse stories spun off from the originals. i guess what iam looking for is an answer of what happend did she die in the hands of storm troopers or was she killed by anakin, or was she some how wisked away secretly to some unkown place ect. i like your thought but it leaves me empty. i suppose ill just have to wait for a sequel of somthing.. what do you think.

steve….in the words of the late mitch hedburg “you cant not enjoy something because of what will happen eventually…..would you like a delicious apple? no thank you, because eventually it will be a core”

on a side note, how can the gang at lucasfilm not write a plot better then the staff at bioware who wrote the first KOTOR? not that could have been a movie………………..

Ok, I thoguht movie was good animation was great. But the wrods “sky guy” reminded me of my pre school birthday party.

hey i just like to say that the movie was ok but id like to bring up the point that the movie is pointless. what i mean is Anakin just ends up killing her in the end right? sooo great showing the movie and all but she and all the other jedis, besides a select few, die.

so please someone help me with this problem.

i saw this today with my son and i have to say that i’m glad i did. i thought the movie was pretty good, a lot of action, the animation was pretty good, not great but still pretty good. i wasn’t bothered with the missing scroll, quite frankly i’m glad they set a presidence for the tv show, i don’t want 5 minutes of scroll for a tv show. the music i was a little disappointed in, but i can live with it. what i thought was funny was how everyone thinks the zero the hutt was gay, wtf? he was not gay. he actually reminded me of boss hog from the dukes of hazzard show. some people just need to find the reason to complain or they are just homophobes. i’m definitely glad i was able to watch this in a theater. ahsoka called anakin, “sky-guy” once, big deal. get a life people.

Ok, the first MAJOR disappointment was when I went to see Clone Wars on opening night (10:30pm showing), there were AT MOST 20 people in the theater. I mean, where’s the requisite Star Wars waiting in line??? For the first 10 minutes, I couldn’t believe that there was no opening scroll, there was an annoying narrator, and couldn’t help thinking “I’m watching a friggin video game!” Then, after some witty dialogue and some awesome CG sequences, I finally suspended my disbelief and was able to enjoy the next hour or so. The whole Jabba’s baby son thing was pretty ridiculous. I’m the proud father of a 4 month old (hi little Raider Ramon!), and I couldn’t believe they didn’t even feed “little Stinky”. That whole subplot was Lucas at his utmost cheesiest!! I thought that Jabba’s cousin or whatever was pretty cool at the end. Cool colors and a character so unbelievable that it was absurdly funny. Overall, I would rate this movie 2.5 stars out of 4. Disappointing, but still a part of Star Wars lore. Much better than any of the Ewok movies, but actually not quite as good as the Clone Wars cartoon series from a few years ago.

Hey people. This is a kids movie and you are ripping it apart cos the characters are simple and say silly things.

As an adult, I watch Mary Poppins and I don’t start bashing it up cos she pulls a hatstand out of her handbag and she uses an umbrella to fly.

Anyway, I read these reviews in my head using the Simpsons Comic book guy’s voice. I can’t help it. It’s very funny.

Along with TREYCRANSON’s remark, one of the firsts questions is: is the “movie” really worth theaters? As a TV Show, it’s more than great for sure.

@ TOPVULTURE409: It’s stated (from an EU novel I red but forgotten which it was, maybe one of the Han Solo trilogy) that Hutts are in fact asexual. No reproduction, they decide or not to breed and the baby has only one parent. Hope it’ll remove your nightmares about it ;) Also in this novel, by natural cycles of their specie they change their grander through time (on the attempt to breed?). Maybe the so-hated Zero character in Clone Wars is in his/her female period rather than be homosexual as many have thought about him. But no EU rules another EU and U may think what U want about that. I, personally, found him really funny anyway.

Star Wars Ep. 4 will always be in my top ten

(Type your comment here. Make sure you’ve read the commenting rules before doing so)How does………hmmmmmm……..the visual of ……..I mean the mental visual in my crooked head cannot contemplate howwwww……….exactly does Jabba…..(ahem)……..have….any kind of like ……offspring.

The reason I don’t think this did very well in the box office, besides the suck factor is the timeline jump. Most people thrive on anticipation, and jumping to a time when we know what happened before and we know what happened, just leaves us with that part we don’t care about. If this would’ve picked up with the story between Episode 3 and 4, I think they could have had more draw at the box office.

Then I’m glad I can still find in myself this “intellect of a 2 to 7 years old” when I precisely need it, never being shame for it. There are still other times to go to, for instance, Jarmush or Scorsese and then again, I easily find my way for it. Receive all my condolences for your recent affliction and may your former Star Wars enjoyment rest in peace, Derek.

After watching the Clone Wars I’m convinced that George Lucas butchered his own baby (obviously I’m implying that he allowed Star Wars to be ruined – his own creation). I’m tired of making excuses for Episode I, II, and III. The fact is those films were bad… Really bad. The Clone Wars film is so horrible that I will never spend another cent on anything to do with Star Wars. No more excuses, no more giving Lucas the benefit of the doubt. The entire Star Wars franchise is no longer of any interest to me. I’m not going to get into specifics because this blog is alread too long. The point is I hate Lucas for what he himself has done and what he has allowed to happen. He’s a crock, he’s embarassing, he’s a disgrace… For one to actually enjoy Star Wars at this point – I’d say you would need the intellect of a 2 to 7 year old.

If U feel ready to step ahead from all meaningless angry side of the Force, then spend an hour on theforce.net enjoying a fresh and positive (aired) review with the optimistic team of “the Clone Wars Round Table”: http://www.theforce.net/topstory/story/FC_Clone_Wars_Round_Table_The_Movie_117127.asp

The more time passes, the more I find all these so-called “starwars fans (real fans, core fans, most-real, most-core, whatever)” perfectly annoying. I always considered myself a fan (I was here in 1977 for instance), but I have no choice but to seek another word that “fan” to describe myself – to make sure I cannot be mistaken with one of these sicky starwars gouls. Why do fans see starwars like being their “own”? It seems that in their view each new product (film, comic, novel and -here- CGI cartoon) MUST fit THEIR dream just like if Star wars was their strict property. When it doesn’t fit the “ideal” (and it CAN NOT DO, of course not), they run screaming around like psychos, cursing GL and his staff along with all the others so-called fans who happen to not share their strict and poor view of it. Clearly they lost their childhood, their natural taste for simple entertainment. Remember, even the cannon first movies where created in a saturday-morning-40’s-serial spirit, not to be this so serious and untouchable treasure they (so-called fans) seems obsessed to protect from others, like Gollum with the Ring.

In the past I saw and red all that can be seen and ridden from the franchise. Now I’ve just seen Clone Wars. I was aware that this was not a “seventh” but a part of a TV show for young audience (oh-oups! By the way, just like ANH and followers in their time, ask GL), and I enjoyed it as much as possible. It’s most funny, there’s a lot of fantastic action and cool animation (OK, characters are a bit “straight” for my taste, OK). The fact is: I liked it because it’s likable. For those who really “can’t bear” it, the reason is that they do expect far too much, forgetting that the entire creative team behind the show didn’t work all these years to please each strict, jealous, obsessive and selfish “Right idea” of THE core-true-real star wars a so-called fan carries along wherever he goes. It’s an entertainment franchise, nothing more. It always has been great, it remains cool. Be honest, truly ask the child that lies inside you. This very one child that has been cut off all possibility of pleasure at the time of, say, TPM because YOU, adult, decided you knew better. At Star wars time, you know far less than the child inside you. Let him drive and hold the pop-corn and soda. Then you’ll find that all star wars product is perfectly cool. But if you stay obsessive with YOUR star wars ideal, you will never appreciate new star wars stuff again. Never. Anyway by releasing this new segment of SW franchise, Lucasfilm has not destroyed the entire lot of copies of the first trilogy -including your own beloved DVDs- has it ? So stick to them and watch them again, again, and again if THAT is your way. But never shall you call yourself “Star wars fan” again. The real name is a bit longer : “Star wars first trilogy fans”. As long as you’re not able to release the child inside you.

Like you, I tried to get into it, but in the end found only dissappointment. My review called it “A Reel Disaster!”

They should use the same format for this film to do 7,8,9. That way they could use all of the original actors for the voice, but not have to worry about them looking to old. I’m sure Mark hamil and Carrie Fisher could use the money.

Thing is, this was supposed to be a TV pilot for a cartoon series on the cartoon network. They got greedy and released it in theaters. It doesn’t belong on the big screen, but they put it there. It probably would have got decent reviews had it just been on TV, but since they put it up on the big screen, it deserves all the scorn it is getting.

I didn’t really like the prequel trilogy the only one out of them I like was episode 3. Anyway I would actually like seeing a seven, eight, and nine the nthis piece of crap

Chris said: “I hear Jabba’s son, and I keep picturing them looking for a turd.”

lmao!!! My wife’s lookin at me right now like I’m a damn maniac! that was TOOOOO funny.

That being said, I’m gonna see the movie anyway, no theme or whatever!

Wow. I consider myself the biggest SW fan ever, as many who read this do. I loved the original trilogy, enjoyed the prequels, and now had the privlidge to take my OWN kids to see a SW film – The Clone Wars. My son left the movie so thrilled, it honestly made me cry. That was the point to this new series – bring along the kids and get them excited like we were 30 years ago. Remember – these were for kids and the little kids are enjoying the film. In a few years the more x-filesish Star wars live action will be on TV for all of us including the FanBoys who wanted more than a kids cartoon. But in the end, thats what the whole saga is, a fairy tale for children who are lacking fairy tales, it isnt a saga for lovers of dark brooding comic books. So find the kid in you again, or ask for pictures of my son who left the theater all smiles with his lightsaber saying “Ahsoka is cool and I let’s go again!” :)

I just saw it and… before any of you throw away the idea of seeing it, SEE IT, it is a really good movie, and though most of John’s review is very honest, it was still very good. The action was great, it’s almost like they turned it into a bit of a war movie at some parts (Well, then again, it is the Clone Wars) but it’s something you wouldn’t expect to see. The action was believable, but the dialogue wasn’t. Just see it y’all, you might end up liking it. Just close your ears when Ahsoka talks.

Hi Star Wars fans!

I have just finished a review of Clone Wars cartoon and I hope you get a chance to read it.

Go Padawan!!

http://valeriewriter.wordpress.com/

I was wowed by the action to start with…like it seemed maybe the death toll of clones would make this movie one kids shouldn’t see…but that passed. Outside the AT-TE scaling the monastery wall, I don’t think any of the action was impressive from that first scene on. Part of that comes from your knowing who has to survive, of course – there really was no tension.

