Star Wars - Clone Wars Vol.1

RRP £15.99 Lowest New Price £14.48

Parental Guidance 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Release date: Monday 9th of May 2005 Starring: Tom Kane, John DiMaggio, Nick Jameson, Anthony Daniels, Corey Burton, Director(s): Format: PAL, Widescreen, Region code: 2 Running time: 67 minutes Language: English (Original Language)

RRP: £15.99
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Make no mistake, Clone Wars is honest-to-goodness authentic Star Wars. The animated series takes place between Episode II, Attack of the Clones and Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. If the feature films covers the beginning and end of the war, Clone Wars depicts the actual battles and events that made heroes into legends. Don't expect too much character development, as the episodes tend to be driven more by flat-out action than by dialogue (which can be a good thing, considering some Star Wars dialogue). We see such familiar faces as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Mace Windu in combat, and we meet the elite Arc clone troopers plus new Jedi--the amphibious Kit Fisto and two women, Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. We also see a little more development of Anakin--showing off the best pilot skills in the army, defying Obi-Wan, and engaging in a deadly duel with Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress. But just when it's clear that the Separatist droid armies are no match for a Jedi, the tide begins to turn with the introduction of the menacing General Grievous, who plays a crucial part in Episode III. The cast mostly consists of veteran voice actors, but Anthony Daniels does appear as C-3PO.

Clone Wars was created by Genndy Tartakovsky, whose resume includes such stylish series as Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and The Powerpuff Girls, and the program won a 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More). These 20 episodes, which played on the Cartoon Network, can be viewed as a seamless 69-minute whole or as individual chapters. DVD features include two commentary tracks, a making-of featurette, video game and Episode III trailers, and an Xbox playable demo of the stealth game Republic Commando. If you're a fan who can't wait for Episode III, Clone Wars is essential viewing. --David Horiuchi

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Editorial
Synopsis

The war which began in the feature film STAR WARS: EPISODE II- ATTACK OF THE CLONES continues in this animated series directed by Genndy Tartakovsky. The separatists and the republic engage in a blowout fight, with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Yoda defending the republic against the likes of Count Dooku, an alien bounty hunter, and many others. The program features a unique format that consists of many short segments ranging from two to three minutes in length. In each micro-episode, new characters join the ongoing battle of good against evil. This Emmy Award winning series has earned critical acclaim for it's highly original visual style, which features characters rendered in an elongated manner that brings attention to the drawing process.

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Fun cartoons for Star Wars nuts!
Review date: 2008-04-01 Rating: 8 out of 10

Gendy Tartakovsky's interpretation of the 'Star Wars' mythology is faithful to Lucas' original creations and injects a good deal more energy in each segment that seemed to largely elude the official prequels. Actually, watching the cartoons filled in a lot of blanks that Lucas himself appeared to have left hanging from 'Revenge of the Sith' and 'Clone Wars' brings the story together neatly.

This first installment is probably my favourite by a shade and it's highly enjoyable watching the Jedi leading the Clones into many a scuffle with the Separatist droids. Anakin's struggle with his emotions is well conveyed too and his clashes with Obi-Wan are nicely done. His duel with Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress is superbly directed and it's genuinely gripping stuff.

My only gripe about the cartoons was the slightly over-emphasised Jedi powers, for example Mace Windu taking out an entire droid battalion with his hands (oh come on...why bother with lightsabres in that case?!) But the entertainment value alone means this is a great way to while away a Sunday morning, though it's authenticity to the Star Wars canon will no doubt divide some fans.

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