Cast: (VOICE)- Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kane, Nika Futterman, Ian Abercrombie, Corey Burton, Catherine Taber, Matthew Wood; Director: Dave Filoni; Producers: Catherine Winder, George Lucas; Screenwriters: Henry Gilroy, Steve Melching, Scott Murphy; Music: Kevin Kiner; Editor: Jason Tucker; Genre: Animated Science Fiction; Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures; Location: USA, Singapore; Running Time: 98 min.;Technical Assessment: 3.5
Moral Assessment: 2.5
CINEMA Rating: For viewers age 13 and below with parental guidance
Clone Wars takes place in between Episode 2: Attack of the Clones and Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith. The movie opens with the Republic clone troopers led by Jedi generals Anakin (Matt Lanter) and Obi-wan (James Arnold Taylor) fighting the droid army. Complicating matters is Master Yoda’s decision to assign a PADIWAN (apprentice), Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Ekstein) to serve under Anakin. They are quickly assigned to rescue Jabba’s kidnapped son so they can form an alliance with the Hutts as latter control a safe trade passage crucial for winning the galactic war. Unknown to them, the kidnap is staged by Sith Count Dooko (Christopher Lee) and his apprentice Asaji Ventress (Nika Futterman) to discredit the Jedis and win the Hutt’s support. Much of the film follows Anakin and Ahsoko’s attempt to rescue the baby Hutlet and forge a treaty with Jabba.
The movie is presented with good stylish animations and enjoyable CGI’s, although the characters feel stiff and look like the miniature dolls sold as merchandising. The sceneries are almost breathtaking and action is dynamic enough to keep the audience glued for an hour and a half. This animated version has plenty of moments with some cute and funny punch lines thrown here and there in between incredible action sequences. Unfortunately there is nothing new presented for a storyline save for more scheming of the Sith against the Republic, more explosions and special effects. While the editing is witty, engaging and thrilling and helps to keep the flow smooth and understandable even for non-Star Wars fans. However, the musical scoring falls a little short to support the sequences but since this is an animated version one can let this cheesiness pass.
What does it mean to be a good leader? The film makes several points on the teacher-student / master-apprentice relationship. First, the importance of listening which should be a two-way deal. Students need to listen to the wisdom of their teachers while teachers in turn need to be attuned to the creativity and freshness of their students’ opinion. Second, respect is earned by “walking the talk”. Anakin could have never gained Ashoko’s trust and loyalty if he had not shown courage and dedication to do what is right. Likewise, Ashoko’s perseverance and loyalty not only won Anakin’s respect but also his fondness and protection of his teenage apprentice.
The movie is safe and decent with numerous violent sequences, though non-graphic, given the premise of war and action animation. Parents are cautioned to guide their very young children when watching the film.