As for the best of the original trilogy, I have to say ESB hands down. RotJ was satisifying but you had to be a kid to really overlook what the ewoks were…

The best Star wars film was Return of The Jedi by far. I think the myth of Star Wars is stupid as the directors cuts are just stupid looking and lack soul.

I Love STAR WARS. ALL OF IT!!!

Return of the Jedi:

Greatest Space battle scene in the history of film

Vader / Skywalker fight the best of the franchise dramatically

Vader’s ending and redemption were PERFECTION

The Ewoks worked completely as an allegory of Technology vs the natural world

The emperor was fantastic as the embodiment of the Dark Side

I could go on and on and on and on. Jedi (in my opinion) was the best of the franchise. No flaws whatsoever.

But all film is subjective and if you see if differently then your view is just as valid as mine.

Why, John, do you think Jedi is the best? I’m not insulting your opinion or anything, but I just can’t really understand it. Sure, the whole Jabba seqwuence was good in a silly sort of way, and it had some nice moments, but the whole thing feels so flawed. Ideas for the first two films are rehashed to less success ( Leia as Luke’s sister, was not as revelatory as Luke being Vader’s son, death star being destroyed was less exciting as in ‘Hope’ etc) and there are a great deal of irratating moments. The Ewoks were at least as bad as Jar Jar, and Vader’s redemption wes waaaay to hollywood and mushy. It really undermined him as a villain. The ending of Empire had so much promise, but this film fails to build on that, and in the end just feels crushingly disapointing. In my opinion, of course.

Oh, and I think people judge Clones far too harshly, and can’t decide where to put Sith in my top 3. But Phantom sucks, no question.

Let’s make try and make it simpler The live-action trilogies were for older audiences We all enjoyed them for various reasons – the battles, the plot, the general idea. Clone Wars was made for kids – target audience: boys age 6-14. In addition, we might as well make a distinction between the old school Star Wars fans and fans of director George Lucas. Those of us who didn’t like the prequel series can watch reruns of the old movies and cheer them on. Me, I don’t really love or hate. I watch the movies, read the books & then come up with my own interpretation of the SW galaxy regardless of how bad or good they are.

Hey Hasslein,

Jedi is the best Star Wars movie, followed closely by Empire

Oh yeah, although flawed, I enjoyed the movie.

I’m consistantly amazed how everyone says how bad the prequels are & how it tainted their Star Wars memory. HAS EVERYONE FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH JEDI SUCKED?

Dave is right. We need Thrawn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey “REAL FAN”, I think you’ve made your point. You keep re-hashing it as if you are expecting everyone to forgo their own opinions. Please stop trying to monopolize the forum. I still plan on taking my 5yr old daughter to this despite the reviews. I am hoping she gets the childhood experience from this that I got from ep4. Kids are different than they were when I was 5 (37 now). I saw ep4 when I was 6 and was forever changed by it. It opened my mind to a whole new way of thinking and dreaming I never thought possible at age 6. However, I do appreciate candid review like this so that I dont go into movies with an overly high expectation. I find that if I read a dissapointing review, I end up liking the movie better than had I gone in with a high expectation and then suffered a let down.

so to summarize, we get your point, but your over stating it.

These arent the droids you’re looking for

we can go about our business

move along..

Hey “Real Fan”

Sadly you seem unable to accept that one can be a fan of something or someone, and yet be honestly hate something they did that was shit.

The Prequels were massive let downs, and Clone Wars is a disgrace.

You disagree? That’s fine, I’m honestly happy you enjoyed them, but others who didn’t, are still true Star Wars fans.

Shade,kudo’s to you.It seems like you are the only one out here that understands what they are trying to do with this movie.Im sick of everyone dogging lucas,I mean come on! this is the guy who created starwars,don’t bite the hand that feeds you,all you ungratefull so called “fans” you people are not fans! Do simpsons fans diss the series based on a couple of episodes they believed were less than stellar.

Matt, I hear what you are saying,but don’t worry,this movie is only kicking off the new clone wars series.there are plenty of battles yet to be fought.

Im a starwars expert so let me explain something to you people,all of the wooden acting and bad writing for the prequels was on purpose.It harks back to the day of the old B movie serials that he was trying to copy,he was’nt powerfull enough in hollywood to do the originals that way in the beggining,the critics would have torn him apart more than they already did(yes,the old films reviews were not stellar,they complained about the same thing you people say is wrong with the prequels,wooden acting,bad writing) when you people diss the new ones the way you do it shows how little you really know about george lucas and his methods for making starwars films,and to all of you who were expecting Gone with the wind with this new movie,wll let me say this IT’S A CARTOON! A KIDS MOVIE! WHAT DID YOU PEOPLE EXPECT? AN EARTH SHATTERING EVENT? but lucas already tried to explain this to people.

To all of you people who are dissing George Lucas,you people do realize that HE is the one responsible for the original films that you people hold in such high regard.Thatslike dissing god because you don’t like the way the world is going now days,you all are morons.you hated the prequels yet you paid to see them over and over again.It does’nt make much sense does it?

it’s always entertaining to see anything Star Wars on the big screen. & i really dug the animation. however, having said that, this movie expands nothing. I keep hearing that the Clone Wars were so “vast” & “changed everything” in the star wars universe… & that this movie was going to cover some of that. well, then send us away on a few new journeys with a few new stories. christ, we’ve been to tattoine so many times it feels like my mom’s house. this movie is simply more of the same ol’ same ol’. if anything, this & the pre-quels, make the Star Wars universe much, much, smaller.

Well butter my butt me biscuit…

…It was good…

Damn good…

I guess I’m not a true Star Wars fan *cough*jason*cough*.

But don’t expect me to compromise my views of an excellent movie so I can fit to what you believe is a star wars fan.

I view myself as a die hard SW fan and love the fact that we can have a respectable depiction of the clone wars to rely on.

This is an excellent addition to the Star Wars continuity and an all around wonderful flick.

Saw the film today. Thought it was bullshit. The dialog was mostly stating the obvious in a sarcastic lame humor.

Didn’t like the animation when it came to the fighting, very lifeless and heavy slow feel to it.

Stinky? Sky-guy? Not enough Windu? annoying ass droids? Homosexual Hut Uncle? Ahhhh!!!!

I liked the voice acting and my comfy seat I was in.

Just kill me now. Please.

My two year old loves Phantom Menace, but that’s not saying much as he still craps in his drawers. But now this? It sounds like Lucas is doing the same in his old age.

Get a grip Georgie. Sky-guy? WTF?!?

I won’t even rent this on DVD, I’ll wait until it comes out on TMN for free and PVR it. Georgie has enough of my fucking money.

As a fan i agree that it is open to perceptions but come on…..karen traviss is one of the best writers to come out with star wars fiction. her republic commando books are enjoyable to all , not just SW fans. even she was not able to rescue the plot in the novel adaptation. that was my first warning sign and i should have taken it. i just saw the movie…..wish i hadnt. i have put up with alot of crap from lucas arts attempts to cash in without supporting the fans or the franchise. even signing off on books, in fact forcing writers to keep certain timelines and plot lines and having everything checkd by sue rostini before it can be approved, then throwing it all away for whatever project they feel can make the most money….its one thing to be a sell-out, its another to get a holier then thou attitude and pretend you are not. if GL doesnt want to make a decent starwars movie then step aside and let someone else, 80 percent of the novels are better then anything out of lucas arts. hell the plot of the non-lucas arts video games are bettter the the new direction of star wars (KOTOR kicks ass!) i like the sports team comparisons but imagine this….you have a team that loses, you are still a fan thick and thin, you dont expect them to always win and that ok…..but what if they had 5 all-stars riding the bench? what if they refused to play the best players? what if they went out of thier way to lose, rather then admit thier is a better way to do things? (like my S.F. Giants!!!) how much does a fan have to put up with?

If we could just get all u people into a room together for like 10 min. and record you all trying to kill each other………………………………that would be funny.

I love star wars and other than jar jar I enjoyed all the prequels and the clone wars on cartoon network. I read the comics and the novels. And enjoy them. I feel bad that so many people go into these movies thinking, well I dont know what they are thinking. I really enjoyed the movie for exactly what it is. STAR WARS. Who cares about the crawl, the music, the star ship troopers introduction. I liked all this. I liked the new padawan and all the action. The plot might of been simple but it made since plus we got to spend some time with Jabba, Jabbas uncle ziro the hutt was hilarious to me and he does sound like truman Capote. I mean we all love the universe, why dont we quit being so darn critical and have some fun with it.

Hey, John! Thanks for the heads up on the movie! Honestly, I am a die-hard Star Wars fan, and even though I am a little scared at how this will turn out in the end, I am really looking foward to seeing it. I’m really glad I read your review because I swear, if I was to walk into the theater and not seeing the traditional opening crawl and listening to the traditional theme song, I swear I would throw a can of soda at the screen. But even if there isn’t, i guess it all depends on how we see it differently, I could end up liking it, but I’m still not very happy about that. I am really glad there’s a lot of intense (and good) action, because this is the Clone Wars and if there isn’t a lot of action, it doesn’t deserve to be called the Clone WARS, although I’m not sure what they would call it otherwise… I’m also not too happy about the whole “Little Stinky” Jabba the Hutt’s son situation, the fact that he isn’t a bad-ass gangster like his father is a let-down, but alas, it’s a kid-friendly movie but I like kids movies and kid-friendly movies. Is it at all a little funny at parts? As for the rest of the review, I’m glad the bad of the movie aren’t so incredibly bad as to disuade anyone from seeing it, you got me even more excited when you mentioned the great action. Thanks so much for the review! Star Wars is awesome! And you make the best, most honest reviews I have ever read, keep it up!

And to all of you bashers out there: SEE THE GOSH-DARNED MOVIE BEFORE YOU BEGIN HATING IT. You might even end up liking it for all you know. It looks great.

Sometimes we forget why starwars and other films are here,to entertain us and take us away from reality for a couple of hours.Take a sports franchise for example.some times they win a championship,but most of the time they lose and we forget that the sole purpose is’nt just to win.It’s for entertainment, a place to take the family and have fun,and when critics get in the way and bash a movie before anyone can form their own opinion we sometimes forget just exactly why movies like any of the starwars films exist.I would love another starwars film as good as a new hope,but hey that probobly is’nt going to happen,movies like that come by once in a lifetime.

John,yeah i liked the prquels,but I never said that they did’nt contain crap in them.(they did) I’ll try to make a point here so bear with me.The new films had their moments,but yes they were not as good as the originals(I think the Phantom Menace was treated way too harsh.It’s better than AOTC for shure!) contrary to popular beleif the original films were treated harshly by plenty of critics because of the wooden acting,bad diolouge and the same preachyness that the prequels suffered from,we’ve just had 30years to get used to it.empire was a bit too preachy,jedi had the damn ewoks,TPM had jar jar and too much politics,AOTC has wooden acting and horrible writing and sith tried to do to much.The only one that near perfect is a new hope(this is as close to lucas’s true vision of starwars as you’ll get)What i am trying to say is this is the same starwars we got 30 years ago ,the problem is most of us who grew up with starwars have done just that,grown up and we are still hoping for that same feeling we got in the summer of 77 as children,but we can’t so we say there is something wrong with the movies,when actually it’s just us.And as far as the maple leafs go,when they have a bad game there is an L in the win/loss.Each prequel made over $300 mill at the box office that is a W in my book,since so many people are concerned about box office figures now days.

Hey,where are all the starwars bashers tonight? oh getting ready to go see the clone wars just so you can diss it?

Being a fan does not mean being a blind drone who looses all ability to discern quality from crap.

I am a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, but that doesn’t mean I lie to myself and to others when the Leafs play a bad game. I am a life long Star Wars fan, but that doesn’t mean I turn off my brain and lie when Lucas and company turn out shit (which they have).

You liked the prequels? Good! All film is subjective and I’m glad you got enjoyment out of them. HOWEVER, there are other people who saw a lot of crap in the new movies, and that is they’re right, and they are no less fans that you because of it

Hey,don’t any of you Starwars “fans” have some bashing to do?One thing I can say in defense of this movie.it’s a cartoon!this one is a kids movie so diolouge like “sky guy” and “little stinky”fit right in.Jeez some of you “fans” are seriously stuck up!

JIGG, I AM WITH YOU.THE ONLY THING I DID’NT LIKE WAS THE FACT THE MUSIC AND TEXT CRAWL WERE NOT PRESENT.I’M A THEATER MANAGER AND SCREENED IT LAST NIGHT WITH MY WIFE AND 3 YEAR OLD.MY WIFE(WHO HATES STARWARS)ACTUALLY LIKED IT.I DON’T SEE WHAT THE BIG DEAL IS .IT WAS’NT BAD AT ALL,AND DEFINENLY UNDERHYPED.PEOPLE,IM SORRY THAT EVERY MOVIE NOWADAYS IS’NT “THE DARK KNIGHT”(A MOVIE THAT I THOUGHT WAS OVERHYPED AND NOT ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE)

Jason,your comment “anyone not hating the new starwars films is not a fan” is by far the most ignorant comment I have ever heard from a “Starwars fan”.I liked them.Oh and I have seen all six literally hundreds of times and shelled out thousands upon thousands of dollars on SW merchandise over the last 30 years,but that is a moot point to you since and does’nt count because i liked the prequels and the clone wars film.My friend,people like you are the problem.You are not a fan you are a fareweather fan.People like you ruin the fun of these movies for the real fans.A real fan likes all the films old and new and realizes what lucas has said over and over again.This is’nt supposed to be the second coming,this is’nt Gone with the Wind.It’s just a movie series lucas created on a lark to entertain people,and ya know what,despite what you and other bogus fans say, it is still doing just that ,entertaining people.A real fan does’nt diss starwars in any shape or form,and people, don’t listen to this clown,the clone wars is’nt a bad movie,it does’nt take it’s self too seriously(which is good in my opinion)it was a lot of fun.

I just hope Jabba the Hut’s son has discovered Weight Watchers… surely it would be a right bitch to fly that space craft with that no-doubt ugly overweight lump of gangster sliding around…..

I’m a huge fan of the Star Wars universe and I had followed it since its beginning. Frankly I’m disappointed this movie didn’t follow the book – The Approaching Storm. I mean come on – Jabba’s son? A female brat as Anakin’s padawan learner? What gives? Wouldn’t it be better if the main plot give us an internal exploration of Anakin’s internal conflicts and why he seems to be drawn toward the Dark Side, how the increasing tensions of the galactic war on both sides seem to be reinforcing his journey to the Dark Side instead? IMO I think I will pass on this movie and look for it when it come out on DVD instead.

the fact that Warner embargoed the review makes me feel that this movie doesn’t have enough confidence…

The only thing i really had a problem with in this movie was the opening, not having John Williams do another masterpiece movie score and not having many of the real voice actors although the substitutes do a pretty good job.

i give it 4/5 stars

This movie is fun. Yes, the movie is aimed at a younger audience and zips along at a Saturday morning cartoon pace, and maybe I’m starved for anything good from the “Star Wars Clan” but I think you’re just a little bit too pickie on some points. I agree that I wanted to see and read the familiar “crawl” and the dialogue is young but the main plot is not just about rescuing Jabba’s son, there is a bit more to it. The battles are creatively action packed and exciting and the they manage to get all our favorite characters into the story. The plot is good and some characters are introduced in the third act seamlessly. This may be due to the fact that it’s actually the first three tv episodes edited together. All in all, I sense that you liked it more than you’re admitting or like me you’re just happy to see something that tries to take you back to that first screening of Star Wars ” A New Hope”.

I disagree, well thats great and dandy that the music was different. Ever play super mario bros, for original 8 bit nintendo? Then play the following 15+ titles they have??? All the music is different it is the same concept just different. that is the same feel as these star wars??? live action and well cgi are to different things……

easy there kristina. embargoes are a pretty common thing in the world of film reviews or news releases in general. “censorship” is hardly the term i’d use for it. and as the folks at aicn explained, it was a warners bros. decision, not lucasfilm. i’d suggest you check your facts before you go around pointing fingers.

..oh now i remember….he reminds me of a comedy!

personally i reallly like jar jar…even though he turned a lot of people to the dark side…and i find THAT amusing…haha..

also he reminds me of something…

As stated above MixMastaJB, its all in the review.

hey john, does the jedi padawan give jar jar a run for his money

After reading your review, I’ll definitely be seeing this POS in the theater! It sounds just like Episodes 1+2– i.e. entertaining, just not a great work of art. That works for me!

Hey Wow…one thing i always enjoy are the talkbacks…the debate, ….i can’t think of any work of fiction thats ever been more debated…on every level, much like politics themselves.

GL gave us some of the most loved movies of all time, then with the prequils some of the most hotly debated movies off all time…it makes me wonder if its intentional… but, it sure has given the internet one of its most popular debates.

Personally i like the sound of “Little Stinky” i mean who doesn’t love fart jokes…at least i hope he farts a lot…..KNOCKED UP had a lot of fart jokes. Same with Austin Powers and Will Ferret, in his films…i want a baby alien slug who farts, i just wish the movie had its own smells and scents…ah who am i kidding.. that time is only like 10 years away…but will be a very wecome occurance…much like the gas that little stinky will give off…

There will always be a place in my heart for gas related pontification. And, yes, i mean that in several way…..

I”M SO EXCITED. and i just can’t hide it. Chacka Kahn. Chacka Kahn. Let the Little Stinky Rock you Chacka Kahn….KAAAAHHHHHNNNNN!!! …KAAAAHHHHHNNNNN!!! …KAAAAHHHHHNNNNN!!!

P.S. love the art style. nice color palette selections. the background art is worth price of admission right there…

Keep on rockin in the free world…the Little Sinky World!

Gas me….

From what I saw in the promos the artwork didn’t do it for me, and aftyer reading John’s humorous review it will be a big pass for this guy. I hope the little ones enjoy it…..talk about a disturbance in teh force!

SAW THE MOVIE LAST NIGHT AT A SNEAK PEAK AT NASA SPACE CENTER FOR A RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE FUND RAISER. I WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING FOR IT. I LOVED THE MOVIE!!! I think this review was pretty right on except a lot harsher and I would be. You can’t help but like a movie that brings back to “life” alomost of all my favorite Star Wars Characters, all of the sounds of Star Wars (ie: intergalastic battles and lightsaber battles, which there were many) and some comedy! Yes, the movie was aimed at a younger audience. The movie had everything a Star Wars movie usually has including a woman except this one was more like a “girl” ugh. My only real problem with the movie was the first five minutes. There is just something wrong with the way the movie starts. It was almost like I missed something. Just sit it out and you will be entertained. THE BEST PART OF THIS PREMIERE SHOWING WAS STAR WARS CHARACTERS THAT CAME AND WORKED THE ROOM AND POSED FOR PHOTOS BEFORE THE MOVIE STARTED – IN FULL COSTUME. I UNDERSTAND THEY WERE FROM A FAN CLUB IN CALIFORNIA AND TEXAS. THEY WERE GREAT!!!!!!

Im a huge Star Wars fan, but, you know, im not sure after reading this article i want to see this movie on the big screen. I’m depressed. Maybe i’ll just wait for it to come out on dvd. All i have is hope that the Live action tv series coming out in 2010 will kick ass and revive the Star Wars franchise and give it the respect it needs. I heard that the live action show will be a lot more dark and have an adult orientated theme…let’s pray thats true!

Okay, I just looked at AICN and they say that there is a review embargo until the DAY OF RELEASE, Friday. So, they are playing Let’s Hide The Turd. No advance review means no negative word before it opens. Pathetic.

Why’d they make them take it down? Because it was negative and told the TRUTH? Hell, if Harry fucking Knowles gives a Star Wars movie a bad review, it must be utter shit. That review had no spoilers in it, so that’s no excuse. I read it yesterday. That is fucking censorship of the media. I notice that there are no reviews up on RT, either. Lucasfilm is trying to disguise a turd as a diamond, methinks.

Aint it Cool had to take down there review. Lucasfilm is going hard this time. Have they got at u yet John??

Right off the bat I knew I didn’t want to see this – all because of the voice acting. Not including the fact that this piece of the story is worthless.

John, how bad IS the voice acting? The trailers are horrible (especially Yoda).

Hey Dragonslayer,

Read the review, it’s all in there.

But my question is why, if you give it so much crap in the bad section, do you give it a 6/10?

I think the problem is that you can’t look at this as another Star Wars movie. It was never meant to be another Star Wars movie. It’s not even really a movie. Just the pilot for a kids’ show.

This will no doubt make money hand over fist, because it will be seen as a “family” type film, with the obvious name brand on it. I was wondering the same thing Rougepirate did regarding the CN animated series before the release of Sith (Ep3)…if this new flick retconned the earlier show (and part of ‘Sith’ itself, seeing how it explains how General Grievous got his horse cough) …

I would have liked to see an animated adaptation of one of the Han Solo novels ( The Hutt Gambit comes to mind, given the lame storyline apparently present in ‘The Clone Wars’) or perhaps ‘Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye’, or one of the Boba Fett stories from the books.

When I saw the previews for the Clone Wars, I decided right then and there that I would skip the film . I have trouble believing that, Anakin, who was denied the rank of Master in Sith has a padawan in training and that this character speaks like, as John puts it, “modern youth”.

