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The latest Star Wars movie, Clone Wars, opens this Friday. We’ve done our homework on the new movie, and it actually looks pretty good. As the seventh movie in the epic series, we turned up seven reasons why Clone Wars will be worth seeing.
1. No More Hayden Christensen!
Many Star Wars fans found Hayden Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin at turns wooden and whiny. In Clone Wars, the voice of Anakin is taken over by Matt Lanter (probably best known for his role as the evil quarterback Brody from TV’s Heroes). Familiar returning voices include Samuel L. Jackson (as Mace), Christopher Lee (as Dooku), and good old Anthony Daniels (as C3PO). Unfortunately we don’t get to hear from Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan — he’s been replaced by James Arnold Taylor, a voice actor with a resume a mile long, including the voice of Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars animated shorts, and the voice of Ratchet from the Ratchet & Clank games.
As far as I’m concerned, less Hayden Christensen means more awesome.
2. Awesome Anime-Inspired Art
The look of Clone Wars borrows heavily from anime, depicting characters with stylized, chiseled faces, huge eyes, and angular bodies. Count Dooku’s face is comically elongated, and it looks like you could grate cheese on Obi-Wan’s pointy, multi-segmented beard. But aside from that, the move to full animation from the “greenscreen extravaganza” of the last three films solves a crucial problem: we no longer have that sense of creepy fakeness that comes from mixing live action and computer-generated effects (see: the uncanny valley). In Clone Wars, everything’s an effect, and the look hangs together better precisely because of its distinctive style.
The full animation look also frees up moviemakers to invent some insane battle sequences, including one in which the Jedi warriors and AT-TE walkers walk up a cliff during the fight. Another epic (though brief) battle scene has Anakin jumping from speeder to speeder in mid-air, cutting down droids.
3. Clone/Droid Carnage Galore
The Clone Wars are unique in Star Wars mythology because they were fought by the eponymous clones, versus a bunch of strangely fragile droids (probably shoulda up-armored those guys, eh?). Although the clones are portrayed as super-soldiers (they’re all Jango Fetts, after all), we get to see legions of them cut down by droids — and vice versa. And who doesn’t love a little droid-on-clone violence? Part of the fun of Clone Wars is in seeing how many clones and droids we can blow away in each battle.
Amidst the carnage, we’ll get to see more individuation among the clones. A major character this time is Clone Commander Rex, leader of the 501st Clone Trooper Legion. Rex is Anakin’s second in command during the Clone Wars, and although he’s a clone, he’s also an individual. Other clones are shown with tattoos and an almost comic array of hair styles and colors. Check out the videos “The Clones are Coming” and “Clone Wars Clip: Battle of Christophsis” on the the official site (click on “Videos” at the top, then pick your clip at the right) for a taste.
Kids take note: you can get tips on drawing “Captain Rex” from Star Wars illustrator Grant Gould. Check it out. (Seriously.)
4. Jabba’s Southern Uncle
Early reviews have mentioned an intriguing new character: Jabba’s uncle Ziro the Hutt, whom David German of the AP described as “a giant slug that speaks with a Truman Capote-like Southern drawl.” Um. Awesome? Although information about this guy is slim, Wookieepedia has a page on Ziro (warning: includes a minor spoiler related to action in Clone Wars), which includes some biographical info:
Starting out as a loan shark on Sleheyron, Ziro moved to Coruscant to pursue a bigger career. He eventually became a vigo of the criminal organization Black Sun, and had a tattoo of its symbol. He used a rundown tower that used to belong to the Lantillian Spacers’ Brotherhood as his personal base. The tower was transformed into a gaudy-looking pleasure palace.
All I’m gonna say is, I have to see Truman Capote’s Pleasure Palace at least once in my life. After that, I’m cool with finding a new definition of pain and suffering as I’m slowly digested over a thousand years.
5. It’s Actually Funny
Although you can’t tell it from the trailers, early reviewers have commented on the amount of humor in the movie. Some reviewers have even gone so far as to call Clone Wars a spoof, or a parody of Star Wars — and I think that’s a good thing. Much of the fun of the first three Star Wars films came from Han Solo’s wisecracks. This character (and his sense of humor) are completely lacking in the latter three films, replaced with absurdly over-the-top, possibly-racist slapstick (I don’t think I have to name names here); brooding and smoldering and whining (Anakin); and some “nice try” droid humor from C3PO and R2D2. In Clone Wars we can expect at least a return to the freewheeling ’70s vision of Star Wars, where swashbuckling swordplay meets crazy high/low-tech hybrid technology on the battlefield, mixed with a healthy dose of family-friendly comedy.
6. A Female Main Character Who Fights
Clone Wars introduces Ahsoka Tano, Anakin’s new Padawan. If there’s one thing Star Wars has been sorely lacking, it’s female characters who actually take part in the battle sequences. Sure, Princess Leia and Padme have been known to use a blaster in a pinch, but Ahsoka is actually on the battlefield, in the thick of things. Will this character bring girls to the Star Wars franchise? I guess we’ll find out on Friday.
In many ways Ahsoka is standing in for the previous Star Wars Padawans (Luke in the early films, then Anakin in the prequels), so there are bound to be a few Padawan Moments — which in the world of Star Wars means some kiddy whining followed by Important Lessons — but it’s encouraging to see a female warrior taking the stage after thirty years of male-dominated action sequences.
7. George Lucas Didn’t Write, Direct, or Produce It
What a relief! Of course Lucas’s fingerprints are all over this film (he kinda invented the franchise), but officially he doesn’t get any of the key production credits. Director Dave Filoni seems squarely in charge of this one, and Indiana Jones hat notwithstanding, I think we’re all glad to let others take the reins and bring a fresh perspective to the Star Wars universe. Clone Wars writers include Henry Gilroy (who has worked on lots of animated shows, including The Tick), Scott Murphy (whose IMDB page is slim, though he wrote two episodes of Angel and worked as an uncredited production assistant on Boogie Nights), and Steven Melching (who has done a ton of TV animation, and was a production assistant on 1991’s House Party 2). While these may not be the most prestigious writers on the block, at least they’re not George.
To Find Out More…
Watch the trailer in HD or check out the official site — the latter actually has a bunch of good videos, although watching director Dave Filoni introduce the videos while wearing his Indiana Jones hat is a little disconcerting.
To whet your appetite, starting Friday you can grab a Clone Wars themed Happy Meal from McDonald’s (the toy is — no kidding — a Clone Wars Bobble Head with a character’s head attached to a vehicle). If you need something now, pick up some of the new toys and other merchandise. Unfortunately you’ll have to wait until November before the Nintendo games (Lightsaber Duels for Wii and Jedi Alliance for DS) are released.
Did we leave something out? Share your hopes, fears, and critiques in the comments.
Shhh…super secret special for blog readers.
Comments (32)
Comment
hahaha… oh gosh.
Is it wrong that I feel so bad for Hayden Christensen?
Don’t get me wrong, you’re spot on, his Anakin was a whiny brat! What I think most people forget though is that Lucas loved his performance. I mean, he did it the way that the director wanted it, the way he wrote it. Blame it on the actors if you wish, but holy crap, the dialogue in 1-3 was atrocious! The script was wincingly bad. I remember sitting there in the theater watching it, & getting that creeping “i’m embarrased for you” feeling for the actors because of it. Really! Even Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan was embarassing. & Ewan McGregor (in my opinion) is one of the BEST actors out there.
So, give the poor boy a chance. He didn’t do so bad in other movies I’ve seen him in. Life As A House… pretty good movie. Made me cry! Shattered Glass, good film. (even though… now that I think about it, he was kinda a whiny brat in those flicks too.) Saw Jumper the other day- really good. I wonder why it didn’t do better than it did.
