Back in the 1980's there were two "Star Wars" cartoons, that, even though I thought I was the biggest geek on the planet, I just couldn't get into. One was "Droids," which followed the adventures of C-3PO and R2-D2 in their pre-Luke Skywalker days; the other was "Ewoks," which made them even more innocuous than they were in "Return of the Jedi," and even...cuter. So neither had much appeal for me. In 2003 a new Star Wars series of cartoons started up on Cartoon Network, different from other Star Wars 'toons...different from all other cartoons, really.

The "Clone Wars" series picked up where the second prequel film left off--with the Republic (including Jedi Knights leading Clonetroopers) fighting against the forces of the Separatists--armies of droids led by the Sith Lord Count Dooku and his boss, Darth Sidious. The series was produced and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Samurai Jack. Blending anime styling and western animation in 3-minute short films, "Clone Wars" found an instant fanbase, and the series of 20 "tone poems" is now available on DVD.

I just finished watching the 69 minutes, and it was better than what I was expecting. I'd seen about half of them in their original run on Cartoon Network, interrupted by commercials and interstitials, breaking up the already choppy series even further. Once they're all together on DVD, several of the chapters are unified into solid storylines, and it feels more like a few stories tied together than 20 different chapters.

Tartakovsky's previous work on "Samurai Jack" made him a perfect choice for this work--the combination of martial arts and sci-fi settings is what Star Wars is all about, after all. He's done a great job of simultaneously remaining loyal to the feeling and look of Lucas' universe while adding to it and putting the characters in situations more suited to animation than the big screen.

In the hour-plus of cartoons, we visit at least six worlds: the galactic "capital city" of Coruscant, a banking world Muunilist, an ice planet similar to Hoth, Dantooine, a water planet Calamari, and Yavin 4, jungle site of the rebel base in "A New Hope." Add to that a few unknown locations and outer space battles, and the setting is constantly changing for our heroes.

And nearly every hero from "Attack of the Clones" is present: there's a temporary focus on Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but there were a surprising number of other characters crammed in, each with their own significant storyline. Yoda gets quite a bit of screen time (and his voice and characterization are very good--even though it's not Frank Oz voicing him), and Samuel L. Jackson's character Mace Windu gets a very cool battle of his own on Dantooine. The Clonetroopers and "special forces" ARC Troopers are in many battles under the Jedi's direction. Senator Padme Amidala and the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are both in two stories, would have liked to have seen them in more. Many exotic Jedi, each of whom undoubtedly has a dozen websites and fan clubs devoted to them, are featured, including Kit Fisto, Saesee Tinn, Ki-Adi Mundi, and several female Jedi, like Shaak Ti, Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Aayla Secura.

The list of villains is equally impressive, if not as long. Count Dooku (Christopher Lee's Sith Lord) is seen as the master manipulator, using both the good guys and the bad guys against each other, smashing each other to pieces until he's the one left with all of the power. His protege is Asaaj Ventress, created for the series, a bald demonic woman with two red lightsabers and a mad-on for Jedi. There's also an alien bounty hunter Durge, who's able to regenerate after being hacked to bits by Obi-Wan Kenobi, and we get our first look at General Grievous, a Big Bad in the upcoming Episode III.

If Lucas wanted this to come out on DVD this week to whet my appetite for Episode III, it worked. In many ways, this series is better than the prequel films themselves. There's almost no dialogue, but the plot is advanced anyway. The direction by Tartatovsky is arguably better than what Lucas does himself. The music, always a strong part of any Star Wars film, is intact, with only a few pieces that don't come from John Williams' original score. The action is very nicely done, and the peril the characters are placed in seems as real as whatever CGI hell Lucas decides to put them through in the actual movies.

I knew I'd like this, but I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I was sure I'd have that ache of buyer's remorse after watching it, but I'm looking forward to Tartatovsky's next foray into the Star Wars universe (on Cartoon Network this month and next) leading even more directly into that yellow scrolling text that introduces Episode III on May 19th.

If you've got a fan of Star Wars in your house, even if the prequels aren't necessarily their thing, this would make a great gift for them in the next month or two--and even beyond that. See what happened "between the movies" with "Clone Wars."







Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD