Thanks to the wonders of DVR, I was able to catch the last five or six episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars‘ first season Thursday, in preparation for Friday night’s season finale. My brother turned me on to the series and, despite my initial reservations, I have to say it’s a pretty entertaining show. First off, no other current cartoon can rival it in the cutting-edge animation department. George Lucas spared no cost to ensure his Star Wars Universe receive a grade-A treatment for the small screen.
If you haven’t seen The Clone Wars, here’s a quick overview: The Grand Army of the Republic, led by the Jedi Masters, are at war with the New Droid Army of the Separatists, led by Count Dooku. Basically, the series fills in the blanks between big screen Episodes 2 and 3. All the usual suspects are accounted for: Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan, and of course Anakin, who is the de facto star of the series. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the gravelly-voiced General Grievous; he steals scenes every time he appears.
In addition, Lucas and his team of tireless scribes have added to the lexicon of characters with Ahsoka Tano, Anakin’s Padawan learner, and Asajj Ventress, Dooku’s right-hand Sith wannabe. A few of the Clone Troopers also are rewarded with individual personalities, most notably Cody and Captain Rex, two of the army’s best warriors. Padme also pops up now and again to make out with Anakin, and puppet master Chancellor Palpatine can be seen pulling his many strings. I must give the writers credit for dedicating each episode to a different set of principals; it keeps things interesting and accurately depicts how the war is being fought on several fronts.
Again, the animation is superb. The attention to detail is precise and consistent. Be it the scar on Anakin’s face or clouds moving across a darkened sky, the creative team does their very best to fill the canvas with vibrant images and landscapes. The characters can be rigid at times and the dialogue is quintessential Lucas; therefore laughable. But hey, it’s designed for kids, not 36-year-old bums like me.
Like any Star Wars incarnation, there is plenty of violence to go around. The majority is of the “cartoonish” variety but there are enough harsh moments to keep the little kiddies away. Grievous, in particular, can be quite cold blooded (which is why I dig him so much). During last night’s closer, they introduced a ruthless bounty hunter named Cad Bane, who makes Boba Fett look like Pee Wee Herman. Evidently, Mr. Bane will play a significant role next season.
If you enjoy space battles, light sabre duels and creatures with blue or green skin, you might get a kick watching The Clone Wars. Re-runs of season one air on Cartoon Network. Season 2 begins in the fall, so you have time to catch up. With the exception of a random episode of SpongeBob SquarePants, I don’t make it a habit to view cartoons. With that in mind, I still recommend Star Wars: The Clone Wars to all the sci-fi (or is it Syfy?) fans out there. It won’t be to everyone’s liking, but it’s worth a look.
Clacked by Scott Tunstall 
on Mar 22, 2009 @ 12:00 EST5EDT
I was apprehensive initially about this series, as it replaced the brilliant Genndy Tartakovsky-helmed 2D animated series, but it’s won me over with beautiful animation, a veteran voice cast, and surprisingly deft writing. Yes, it’s most enjoyable to its 13 year-old audience, but it isn’t kiddified – there are frequent deaths among the guest stars and extras.
Actually, Ahsoka and Rex are original characters. Ventress previously appeared in the Dark Horse comics and the first Clone Wars cartoon, and Cody was Obi-wan’s Clone Commander in Episode III.