But when the news comes out that the classic themes aren’t used (even the trailer had snippets of the AOTC/ROTS soundtrack in them) something is amiss.

And it’s a damn good thing John gives this a 6 out of 10: if he gave it any less than that he might have suffered the same fate as Harry Knowles did yesterday.

fucking little stinky….sounds like some one crapped on that call

My god John this movie sounds horrible. I can’t beleive they don’t have the opening crawl and the theme music.

So being a big Star Wars fan should I go see this in theaters?

Sky guy? SKY GUY?!

Jesus wept indeed.

John – you are harsh, but honest. I’m with other people on how the movies ought to at least follow the timeline the books have set for us. Yes, I have read all three post-Return of the Jedi trilogy books. Hell I’ve gone further than that and even read some Jaina and Jacen books. The latest one, well, I think twin sister is hunting down her brother. That’s all I know and I’m not going to leave spoilers. I will say though, that I would like it as well if Star Wars actually had a coherent timeline that made sense. Maybe there’s just too much detail to keep track of.

Jesus wept; thanks very much sir.

Y’know, i’ll admit to something. I thought the plot synopsis sounded rather cool actually (as in simplistic and a good excuse for lots of chasing, fighting and hanging out in bounty hunter bars etc.) but that’s because I pictured Jabba’s son as a bad to the bone twenty year old not……….Little Stinky.

You wanna know how bad the dialog was? Well here’s just a tiny tiny tiny little example:

1) They keep referring to Jabba’s son as “Little Stinky”

2) The new annoying little brat padawan kept refering to Anakin (her new Jedi master) as “Sky Guy”. “Hey Sky Guy, what do we do now?”

I can’t go on, it hurts too much

Oh well. Was looking forward to this, but looks like I will wait for the DVD…stiff acting with bad dialog…no facial expressions…annoying characters…lame plot…sounds like the prequels…Ok it’s either a half price mattinee or DVD.

George are you a clone or something??

“Instead of the iconic opening crawl setting the stage, some 1960’s game show announcer does some ass awful narration to start the film. I wanted to claw out my own ears he sounded so bad. Damn… and we’re only 30 seconds into the movie!”

Because i am afraid of the potential risk to my ears, i think i’ll wait till DVD but thanks for the warning John.

Go on though, give us a really bad quote from the film; just one. I want to know how bad the dialogue is.

my ? is why did they come out with this now,shouldn’t it came out between 2 & 3. and now shouldn’t it be a movie between 3 & 4. doesn’t everybody want to see darth vader going around and raping the shit out of the universe?

It figures. How the hell do you have a Star Wars movie without the immortal theme and the crawl?! Are you fucking kidding? Not seeing it till DVD

i saw this crap tastic film…… no he isnt kidding about the music….it was horrible..i set the tone for the rest of the movie….story was crap…which considering that it was animated i was hoping for better storyline…no instead what we got was a hour and a half long video game scene….truly this movie will die out cause it is just that lame. and AC it makes me wonder if u were a fan of the original or ever read ny of the books…..jaba’s son come on man just stupid….to be honest if these stupid ass jedi were actually skilled they would have known it was a trap.

and seth imo not finding jar jar annoying means u must have someone drreadful in your life that u put up with for some reason lawl

I never even watched the original trilogy until at least a couple years before the new one came out, so I was fortunate enough not to have my childhood raped by anything. But this whole Clone Wars thing still sounds like bad SW fan-fiction. I hear Jabba’s son, and I keep picturing them looking for a turd.

I’m probably going to like this. And I guess I’m not a STAR WARS fan as I liked ALL 3 Star Wars PREQUELS and didn’t find Jar Jar annoying at all. But that’s just me.

your kidding about the theme music right? i mean seriously what the hell. lucas hasnt gone that far off his rocker has he? they actually changed the title crawl music? oh sweet lord. thanks for the no bullshit review john. i appreciate you dont cut any corners. so in all for a big star wars fan is it worth seeing? or will it just piss me off more?

Honestly, I’d make up my own mind on this one if I were you, kids. I saw a screening yesterday, and some of the things John liked least (okay, hated) were what I liked best – the new padawan, Jabba’s son, the score. To each his/her own!

So a disposable distraction, not a chapter of the saga, kind of a glorified footnote. why bother? $$$$

I don’t think anyone thought this was a “true Star Wars film”. If it was it would have been released in May to an unavoidable marketing campaign. Lucasfilm are clearly trying to distant it from the films which is probably why on the poster Clone Wars is big and Star Wars is small.

So is this movie just a small portion of the clone wars story? I’m still some what confused about how this is different than the Animated Clone Wars cartoon that on was Cartoon Network that was intended to bridge the gap between episode 2 and 3.

Distress call code word is “I want to see another Empire Strikes Back movie!!!” (lol, am listening to Circa Survive now). Wished they could’ve given us something as good as that :( , best SW ever.

i do not like the sound of that plot line at all.

oh well, i am still going…the battles look amazing.

Sounds a lot the prequels in tone and nature.

Everyone still excited for the TV series?

Anyone not hating the new star wars movies is not a star wars fan AT ALL. just a hint. Actually you can’t call them Star Wars. Same for this “movie”.

Is John Williams write the score of this movie? And I wonder that Ahsoka character was made as a main-girl character. Something to draw younger girls audience to the theater. I’m glad to hear that Lucas didn’t make this movie awful.

First, I refuse to consider anything Star Wars related made after The Phantom Menace as “cannon.” So many authors tried so hard to keep a coherent time line before that and Lucas completely crapped on their efforts time and time again. I doubt anyone cares to hear my “why the prequels suck” diatribe, so I will move on.

Secondly, I thought the original Clone Wars series that aired prior to ROTS on cartoon network was the best thing to come out of this prequel crap and I have a feeling that this new movie/series is going to mar that now.

To John: you may be able to answer this upon seeing the movie, does this new film negate the 2003 Clone Wars series, or are they both considered “cannon” to Lucas? I’m very confused on this issue.

And to Lucas: listen to the fans and stop sucking. Give us Thrawn or go home. Try actually reading one of the books you signed off on during the 90’s and realize they are better narratives than you have proven yourself capable of producing in the last decade.

That said, thanks for the awesome review.

go watch empire strikes back instead. such an awesome movie after so many years….

Wow. I can’t believe they didn’t even use the original theme music.

I was worried the first time I saw Ahsoka was that she would turn out be a typical scene stealing, spunky, modern hip cliche type character, but I was hoping I was wrong, but appearently I wasn’t.

How was Anakin in this movie, one of the reasons I’ve never been to found of the prequels is due to never really finding Anakin as a particularly engaging main character( whether it be due to the dialog, story, or the actor himself).

“The new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, was so freaking annoying… so “modern youth”… so bitch like I wanted to climb into the screen, kick her in her little kid ribs and shove a lightsaber down her annoying little throat”

Why the FUCK are JEDI going to resuce JABBA THE HUTT’s SON? I’m not even a psycho SW fan, but when I read that, I spat out my food! Are you serious, man? Why are they resucing a GANGSTER’s son? HUH?!

Reviews like this are what keep me coming back to this site for my movie news….Its a no bullshit zone and John tells it the way it is…Thanks for the heads up man

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• The Inventory

Star Wars: The Clone Wars : The Movie: The Retro Review

Don't forget the beloved, animated tv series began with a justly non-beloved movie..

So much has happened to the Star Wars franchise in the last 14 years that it can be difficult to remember that the new canon actually began with Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars cartoon. It was retroactively added into Disney’s new Star Wars stories by virtue of being a pretty good show helmed by the guy who would eventually be the driving force behind Star Wars ’ live-action TV series . It can be even harder to remember that The Clone Wars kicked off with a movie—a theatrically released movie—that was absolutely terrible.

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The film, released in 200 8, came together somewhat literally when then-head of Lucasfilm George Lucas saw the footage of the CG cartoon set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith and became completely enamored of it. He suggested a smattering of the earliest Clone Wars episodes together and releasing it in theaters. If you’re wondering, “Wouldn’t that just feel like four episodes of an after-school Star Wars cartoon smashed together instead of a real movie?” you’ve found its first fatal flaw.

While the second, third, and fourth episodes tell one continuous story about the kidnapping of Jabba the Hutt’s son, the first is a standalone story about Republic clones fighting a droid army that necessitates Anakin and his new padawan apprentice Ahsoka hiding in a box and creeping down the street like they’re in a Looney Tunes cartoon (or Metal Gear Solid game). It’s needlessly goofy, but the “main” story is just as goofy and feels even smaller in scope.

Count Dooku has kidnapped Jabba’s infant son Rotta in a needlessly complicated plan to frame the Jedi and get the crimelord to allow Separatist forces to use the interstellar trade routes in his territory. The Republic also wants access to the trade routes, so they send Obi-Wan to talk to Jabba, while Anakin and Ahsoka track down the horrible little slimeball with arms that is Rotta, a.k.a. “Stinky.” What may have worked as three episodes of a cartoon becomes a mess when watched back-to-back, as “plots” quickly arise and resolve themselves. Obi-Wan leaves Tatooine to help Anakin, but Anakin is already leaving when he gets there. Rotta is sick, but there’s medicine on the ship random ship the Jedi commandeer. A bunch of Grievous’ Magnaguards accost Ahsoka on Tatooine, but she kills them with ease.

Speaking of, Ahsoka has since become one of the most beloved characters to not debut in a live-action movie, but I’m not exaggerating when I say she is terrible in the Clone Wars movie. It’s not voice actor Ashley Eckstein’s fault, who does the best with what she’s given. But what’s she given is dialogue written by 40-year-old men who are utterly confident they know how a 14-year-old girl talks. It’s atrocious. She calls Anakin “Skyguy” and R2-D2—who already has a very established nickname—“Artooie.” She’s overconfident and pouty and precocious and smarter than everyone sometimes and dumb as rocks at others.

There’s also Ziro, Jabba’s uncle, who turns out to be partially responsible for Rotta’s abduction. He comes across as a stereotype, speaking Galactic Basic (as opposed to Huttese) with a lisping, high-pitched Southern drawl, based directly on the openly gay author Truman Capote. Ziro is covered in glow-in-the-dark make-up, wears feathers on his head like a 1920s flapper headband, and smokes from a long cigarette holder. Now, whether you’re offended by this or simply delighted by the fact that 2008 Star Wars had any semblance of queer representation is up to you, but there’s still the fact that George Lucas specifically requested that his kids’ movie include a caricature of a writer who died more than 20 years prior.

But that’s hardly Clone Wars’ only adherence to things its young audience wouldn’t know or possibly be interested in. If you’re a fan of the TV series—because it certainly improved in this regard as it went on—you may not remember that the animation and look of Clone Wars was inspired by 1960s British marionette shows like Thunderbirds and Space Patrol . These puppets were visibly wooden and moved in awkward, janky ways, which were lovingly and inexplicably recreated in the 2008 cartoon. Sometimes, I swear you can see the woodgrain in the solid chunks that made up the characters.

Again, thankfully, Clone Wars got better, both in the animation and storytelling departments. Now it’s remembered for how it went on to develop Ahsoka Tano into one of the franchise’s most beloved characters, how it humanized the Clone Troopers, its evolution of the Mandalorians, and so, so much more.. Well, at least until Dave Filoni makes The Book of Boba Fett: Chapter Two , in which Stinky the Hutt returns to claim his father’s throne.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water .  

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Star wars: clone wars, common sense media reviewers.

Frantic, noisy 'toon shorts from Skywalker saga.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Very little room for shading in the Star Wars univ

It's "cartoon violence" sure, but it goes on for l

Hard to escape the marketing division of the Force

Parents need to know that these volumes of cartoons are not the same as the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars computer-generated animated feature, released to theaters (though they certainly cover the same territory). There is much action-violence -- pretty much nonstop in Vol. 1 -- mostly under…

Positive Messages

Very little room for shading in the Star Wars universe. Characters are either all good or all evil, with the exception of Annakin Skywalker, whose anger and violence turn him into Darth Vader. Multiculturalism to the max, as the Galactic Republic (and the Jedi Order) are here composed of practically every race and alien species. Every culture seems to be respected.

Violence & Scariness

It's "cartoon violence" sure, but it goes on for loooong stretches; robots, war machines, spacecraft, and even some people are spectacularly destroyed by light saber, blaster fire, bombs, concussion blasts, impalement, bashing, beheading, etc. No blood shown, even when the victims are human clones (encased in battle armor).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Hard to escape the marketing division of the Force, and this DVD was but one of an Imperial legion of LucasFilm toys. Some books and (especially) video games were direct spinoffs from Clone Wars and the DVDs carry promo featurettes and gameplay levels.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that these volumes of cartoons are not the same as the 2008 Star Wars: The Clone Wars computer-generated animated feature, released to theaters (though they certainly cover the same territory). There is much action-violence -- pretty much nonstop in Vol. 1 -- mostly under battleground conditions, committed against spaceships, aliens, robot troops, monsters, etc. No (human) blood shown, but death and dismemberment get pretty intense. Young Jedi hero Annakin shows off his bravado by eating live insects (a don't-try-this-at-home moment as far as a lot of parents will be concerned). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (4)
• Kids say (8)

Based on 4 parent reviews

Is this a kid show?

Gendy tartakovsky at his best, what's the story.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS is a DVD set that puts together a serialized bunch of George Lucas-authorized animated shorts that originally aired on the Cartoon Network in 2003 as a run-up to the opening of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith . Done by the animators of Dexter's Laboratory , they cover the Clone Wars so much referenced throughout Lucas' blockbuster live-action sci-fi/fantasy features. A noble Galactic Republic is under attack from separatists and droid robot soldiers under the control of a shadowy mystic order called the Sith. Leading the Republic's offensive are the righteous, swashbuckling Jedi Knights, chiefly the valiant Obi-Wan Kenobi and his impatient apprentice Annakin Skywalker. They and other Jedi skip from one planetary system to another fighting a gallery of marauders, mechanical monsters, and machines.

Is It Any Good?

Star Wars: Clone Wars is animated with simplistic, clean-line art (it avoids looking like cheaply Xeroxed Saturday-morning stuff of yesteryear). It seems to have been made for viewers who thought the Star Wars series didn't deliver enough on the "wars" part of the title. The first set of adventures is practically nonstop combat and explosions. Boom! Whoosh! Whew! Titanic battles unfold between high-tech armies and space pilots, while good and evil knights duel one-on-one with light-sabers. Many of these setpieces are spectacular in concept and scope -- but pretty deadening in large doses.

The voiceover actors (nearly none of whom carried over from the movies) speak so infrequently you wonder if they were being paid by the word. Not until Vol. 2 do we get some actual dialog and relatively meaningful dramatic plotlines, with hints of ill-fated Annakin Skywalker's emotional turmoil as he ascends prematurely to the rank of Jedi, gives in to fits of violence and vengeance, and hides his taboo romance with Princess Padme Amidala. Viewers unfamiliar with the Star Wars universe (unlikely they'll even be watching) may be hopelessly confused about the reason for the wars, the clones, etc. But the young and the hardcore LucasFans will enjoy cameo appearances by many of the non-human creatures who flickered through the past features. Yes, there are wookiees. No, there is no Jar-Jar Binks .

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the Star Wars series. Ask kids if they like this animation as much as the live-action ones. Do Clone Wars segments help you understand the heroic character of Annakin Skywalker any better, and why he changed into the evil Darth Vader? When Star Wars movies and DVDs come out, do you notice all the toys and themed fast-food for sale? Do the movies make you want these things or not?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 3, 2003
• On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2005
• Cast : Anthony Daniels , Kevin Michael Richardson , Tom Kane
• Director : Genndy Tartakovsky
• Inclusion Information : Black actors
• Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Run time : 69 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 25, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Our editors recommend.

Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Where to watch.

Watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars with a subscription on Disney+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Cast & Crew

Matt Lanter

Anakin Skywalker

Ashley Eckstein

Ahsoka Tano

James Arnold Taylor

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Matthew Wood

Battle Droids

Dee Bradley Baker

Clone Captain Rex

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Movie Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

• General Disdain
• Movie Reviews
• 4 responses
• --> August 14, 2008

I don’t know what else to say other than I was dumbfounded when I first caught sight of the trailers for George Lucas’ latest tale in his storied Star Wars franchise – Star Wars: The Clone Wars . The blocky, animated characters looked God awful. The minimal amount of dialogue I heard sounded corny. In most cases, first impressions are good for judging character flaws in your potential mate and for making a snap determination on whether a movie will suck or not. In this particular case, first impression be damned – the movie wasn’t as bad as I initially feared.

There is literally one reason for Star Wars: The Clone Wars not sucking extravagantly. It’s the action. Plain and simple. I had no idea that filling the void between Episodes II and III would be the most exhilarating battles offered up by Lucas and team. There are intense fights between the Jedi led clone army and the never-ending Separatist armies of androids. There are massive explosions and laser battles in both space and on the ground. I especially enjoyed the lightsaber work displayed by the Jedis – all their moves appeared effortless in their delivery, ensuring maximum carnage was delivered with each pass (one of the big pluses of not having to use human actors, no doubt). These constant skirmishes leave little time to catch your breath, which is a damn good thing because otherwise you’d take notice of the myriad of little aggravations, like:

• How ill-conceived the actual story is. Aside from the clone war being led by Yoda (voiced by Tom Kane) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), the main crux of the film is watching Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Matt Lanter) and his padawan learner Ahsoka Tano (voice by Ashley Eckstein) bicker as they search the galaxy for Rotta the Huttlet, the kidnapped child of none other than Jabba the Hutt (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson). Yep, good ole Jabba is a father and oh yeah, he’s got an uncle named Ziro the Hutt in the family business too. The Jedi Council figures if they can return the baby worm back home safely, the Republic will be rewarded with unfettered access to the hyperspace trade routes in the Outer Rim (they’re controlled by the Hutts), giving them an advantage in the war. Fascinating stuff.
• How annoying some of the newly introduced characters are. The number one offender is Ms. Tano, who apparently takes great pride in being the biggest bitch in the Republic. How she is granted access into the Jedi Academy is beyond me, as she makes Anakin look like a saint when compared to her. The only good thing about her lays in the fact that since there is not any mention of her in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith we can hope she doesn’t last long in the animated series this movie is supposed to be setting off. I also wasn’t particularly impressed with Ziro the Hutt either. You’d have thought that by the time we reach that far into the future they would have found a cure for homosexuality (he was based off of Truman Capote).
• The marionette/anime inspired computer generated graphics aren’t what I would have liked to have seen, initially. The landscapes are spotless and fantastical, but the characters could have used a bit more sprucing up to make them more life-like (although it is a step up from the original animation of the Star Wars: Clone Wars TV series). It did manage to grow on me as the film progressed, but it definitely took some time to get used to.

That all being said, the fast paced action of Star Wars: The Clone Wars outruns the majority of faults. If you’re a die hard fan, get out there and see this – it’ll give you the fix you’ve been yearning for, since you can’t get the same euphoric feeling from watching all six movies back-to-back anymore. For the rest of you, just wait until it hits the shelves at your local Blockbuster – this isn’t the must see movie of the year (I think we can all agree that that was The Dark Knight ). And oh yeah, before you shoot me, the homosexual remark was a joke . . . lighten up people.

I'm an old, miserable fart set in his ways. Some of the things that bring a smile to my face are (in no particular order): Teenage back acne, the rain on my face, long walks on the beach and redneck women named Francis. Oh yeah, I like to watch and criticize movies.

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'Movie Review: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)' have 4 comments

August 15, 2008 @ 9:40 am Noodle

I’d consider myself an avid fan of the franchise but I can’t get over the idea that this was released as a pure money grab by George Lucas.

I’ll be skipping it.

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August 15, 2008 @ 12:03 pm Janine

Even though you say you’re kidding, I think you may catch some hell for bullet point #2! Good review otherwise.

August 23, 2008 @ 8:15 am General Disdain

…I can’t get over the idea that this was released as a pure money grab by George Lucas.

No doubt it was theatrically released to line his pockets.

April 29, 2010 @ 1:00 pm Neil

As General Disdain observes, this is a fast moving epic. Maybe the pace is too quick at times – I got the film out on DVD and had to watch it a couple of times to take it all in. Probably more a film for the serious Star Wars fans rather than the general public.

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Screen Rant

15 star wars tv show actors who deserve to be in the movies.

Star Wars TV shows have taken over the franchise, but its about time for some of the talented actors shine on the big screen in a movie.

Custom Image by Corey Larson

• The return to big screen Star Wars movies means talented TV actors can shine on a larger stage.
• Voice actors like Corey Burton, David Tennant, and Dee Bradley Baker could transition to the big screen.
• Characters like Cad Bane, Huyang, and Kanan Jarrus may find new life in movies after impactful TV runs.

For the past four years, the Star Wars franchise has moved away from movies and poured most of its effort into telling its stories through TV shows. Many of its shows are filled with talented actors and actresses who have shown a new depth to the galaxy far, far away. Nevertheless, now that Disney has confirmed Star Wars is returning to the big screen , plenty of these actors have the chance to be introduced in new Star Wars movies .

