I'm a big Star Wars fan so I was really happy when I heard this series of animated shorts was being made. Since I don't have TV service I was glad when it finally came out on DVD. I had only seen three episodes on Cartoon Network (the station that aired the series). So to see them all together was really exciting! It really felt like just another Star Wars movie...it almost should have been titled Star Wars Episode II 1/2: Clone Wars because that's basically what it is.

Luckily, the 3-minute shorts on Vol. 1 are going to be 12-minute shorts on Vol. 2!

Please Note: Some major details are revealed about the various chapters on this DVD. If you don't want to know too much, don't read any further. Just know that this movie kicks booty and is worth buying!


So, the movie picks up after Episode II: Attack of the Clones so the Clone Wars are raging across the galaxy (a long time ago and far, far away...). Masters Windu, Fisto, and Yoda are all featured though it's mostly Obi-Wan and Anakin. The animated Chancellor Palpatine was great! He had a nasty politician, spider-fingered, look to him...it fit the character nicely. Of course, Chancellor Palpatine must meddle in Jedi affairs to properly execute his plans. Palpatine helps Anakin get special command of space forces...which later leads to a duel with a Sith disciple. I think it would have been nice to see Yoda do more the chapter with him was kind of weak. But seeing the Force Crystal Temple was pretty neat. The concept and engineering behind the lightsabers have never really been explored in the movies. Unless you read the books they're kind of a mystery.

So, here's a brief overview of a great animated series...


Characters Introduced:

* General Grevious - Backed by a large army of droids, General Grevious beats down the clones and then personally kills a handful of Jedi.

* Unnamed Sith Wannabe - Weilding two lightsabers, this female Sith disciple is charged with the duty of finding and defeating Anakin Skywalker.

* Jedi Master Fisto - Though not really introduced for the first time (he's seen in Episode I & II), we get to see him in some major solo action...kickin Sepratist behind under the beautiful blue waves of the planet Mon Calamari.

* Elite Clone Commandos - I couldn't understand what Master Obi-Wan called them - Arc Troopers or something...anyway these are some majorly skilled clone fighters! They communicate with their hands and speak with their weapons!


Favorite Scenes:

1) Master Windu is finally shown in some serious action that tests his skill. Mace is the last man standing and he whoops on an army of droids...and takes down a huge ship that "stomps" the ground to destroy everything. And then a poor little country boy gives Master Windu a drink of water from his canteen...awww, how cute. Ha ha! But anyway, the skill and power displayed by Mace in this chapter is really impressive! You've seen kung fu movies where the hero is surrounded by bad guys and he does a spin kick to hit them all...well Mace does something similar but with a Force Push. Mace has mad hops, that fool can jump like no other. If it was Mace Windu vs. Michael Jordan - I got 2Gs on Mace!

2) The Arc Troopers (or whatever they're called) in action against the various droid obstacles. They do a great job of executing their mission. Reminded me of my Army days... I don't recall seeing these kind of elite troops in the actual movies but whatev. They use this cool item that looks like one of those radars cops use to see if people are speeding except the one the clones use can see through buildings...so they see the droids then blast them with shoulder-fired rockets! I was kind of dissapointed that the droid snipers didn't hit jack.

3) The underwater fight scene on the planet Mon Calamari - mainly because it was unique. We've never seen a Jedi fight with a saber underwater. It was a pretty neat scene. The Mon Calamari had wimpy weapons but teamed up with a Jedi they kicked booty. I mostly just liked that it was a unique setting...the actual fighting wasn't overly impressive.

4) Anakin Skywalker vs. the Sith Wannabe. After luring the emotional and rebellious Skywalker away from his duty the Sith disciple puts up a solid fight against a powerful young Jedi. They started off dogfighting in their respective fighter jets. Then the Sith jumps into hyper speed to lure Anakin to a remote planet. Anakin goes against direct orders from Obi-Wan and follows...Obi-Wan sends a ship of clones to help Anakin. Unfortunately, the clones were completely useless as the Sith destroyed them all with ease. They battle with the Force and lightsabers all over the jungle and then in some temple ruins. When it starts raining the two combatants look really cool! Of course, in the end Anakin prevails.


DVD Details:
Length: 69 Minutes
Widescreen Format
Features:
* Bridging The Saga - Featurette
* Behind-The-Scenes
* Director Commentaries
* Art/Photo Galleries
* Teaser Trailer
* Video Game Trailers
* Xbox playable Game


Final Comments:

I think it would have been ice cold if they had made the serious entirely in CGI or at least with a style similar to the animated X-Men series that used to be on TV. Sometimes it felt like the movie was really old because of the animation style. They only used a computer to render some fly bys and various space flight scenes. Overall though, I was very happy with the DVD. I like the little stories it tells and the gradual change in Anakin it shows. With all the chapters put together in this format it almost feels like it was created as a movie instead of a series of short stories. It will make a very solid addition to your Star Wars collection!

I bought the DVD for $14.99 or so at Wal-Mart. I really feel that I got a good deal. I highly recommend Star Wars: Clones Vol. 1 to any Star Wars fan. Oh, and of course...the movie should be fine for little kids too. They'll enjoy the action.

Heads up! There are two TV series that are slated to air soon! One is supposed to start this fall. According to various news sources one is going to be live action and the other a CGI series. I read about this on the BBC website and Yahoo! Anyway, just thought I'd share that.


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Related Reviews:
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* THE RING TWO
* AMERICAN WEDDING
* SHAUN OF THE DEAD
* ANIME MOVIE REVIEW
* ANIME MOVIE REVIEW Pt. 2
* TOP 10 WAR MOVIES



Thank you for reading my review, please take a moment to read my other reviews!




Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8