It doesn’t hurt that he’s tragically pretty either.
lordy, now I sound like a fangirl.
posted by Kathryn on 8-11-2008 at 7:05 am
7. George Lucas Didn’t Write, Direct, or Produce It
I hate to say it, but this is probably the best reason of all.
posted by Chad Cloman on 8-11-2008 at 7:13 am
Yet another attempt to suckle at the teet of the Star Wars epic. Let it die before it’s beaten into oblivion with garbage like this.
posted by Adam on 8-11-2008 at 7:58 am
Jumped the shark a long time ago. It sounds like this one realizes and has fun with it.
captcha: flogged fuku :)
posted by Stew on 8-11-2008 at 8:03 am
I don’t love Hayden Christensen (decent in III, terrible in II), however I give his acting skills the benefit of the doubt based on how bad Natalie Portman and Samuel L. Jackson (both normally very talented) were in those films. I figure they all must have been following bad instructions to a T.
posted by EV on 8-11-2008 at 8:18 am
If it’s half as good as the Clone Wars Cartoon Network run, it’ll be three times as good as the prequels.
posted by Rev on 8-11-2008 at 9:48 am
Woah, I thought Clone Wars was a video game, not an actual movie…
recaptcha: Whit Imperial
posted by Lindsey on 8-11-2008 at 10:17 am
How wrong you guys are.
Go check out the review that AintItCool.com posted today on their website. Says it’s on par with Ep 1.
Yikes.
Apparently there is a character on par with Jar Jar.
posted by Tyler on 8-11-2008 at 11:01 am
What will this cover that the Cartoon Network series didn’t? It’s going to be tough to top that series.
posted by Jim on 8-11-2008 at 11:06 am
its a fun movie. saw it two days ago. don’t overthink it, though. take the kids & have a good time.
also, cartoon network is doing another run of animated shorts to compliment this theatrical release.
in regards to “aintitcool.com”… the female co-star was a good addition to the flick & definately not a jar-jar. i understand that reviewer’s points, but i also think he’s just being overly expressive, so people will be interested in his opinion. i also don’t think he is taking into account the fact that is a flim for kids & families. star wars freaks will see it no matter how many reviews they read.
posted by walker on 8-11-2008 at 11:47 am
7 Reasons Clone Wars Will Be Worth Seeing | CommentURL.com…
\r\nThe latest Star Wars movie, Clone Wars, opens this Friday. Weve done our homework…
posted by CommentURL.com | A world of interesting web pages on 8-11-2008 at 11:48 am
Anime! ! !Not even close. What, that clone wars CGI looks like those evil puppets on that Thomas the Tank Engine show. I say avoid this Star Wars mess. BTW Bastilla is the ultimate femail jedi.
posted by Kosamus on 8-11-2008 at 12:12 pm
I thought this was going to be “7 reasons Clone Wars Will Not be Worth Seeing.”
Booya!
You do make some valid points, but the movie still looks too cheesy. Maybe they could air it during Saturday morning cartoons.
posted by whaa on 8-11-2008 at 12:24 pm
TLDR for one…for another I refuse to see some crappy cartoon version of Star wars I might have if they had at least tried to make it worth my money and time. The entire movie looks like a recording of someone playing the Star wars Lego game. I couldn’t believe it!
posted by Sydney on 8-11-2008 at 2:17 pm
ANIME? Um, do your homework…the style is in-line with the Genndy Tartakovsky Cartoon Network animated version of the Star Wars universe. Animated though the original show might have been, the word anime refers to Japanese animated programs. Just because a show has stylized features (Incredibles anyone?) doesn’t mean it is “anime.”
posted by happyreader on 8-11-2008 at 2:32 pm
The reason Lucasfilm had to resort to animation is because they couldn’t get any live actors to perform in yet another Star Wars movie. I could just imagine their agents saying,”Unless you want to kill your career, don’t even look at that script!”
posted by VNJD on 8-11-2008 at 2:50 pm
Re: Whiny Anakin — Wouldn’t he have to be? Having recently introduced Star Wars to my daughter, I’ve had the privilege of rediscovering what a whiny brat Luke Skywalker was in that movie. Like father….
posted by Debi on 8-11-2008 at 3:08 pm
Will this character bring girls to the Star Wars franchise?
We’re already here, actually, and while the idea of FINALLY getting a female SW character swinging a lightsaber on-screen is awesome, you’ve got to wonder what happens to Ahsoka by the time RotS rolls around.
posted by Ssky on 8-11-2008 at 3:38 pm
As a child of Star Wars (the original ‘77 theatrical release) and someone who has shaped a good portion of their life around Star Wars…
George Lucas has gotten his last dollar out of my pocket… for anything.
It was bad enough the ‘prequels’ were all over the place leaving gaping plot holes, now, interject an animated toon that has NO references in ep3? It’s a whole new kind of exploitation film…
posted by James on 8-11-2008 at 3:50 pm
My own humble opinion…
Any Star Wars movie other than the Original Trilogy (kids: this means IV, V, and VI) = meh.
posted by Jason! on 8-11-2008 at 4:28 pm
Sorry dude, a cartoon just aint going to cut it for me. No way man.
JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com
posted by Jim Jones on 8-11-2008 at 4:40 pm
So is Jabba’s souther uncle named Bubba the Hutt?
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 8-11-2008 at 8:36 pm
7. George Lucas Didn’t Write, Direct, or Produce It
This Lucas hate is getting tired. People seem to forget that everything they like about Star Wars came from George Lucas, not just the things they don’t like.
I know a lot of people don’t understand the prequels, but that’s not George Lucas’s fault. He simply made movies that some people don’t like/understand. What a terrible crime!
posted by bobby12 on 8-11-2008 at 11:02 pm
There is much than 7 reasons to see this movie. Good to see a site not bashing the upcoming film.
posted by Tantive on 8-12-2008 at 3:22 am
looks like George Lucas finally got to make (or a least approve of) a whole Star Wars movie after his love for CGI, looks fun though
posted by media boy on 8-12-2008 at 1:18 pm
Actuall you are wrog, Lucas is heavily involved in the series, including writing, producing and executive producing. He even came up with the idea of realising it in theaters. You shoud check your facts first. It seems that Lucas has done something right ( i believe he has always done right) if you want to admit it or not. And anoter thing, why the H@ll should Lucas start to listen to dumb peoples oppinion when he never did in his career..which is an amazing career..
Should an artist only do what the fans want..should he be inslaved by his fans.
“Ohhh Mr. Lucas do this…ohh Mr. Lucas do that.”
posted by munesh2 on 8-12-2008 at 10:07 pm
HA!
Lucas != Artist
Lucas == Marketer && Franchiser
posted by Jason! on 8-13-2008 at 9:29 am
yes Lucas is an Artist…if you understand art at all…and he is also a marketer as well as Franchiser, as well he understands money, building a mega film company..actually many companies, as well he understands history and politics and many other things. Jason from your comment you dont seem to understand art or as one journalist called the 6 Star Wars films ” a pop masterpiece”(Jurgen Fauth).
posted by munesh2 on 8-13-2008 at 4:26 pm
I believe I understand art. I also know that art is in the mind of the viewer. People have argued what constitutes art for centuries (e.g. Rite of Spring, Piss Christ, Guernica, Letters from the Earth, etc.) I don’t want a flame war here… We will just have to agree to disagree.
posted by Jason! on 8-13-2008 at 8:00 pm
I just got back from seeing it and I liked it quite a bit! There were some cheesy jokes but there was also some good humor. Also be warned that the narrator’s voice at the beginning is very cheesy – but once it’s over the action begins pretty quickly.
And the action scenes are great! Besides that characters themselves who have a stylized CG look, some of the other animation is almost on-par with the live action Star Wars movies.
The movie is for the most part very light hearted. It’s a CG movie for all ages, including young kids. Remember that and you’ll have a good time :)
posted by DH on 8-15-2008 at 3:20 am
It looks like a throw away Disney production.
posted by will on 8-16-2008 at 11:12 am
How very very wrong you were…
posted by Michael Kane on 8-18-2008 at 10:52 pm