First released in 2008, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the earliest TV show still Canon in Star Wars . Meanwhile, Tales of the Empire (May 4th, 2024) and The Acolyte (June 4th, 2024) will be the franchise’s latest shows to premiere on Disney+. With over a dozen shows in Canon, there are plenty of talented voice actors and live-action actors who have earned a chance to shine on the big screen .

Upcoming Star Wars Shows: Story, Casts & Everything We Know

1 corey burton, seen in: the clone wars, the book of boba fett, the bad batch.

Corey Burton is one of many talented voice actors who first appeared in The Clone Wars . He played Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt, and—his most famous Star Wars role—Cad Bane. Burton’s garbled voice for Bane helped bring one of the coldest bounty hunters in the franchise to life, so much so that when Cad Bane was brought into live-action in The Book of Boba Fett (portrayed by Dorian Kingi), Burton continued to voice the character.

Nevertheless, his brief appearance in The Book of Boba Fett was wasted by the end of the show. Thankfully, Burton has the opportunity to continue voicing the character in The Bad Batch . But now that Bane has proven his worth in both animation and live-action, it seems high time Burton is given the chance to voice Cad Bane on the big screen.

2 David Tennant

Seen in: ahsoka, the clone wars.

Like Burton, David Tennant is another talented actor whose character has appeared in both animation and live-action. Tennant first voiced the lightsaber professor droid Huyang in The Clone Wars season 5. Nevertheless, his seemingly minor role was turned into a major one in the Ahsoka series, as Tennant continued to voice Huyang in live-action.

The Clone Wars Secretly Set Up Two Aspects Of Star Wars' Jedi Origin Movie (Not Just Huyang)

Huyang is a special Star Wars character, since he’s one of the oldest characters in Canon. He was created over 25,000 years ago, near the beginning of the Jedi Order. As such, Tennant could easily appear as Huyang in the upcoming Dawn of the Jedi movie , which is set around the same time.

3 Dee Bradley Baker

Seen in: the bad batch, the clone wars, rebels.

Dee Bradley Baker is yet another prolific voice actor who has voiced many characters in multiple animated Star Wars shows. He’s best known for voicing the hundreds of clone troopers that appear throughout The Clone Wars . He single-handedly helped the audience differentiate the clone troopers by varying his voice for each of them, while also driving home the fact that they all share the same voice.

Technically, Baker has already appeared in the theater back when the Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie first released. But The Clone Wars movie failed to show the true range of his voice . Captain Rex’s brief live-action appearance in Ahsoka seemingly confirmed that Temuera Morrison will continue to voice and play the clone troopers in live-action. Yet that doesn’t count Baker out for voicing other roles on the big screen.

4 Emily Swallow

Seen in: the mandalorian, the book of boba fett.

Emily Swallow’s character in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett has quickly become one of the most integral characters in Mandalorian society. The Armorer draws upon her knowledge of Mandalore’s past in order to forge a better future for her people. She’s also one of the very few people left alive after the Great Purge of Mandalore who still knows how to smith and fashion beskar.

With The Mandalorian & Grogu movie on the horizon, Emily Swallow may very well get her chance to shine as the Armorer on the big screen . The Mandalorian season 3 left the Armorer on Mandalore, assisting Bo-Katan Kryze with ruling the Mandalorians. If Din Djarin and Grogu return to Mandalore, its likely Swallow’s character will show up again.

5 Freddy Prinze Jr.

Seen in: rebels, the bad batch.

Despite Star Wars Rebels starting out childish, the latter seasons feature some of the darkest moments in the franchise. In particular, Kanan Jarrus’ character—played by Freddy Prinze Jr.—went from being a random Order 66 survivor to one of the most impactful Jedi in Star Wars . There’s plenty more of Kanan’s story before Rebels to be told, and the big screen could be the perfect place to do it.

A Jedi Padawan who survived Order 66 in large part thanks to his master's sacrifice, Kanan survived during the Dark Times of the Empire's reign and became an important member of the Lothal rebel cell. Kanan sacrificed much over the years, but gained much as well, falling in love with Hera Syndulla. Although he gave his life for his friends, he left a legacy behind in his own Padawan Ezra Bridger, as well as his son Jacen.

Unfortunately, Prinze Jr. has expressed his disinterest in reprising Kanan Jarrus after his brief cameo in The Bad Batch . Nevertheless, the opportunity to play Kanan Jarrus in live-action on the big screen could very well lure Prinze Jr. back to the role. Only time will tell if Disney will invest more time in movies set during the reign of the Empire.

6 Giancarlo Esposito

Seen in: the mandalorian.

Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon has become one of the most recognizable villains from Star Wars TV , especially when he’s wielding the Darksaber. Esposito’s calm and collected portrayal of Gideon shows just how formidable of a character he is. And unlike other Imperials, Gideon often uses his resources for his own gain rather than for the Empire. He even appropriated Mandalorian culture by creating a suit of beskar armor for himself.

An important and influential member of the Imperial Shadow Council, Moff Gideon was personally responsible for the Purge of Mandalore. Moff Gideon deliberately seeded reports Mandalore was uninhabitable, secretly claiming the world and beginning efforts to extract its precious beskar. Moff Gideon's ambitious attempts to clone herself were disrupted by Din Djarin, and he died when the Mandalorians retook their homeworld.

Moff Gideon met his end in The Mandalorian season 3. Nevertheless, the season finale also revealed that he’d been working on several Force-sensitive clones of himself. It’s possible Esposito could return to the big screen in The Mandalorian & Grogu as a different version of Gideon. Star Wars loves to resurrect characters from even the most fatal deaths, and Gideon could be no different.

7 James Arnold Taylor

Seen in: the clone wars, rebels.

James Arnold Taylor is well-known for voicing Obi-Wan Kenobi in almost all the franchise’s animated projects. But he’s also countless other characters throughout The Clone Wars . While Obi-Wan Kenobi will likely continue to be played by Ewan McGregor in live-action Star Wars , Taylor does have the opportunity to voice another popular Jedi on the big screen.

In The Clone Wars series, James Arnold Taylor is also known for voicing one of Ahsoka Tano’s mentors, Plo Koon. In Legends, Plo Koon had lived almost 250 years before dying during Order 66. Therefore, it's quite possible for Plo Koon to appear in live-action in The Acolyte . And eventually, Plo Koon could make it to the big screen again, with Taylor voicing him this time.

8 Katee Sackhoff

Seen in: the mandalorian, rebels, the clone wars.

In addition to Emily Swallow as the Armorer, it’s also possible for Katee Sackhoff to return and reprise her role as Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. Sackhoff is one of the few Star Wars voice actors who first voiced their character in animation before then portraying them in live-action. Not only did Sackhoff play Bo-Katan in Rebels , but she also voiced her in The Clone Wars as well.

The sister of Satine Kryze, Bo-Katan allied with extremist factions of Mandalore - unwittingly dividing her people, creating opportunities for the Separatists and Darth Maul. Bo-Katan spent much of her life seeking redemption, attempting to unite the Mandalorians against the Empire, but ultimately surrendered to Moff Gideon in an attempt to save her people from a genocidal Imperial attack. In The Mandalorian era, Bo-Katan has successfully reclaimed Mandalore and become the new Man'dalore - her people's chosen ruler.

Bo-Katan’s story has seemingly come to a happy conclusion in The Mandalorian season 3. She’s finally stepped up to become the ruler of Mandalore, while also earning the title as the last wielder of the Darksaber . Nevertheless, The Mandalorian season 3 failed to wrap up its big Mythosaur reveal, opening up the door for Bo-Katan and Din Djarin to discover the truth behind it on the big screen.

9 Lars Mikkelsen

Seen in: ahsoka, rebels.

Most Star Wars villains use the Force—such as Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine—or some sort of weapon to terrify and subdue their enemies, but Lars Mikkelsen’s Grand Admiral Thrawn only needs his mind . Thrawn’s tactical brilliance sets him apart. Given time, he can outsmart almost any Star Wars character and devise a plan to defeat them.

The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn's motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn's exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.

Like Katee Sackhoff, Lars Mikkelsen first played Thrawn in animation. After voicing him in Rebels , Mikkelsen returned to portray him in live-action for the Ahsoka series . Now that Thrawn has returned to the main Star Wars galaxy, he’s perfectly set up to be the next big villain on the big screen.

10 Ming-Na Wen

Seen in: the bad batch, the book of boba fett, the mandalorian.

Despite first appearing as a minor villain in The Mandalorian season 1, Ming-Na Wen has returned to play bounty hunter Fennec Shand in several other Star Wars projects. Shand has appeared as a main character in The Book of Boba Fett , and has even been animated in The Bad Batch . She was last seen in the timeline beside Boba Fett as he secured his rule on Tatooine.

Little is known of Fennec Shand's early life; she emerged as a bounty hunter early on during the Dark Times of the Empire's reign, and continued to work for various criminal cartels for years. In The Mandalorian era, Boba Fett earned Fennec Shand's loyalty after he saved her life, and she now stands by his side.

Ming-Na Wen could easily return to play Fennec Shand on the big screen. If Din Djarin returns to Tatooine in The Mandalorian & Grogu to recruit Boba Fett to fight whatever threat the galaxy is facing, he may also hire Shand to help. Either way, her journey in Star Wars is not finished yet , and a movie could further explore her story.

11 Pedro Pascal

Out of all the actors in Star Wars TV, Pedro Pascal may just be the most popular. He’s also one of the few characters already confirmed to come to the big screen in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. As the title character, Din Djarin will continue his adventure with his newly-adopted son, Din Grogu, as they complete freelancing jobs for the New Republic.

Din Djarin was once a lone bounty who has since tasked himself with raising his adopted son and Mandalorian apprentice, Grogu. Born on Aq Vetina and raised on Concordia by the Mandalorian faction the Children of the Watch, Din is an orphan and Mandalorian foundling who has risked both his life and his Mandalorian Creed to protect Grogu. Djarin has become an important part of the galaxy's fight against the Imperial Remnant that lingers in the wake of the Empire's fall, as he is now working under-the-table for the fledgling New Republic's rangers.

While Pascal will voice Din Djarin in The Mandalorian & Grogu , it’s unclear whether he will actually be physically seen in the movie. The Mandalorian season 3 began with the major plot of Djarin redeeming himself from removing his helmet in The Mandalorian season 2 finale. Therefore, it’s likely Din Djarin’s helmet will stay on for the entirety of his movie .

12 Rosario Dawson

Seen in: ahsoka, the mandalorian, the book of boba fett.

Rosario Dawson brought Ahsoka Tano to live-action in The Mandalorian as a side character who Din Djarin needed advice from. She briefly cameoed again as Ahsoka in The Book of Boba Fett . But the Ahsoka series solidified her as a major live-action Star Wars character , and one that could easily hold her own on the big screen.

