Okay, I’ve now watched Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume One after only catching one or twelve episodes of this micro-series on the Cartoon Network since it was originally released. I have to say that I really like Clone Wars and that’s saying something because I don’t really like Episodes I and II. In truth, I believe that George Lucas, regardless of the articles and media frenzy that Skywalker Ranch has been pushing for months now, has lost his own vision. It’s hard for me to say that as I personally believe that visions can change, that directors and writers can alter what they are trying to express, but in the case of Episodes I and II I believe that George was more interested in created an outlet for new technology that he’s invested in rather than a staging ground for the fans who got him to where he is.
With all of that said, it is important to note that the most successful Star Wars movie to date was The Empire Strikes Back and that because George Lucas didn’t direct and handed off more control of the franchise to a director than he’d previously done. From what I am hearing, parts of this next Star Wars movie have been handed off to long time friends of George (Steven Spielberg specifically) even though in post George has come back in and done some of his ‘tweaking’.
Regardless, part of what makes the Clone Wars micro series so good is that George gave the animators (and writers) a general outline, asked for approval, and then let them rip. According to one of the special features on the Clone Wars Volume One disk the animators were told that they were going to make the opening scroll to Episode III (A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…). This is both exciting and scary because you just don’t know how something is going to be interpreted by someone else – even though George’s own interpretation has been pretty shaky of late. (“Your father was a great pilot even before I knew him.”)
However, the Clone Wars micro series follows aspects of the Clone Wars after Episode II and preceding Episode III. Like the movies it also follows Anakin Skywalker as he learns to harness the force and become a Jedi Knight. During the Volume One stint he is still a padawan (and we are introduced to others) who is still headstrong, still wants to be considered an equal rather than a student, and still doing whatever he wants to do rather than what he is instructed to do.
There are some pretty amazing visuals in this 2D animation from battles in outer space to Mace Windu taking on an entire droid army and walking away the victor. (At the same time there is one scene with Mace Windu where a little kid is on a ridgeline, hands him a bottle of water, and just smiles that reminded me to much of the child-oriented anime that I used to watch as a little kid (sic).) There is also an underwater battle, complete with a lightsaber, that was totally wicked. Who knew that lightsabers could be used under water? Certainly not I. I mean, imagine the power outtake just to have the blade in operation and then add onto that a substance that would extinguish the nature of the blade and then to still have the blade function underwater makes the notion of superior technology just so freaking cool.
Regardless, this is definitely a series that is worth watching. A true addition to the Star Wars franchise, an element that drives the story forward, and something that actually helps the iewer become involved with the characters (rather than want to avoid them as in earlier movies). These micro-episodes are certainly stylized (Samurai Jack) and definitely not what I prefer in animation techniques (think Disney-esque animation while the art I prefer is realistic), but the outcome of the episodes, the ability to draw in the viewer, and the story telling (so not George) is fantastic and, on top of that, Skywalker Ranch has announced much longer cartoons in the future with more from the Clone Wars than these micro episodes have to offer.
The micro episodes bridge the gaps between movies and in the future, if all goes well, the other cartoons will further flesh out the clone wars in a way that makes them far more enjoyable to the viewing public. I look forward to seeing more.