The apprentice of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano was an accomplished Padawan who served during the Clone Wars. Ahsoka left the Jedi after she became disillusioned with the Jedi Council, but returned to serve in the Siege of Mandalore at the end of the Clone Wars. She survived Order 66, becoming a Rebel agent during the Dark Times of the Empire's reign, and her adventures continue in the New Republic era. Ahsoka was last seen stranded in a distant galaxy, having failed to prevent Grand Admiral Thrawn's return.

It’s unlikely for Dawson to return as Ahsoka in The Mandalorian & Grogu movie. At the moment, she’s still stranded with Sabine Wren in the Peridea galaxy . At some point, it would be nice to see Dawson bring Ahsoka to the live-action big screen, as this would tie together the character’s first appearance in The Clone Wars movie.

13 Stellan Skarsgård

Seen in: andor.

Stellan Skarsgård recently had enormous success on the big screen as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part 2 , but his Star Wars character in Andor is arguably even more interesting . Luthen Rael was first introduced in Andor as the mastermind behind one of the Rebellion’s very first victories against the Empire. And despite being a side character, there are several reasons why he deserves to shine on the big screen.

A mysterious leader in the Rebel Alliance, Luthen Rael is comfortable making decisions others - such as Mon Mothma - would find uncomfortable. Luthen seems to have modelled himself on Palpatine, presenting a front as an antiques dealer while he travels the galaxy supporting rebel cells. His story seems fated to end in tragedy.

Luthen Rael’s speech about the Rebellion is one of the best speeches in the franchise. It embodies the sentiment of sacrifice, and shows the extreme lengths everyday citizens took to overthrow the Empire. His character will most likely reappear in Andor season 2, but his impassioned monologues have the potential to move audiences in the theater .

14 Timothy Olyphant

Timothy Olyphant’s character in The Mandalorian had one of the coolest introductions in Star Wars . Cobb Vanth introduced himself wearing Boba Fett’s armor, and then proceeded to ride a piece of Anakin Skywalker’s old podracer turned into a speeder. His pragmatic attitude and sound morals helped the people of Freetown—and the audience along with them—to admire his character.

Olyphant’s character was last seen at the end of The Book of Boba Fett finale. After receiving a mortal wound in a duel with Cad Bane, someone rescued Vanth and placed him inside a bacta tank in Boba Fett’s Palace. Star Wars is clearly not finished with his character, and there may even be room for him to rejoin Din Djarin in The Mandalorian & Grogu .

15 Vivien Lyra Blair

Seen in: obi-wan kenobi.

Finally, it would be nice for Vivien Lyra Blair to return and play a young Princess Leia once more. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series had some mixed reviews, but Blair’s spunky performance honored Carrie Fisher’s original portrayal of the character . Unlike Luke Skywalker, Leia isn’t necessarily shackled to staying on Alderaan until A New Hope , meaning there are plenty of adventures yet to be seen as she joins the Rebellion and becomes a leading figure in it.

The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother's political skills and her father's Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan's destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.

Blair’s performance as young Leia Organa deserves to be seen on the big screen. And while no movies have been announced for the time period she’s in, there are always more stories the franchise can explore. As Star Wars gears up to return to theaters in the next few years, hopefully Disney draws on some of the amazing cast in its TV shows.

Why George Lucas Really Began Star Wars With Episode 4

The original Star Wars is famously the fourth chapter in the epic saga. But why wasn't it considered Episode I, considering it was released first?

• George Lucas had to condense many of his ideas into the original Star Wars film
• Starting with Episode IV in the middle of the saga allowed Lucas to introduce an expansive world.
• The release of the prequel trilogy helped Lucas achieve his original vision of an epic story told over generations.

Thanks to the decades of lore that have crafted Star Wars , even the smallest details are explained in how they connect larger events in the galaxy. However, there are more questions than ever about why and how certain events unfolded the way they did. One of the biggest questions fans have had is why 1977's Star Wars was called Episode IV , despite being the first film in what would become a blockbuster franchise.

The logical explanation for why Star Wars starts with Episode IV is that the prequel trilogy was (naturally) set before the original; hence, the numbering. However, the reason behind the numerical choice is far more layered than that. According to Looper , Michael Kaminski's 2008 book The Secret History of Star Wars attributed the unique numbering to "technical and storytelling reasons." However, a more expansive understanding of A New Hope 's placement revealed that George Lucas had multiple big ideas and only a particular way he could get them to audiences.

Updated April 17, 2024 by Robert Vaux: The article has been updated with additional information about Lucas's writing process while creating A New Hope in the 1970s. It also addresses the logistical difficulties involved in the prequel trilogy, which explains the time gap between the conclusion of the original trilogy in 1983 and the release of Star Wars: Episode I -- The Phantom Menace in 1999. It has also been adjusted to meet CBR's current stylistic guidelines.

Why Was Star Wars Episode 4 Released First?

How a real-life war inspired george lucas' star wars vision.

The original Star Wars was a surprise hit for moviegoers and Lucas, who was convinced the film would flop. But Episode IV, later subtitled A New Hope, introduced a sprawling setting filled with narrative holes for world-building. For example, terms fans have taken for granted now, like the Clone Wars and Jedi Council, were name-dropped in A New Hope without any context. As a result, the film's world felt more lived-in, but it also left fans feeling they may have missed something. Dropping audiences into this galaxy was a huge risk that wouldn't begin to pay off until 1999.

More Star Wars movies were always part of Lucas' vision. He conceived of the project partly as an homage to the Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers serials of the 1930s, which broke their stories down into multiple weekly chapters to attract audiences into theaters. Lucas wanted to capture the swashbuckling feel and sense of the epic they carried without the threadbare budgets and shoddy special effects that came with them. Indeed, he originally intended to direct a straight-up adaptation of Flash Gordon, only to learn that producer Dino Di Laurentiis held the rights to the characters. Undeterred, he decided to create his own version, adopting the multi-chapter format of the 30s serials into the narrative. (Di Laurentiis eventually produced a campy and outlandish adaptation of Flash Gordon in 1980.)

But there was a problem. As revealed in the documentary Empire of Dreams , his script was far too long to condense into a single film. His first movie, THX-1138, was a commercial failure, leaving studios reluctant to give him the money he needed for such an ambitious project. So he focused on just one chapter: rearranging certain elements and delivering a stand-alone story that could be told in two hours.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Critics' Ratings

• Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 93%
• Metacritic Metascore: 90/100
• IMDb Rating: 8.6/10

The remainder of the story had to wait until the first film succeeded, which was far from a given. Among other things, it explains why Return of the Jedi involves a second Death Star: Lucas originally intended the superweapon to appear at the end of Episode VI but moved it to Episode IV in the event he couldn't make any additional movies. It also explains why the script contains then-cryptic references to events like the Clone Wars. It gives his galaxy a sense of history -- which contributes to the plausibility of the film's universe -- but serves no role in the plot.

Lucas originally planned for a six-part epic that would chronicle the fall of the Jedi Council and the hard-fought Clone Wars. Its conclusion would have been the plot of A New Hope , as it would be revealed that the 1977 epic was merely an epilogue. However, as history has shown, this didn't go according to plan once Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace hit theaters. What ended up being the prequels were also a part of the four drafts Lucas had written for Star Wars in the hope that he could craft the perfect singular story.

As he recounts in Empire of Dreams , Lucas gave up a considerable amount of financial compensation -- which he was entitled to after the huge success of his 1973 film American Graffiti -- in exchange for retaining the creative rights to the property. This decision would allow him to return to the outline and finish the story as he wanted, using the other chapters he had developed in his early drafts.

The Prequels Proved Why Episode 4 Was Crucial to Star Wars’ Success

Star wars theory: a once-secret jedi power aged obi-wan (and no one noticed).

This information was not known to the public when A New Hope was first released. The film was simply called Star Wars , and many fans continued to refer to it as such for decades after its release. Its famous opening crawl lacked the title "Episode IV," which was added later. Indeed, the crawl itself was intended to quickly get viewers up to speed on the story without explaining the Clone Wars background that later became the bulk of the prequel. The original trilogy became Episodes IV, V and VI, and while Lucas let it be known that they were the middle section of a nine-part saga, he didn't appear to be in any hurry to tackle the remaining films.

As explained in The Secret History of Star Wars, making both A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back proved arduous enough that Lucas didn't feel it feasible to tackle the prequels. Furthermore, he had cannibalized many of the ideas from the earlier chapters to complete the core trilogy, and they would need to be replaced for the prequel trilogy to work. Most importantly, the cost of realizing his vision for the Clone Wars would be considerable, leading Lucas to shelve them in favor of new projects. Fans were left to wonder what Episodes I-III would be like for the better part of 15 years.

The advent of CGI changed Lucas' thinking and allowed him to create the epic scope of the Clone Wars on the scale he had always imagined. They were preceded by the "special edition" of the original trilogy, updated with new special effects and several slight changes to the story. The adjustments remain controversial among Star Wars fans -- notably the shift in Han Solo's confrontation with Greedo, leading to the catchphrase "Han Shot First." However, they were still a big hit at the box office and paved the way for the successful prequel trilogy. What may not have sat well with fans in the past made the most sense only to Lucas, as he had crafted this detailed epic decades earlier. With the dust finally settled, it's even clearer what the initial vision would be and how it had enhanced and redefined what fans who grew up during the original films thought and felt.

The original Star Wars was a runaway hit that took a narrative gamble, as it dropped its viewers into a futuristic world with little context or backstory. However, the hero's journey and the characters that inhabit the world more than makeup for the missing bits of information. As a result, it became the perfect backdoor opportunity for Lucas to continue his vision and tell more of his story with events that predated the original trilogy.

In the end, making the first film. Episode IV was symbolic of the opportunity Lucas needed to give fans even more stories that could evolve beyond that. A New Hope was made in a different world when Lucas didn't have the same resources and needed to get a single good movie on screens to get the ball rolling. Its status in the middle of the story was necessary to make that happen.

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

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Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists. Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists. Jedi Knights lead the Grand Army of the Republic against the droid army of the Separatists.

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• 27 wins & 74 nominations

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• Trivia In order to make the Clone Troopers sound like individuals, Dee Bradley Baker recorded every voice separately and gave each one a different inflection. He liked to write down a particular adjective for each one. For instance some sound a bit younger, others a bit more proper, whereas another may sound like a bully, or a grunt. During later seasons, he was able to record all of the voices in the same take.
• Goofs All Clone Troopers are identified with a 4-digit CT number. This would only work if there were fewer than 10,000 Clone Troopers. There are said to be millions of Clone Troopers.
• Crazy credits Every episode begins with an inspirational quote; this is often relevant to the episode at hand.
• Connections Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #41.7 (2009)
• Soundtracks Ahsoka Saves Anakin (uncredited) Composed by Kevin Kiner

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• October 3, 2008 (United States)
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Every release date for the next Star Wars movies and TV shows

The galaxy continues to expand — from a live-action Ahsoka TV series to a planned Rey movie.

Devan Coggan (rhymes with seven slogan) is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly. Most of her personality is just John Mulaney quotes and Lord of the Rings references.

It's been more than 40 years since George Lucas introduced us to his galaxy far, far away, and in that time, the world of Star Wars has only continued to grow. Between big-screen films, television series, and countless spin-offs, it's never been a better time to be a Star Wars fan — and the galaxy just keeps getting bigger.

After closing out the Skywalker Saga with 2019's ill-received The Rise of Skywalker , Lucasfilm pressed pause on much of its film development, instead choosing to launch Disney+ TV shows like The Mandalorian , Obi-Wan Kenobi , and The Book of Boba Fett . (They also turned Grogu, a.k.a. Baby Yoda, into a household name.) Now, Star Wars is finally turning back to the big screen, and there are about a dozen different projects in development for film and TV.

Here, EW breaks down every upcoming Star Wars movie and TV show.

Release date: August 2023 (Disney+)

Ahsoka Tano has long been a fan favorite ever since she debuted as Anakin Skywalker's Padawan in the 2008 Clone Wars movie. Now, Ahsoka is getting her own live-action TV series , with Rosario Dawson reprising her role from The Mandalorian . ( Ashley Eckstein voiced the animated Ahsoka in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels .) The series will follow the former Jedi trainee as she helps search for the missing Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi) and hunt down the notorious Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen). Ahsoka will also bring a few familiar faces into live-action: Natasha Liu Bordizzo and Mary Elizabeth Winstead play Sabine Wren and Hera Syndulla, respectively, two pivotal characters returning from the animated Rebels . Ray Stevenson, who died on May 21 just six weeks after the teaser trailer's release in April 2023, will appear posthumously as the antagonist Baylan Skoll.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Release date: 2023 (Disney+)

After spearheading the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are swinging into a galaxy far, far away. The pair is launching a new live-action show set at the same time as The Mandalorian, following four lost kids as they try to find their way home. Watts and Ford have described it as a coming-of-age adventure inspired by classic '80s Amblin films. (Think The Goonies or E.T. transplanted to the Star Wars galaxy.) The show stars Jude Law , and it's expected to hit Disney+ in late 2023.

Release date: August 2024 (Disney+)

Diego Luna's reluctant Rebel returns. The first season of this Star Wars spy thriller earned raves for its tense, smart storytelling, and now, the second and final season will follow Cassian Andor in the days leading up to Rogue One . Creator Tony Gilroy has teased that season 2 will explore the continual rise of the Rebellion, and familiar faces like Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgård, Denise Gough, and Kyle Soller are all expected to return. Also, here's hoping we finally get to see Cassian's fateful meeting with droid K-2SO (Alan Tudyk).

The Acolyte

Release date: 2024 (Disney+)

Star Wars is looking into its past. Russian Doll creator Leslye Headland is developing this shadowy drama series set during the High Republic era — about a century before the events of The Phantom Menace. Amandla Stenberg stars as a former Padawan, with Squid Game breakout Lee Jung-jae as their Jedi master. The stacked cast also includes Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, and Joonas Suotamo (who also played Chewbacca in the sequel trilogy).

The Bad Batch season 3

Everyone's favorite ragtag band of clones are returning for a third and final chapter . Season 3 will follow Clone Force 99 as they navigate new threats and the rise of the early Empire, with Michelle Ang returning as the voice of Omega and Dee Bradley Baker voicing practically everyone else. The new season is scheduled to debut on Disney+ in 2024.

The Mandalorian season 4

Release date: TBD (Disney+)

After helping to liberate Mandalore in season 3 , Din Djarin ( Pedro Pascal ) and baby Grogu are returning for a fourth season. Series co-creator Jon Favreau has said that he's already finished scripts for season 4, but a release date has yet to be announced. (The ongoing WGA strike may also push back production.) Fingers crossed that we get to see everyone's favorite bounty hunter and frog-eating apprentice sooner rather than later.

Untitled Rey spin-off

Release date: TBD (in theaters)

Some of the biggest news to come out of Star Wars Celebration 2023 was the announcement of a new film , centering on Daisy Ridley 's Rey. Ms. Marvel's Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is directing the untitled project, which will pick up 15 years after the events of Rise of Skywalker and follow Rey as she works to build a new Jedi order. It remains to be seen whether Rey might reunite with any of her allies — including Oscar Isaac 's Poe Dameron or John Boyega 's Finn.

Untitled Dave Filoni movie

Dave Filoni is going from Disney+ to theaters. The longtime Lucasfilm mastermind is responsible for co-creating shows like The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka, and now he's developing a film that will continue those stories on the big screen. Little else is known about the movie, but Filoni has said that it will "close out" many of the Disney+ stories. (In other words, might this be the end for Din and Grogu?)

Untitled James Mangold movie

Relesae date: TBD (in theaters)

After teaming up with Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny , James Mangold is remaining in the Lucasfilm family. The Logan director is developing a new film, which will focus on the first-ever Jedi and the birth of the Jedi order. Little else is known about the project so far — but Mangold has teased it as a sort of biblical epic, going back thousands of years to explore the very origins of the Force.

Untitled Taika Waititi movie

Taika Waititi is no stranger to Star Wars, having directed episodes of The Mandalorian and lending his voice to the droid IG-11. Now, the Thor: Ragnarok director is stepping behind the camera for a new film, which he'll direct and co-write with Krysty Wilson-Cairns. A release date — or setting — has yet to be announced.

Untitled Rian Johnson trilogy

After The Last Jedi hit theaters in 2017, Lucasfilm quickly announced plans for director Rian Johnson to develop a new Star Wars film trilogy. Since then, however, the project has gone quiet, and Johnson has moved on to other projects (like the Knives Out movies and his show Poker Face ). Still, Johnson has repeatedly said that he hopes to return to the Star Wars galaxy and make his planned trilogy one day. Will he get his chance, or will The Last Jedi be his last Star Wars movie? We'll have to wait and see.

For more Star Wars news, check out EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast — featuring exclusive interviews with Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Kathleen Kennedy, and more.

Related content:

• Dave Filoni's new Star Wars movie will feature a mash-up of different sources and characters
• Star Wars gets 3 new movies, Daisy Ridley's Rey to return as Jedi master
• Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy weighs in on the future of Star Wars TV

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Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 Looks To Payoff A Dangling Clone Wars Plot Thread

This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" season 3, episode 14, "Flash Strike."

"Flash Strike," the penultimate episode of "Star Wars: The Bad Batch," features a thrilling infiltration of Mt. Tantiss. The Bad Batch finally located the Empire's top-secret facility at the very end of last week's episode, "Into the Breach," and is working to rescue Omega. For her part, Omega is trying to save all of the kids being experimented on by the Imperial scientists. Together, they're opposed by the full force of the Empire's might that Dr. Hemlock can bring to bear.

As Omega roams around Mt. Tantiss, however, she makes a startling discovery, giving her an idea for a plan to help her and the others escape. Elsewhere, the Bad Batch does their best to fight their way into the facility, while the former-Admiral Rampart does his best to sow division amongst the group, hoping he can get Crosshair to switch back to Team Empire .

The episode is essentially a thrilling action-adventure sequence and its title is apt. This is definitely the Bad Batch launching a desperate flash strike, knowing this could be their one and only chance to save Omega. Various twists, turns, and betrayals ensure (many of which have been hinted at since the first episode of the season), and it all builds to a fever pitch before leaving us to await next week's series finale.

But it also promises to close a dangling plot thread that's been left open for years.

The Zillo Beast

Back in the second season of "Clone Wars," we were introduced to a creature called the Zillo Beast. The Zillo Beast was, in its first appearance, very much a stand-in for Godzilla. At the time, the Old Republic was testing a new weapon on the planet Malastare that looked very much like a nuclear bomb. It was from a hole in the ground and this explosion that the Zillo Beast emerged, growing rapidly and unstoppable. Its hide repelled lightsabers and no weapon the Republic had could defeat it, but eventually, they were able to take it down. The episode that followed similarly featured a send-up of "King Kong," with the Zillo Beast being inadvertently unleashed on Coruscant and climbing the Senate Building as though it were the Empire State Building.

That episode ends with the Zillo Beast subdued, taken down by the combined might of the Republic and the Jedi. But secretly, Palpatine orders his science team to clone the creature and study it. He wants the fruits of its incredible physiology weaponized for himself and the Sith.

"Clone Wars" ultimately left that subplot hanging for "The Bad Batch" to pick up in the season 2 episode "Metamorphosis."  In that case, though, the creature's appearance mostly amounted to a cameo, unlike its return in "Flash Strike."

Palpatine's plans and Hemlock's experiments

With Omega's discovery in this episode, we know for sure that Dr. Hemlock and the team at Mt. Tantiss are working on the science behind cloning and weaponizing the Zillo Beast. With its lack of vulnerabilities and lightsaber-resistant hide, it's no secret why Palpatine, a dark lord of the Sith, would want his science division doing everything it can to create military applications for the Zillo Beast. Based on its previous cameo in "The Bad Batch," it's also apparent that the Empire still isn't particularly good at keeping the creature contained.

With it being placed on the table for the finale of "The Bad Batch," it seems as though we might finally get some answers about how Palpatine intended to use the Zillo Beast (although, not having any evidence of its weaponization, it's a good bet that this series will show us the end of the road for research on the creature).

This episode, promising that Omega has a plan, seems to imply heavily that the Zillo Beast is going to figure into it somehow. The series' creatives wouldn't have been laying down those breadcrumbs throughout if they weren't planning on paying them off. And if they don't pay them off here, it's because these were only smaller breadcrumbs to head into an even bigger direction on whatever show they might have planned next.

I also think, ultimately, we're going to be in for a happy ending. There might be some losses taken — just like we lost Tech last season — but Dave Filoni's "Star Wars" shows tend to have a tone of optimism to their conclusions. "Star Wars Rebels" is a perfect example of that. Everyone seemed to assume that since we didn't see any of the series' heroes at the Battle of Yavin or Endor in "Return of the Jedi," they were all slated for death in the final season, but that wasn't the case. Similarly, we spent years convinced that Ahsoka Tano would die on "The Clone Wars" and see how that turned out. It's why I think Omega and the rest of the Bad Batch will fare okay in next week's series finale. Even if there is a big sacrifice, there's going to be some ray of hope for us watching at home to cling to.

I just don't know what that will be yet.

The series finale of "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" premieres next Wednesday on Disney+.