Although the movie doesn't open till August 15 in the US, August 20 in the Philippines and August 23 in Japan, some early reviews are already trickling in, thanks to press screenings. Oneal and I were able to catch the movie in Tokyo, Japan, at an exclusive Warner Bros. press screening on July 22, right after Celebration Japan!This is how the Prequel Trilogy should have been made. The animation would have saved us all from the horrible acting we suffered from Hayden Christiansen (sp?), Natalie Portman and Jake Lloyd, and from the sub-par performances of Liam Neeson and Ewan McGregor. And Jar-Jar might have been amusing instead of atrocious!
But instead of deploring what’s done, we should be thankful for what’s new. The Clone Wars is packed with great action: all excitement and thrills. One of my favorite things about the Star Wars movies was the space battles: the dogfights, the trench run, the capital ships going head to head, all the evasive maneuvers, the creative piloting. Here there are no space battles, but the conflicts are just as intense. The ground battles don’t exactly take place on the ground, and that’s part of the excitement. Not only do you see the clone troopers and the battle droids in action, but you also see the different fighting styles of the different Jedi—and the Sith too! Each fight, each skirmish has you holding your breath, wincing at each clash, shrieking at victories. Sometimes the battles are so intense that they remind me of World War II movies.
The individual characters are no less engaging. Anakin Skywalker is no longer the poster boy for emo. Instead we see a man, serious about the task at hand, a little rough around the edges, but feisty and cocky. No longer is he simply arrogant and sulky; here you can see that he has learned much, that he is indeed a skilled fighter and a strategist, and that he is an excellent partner for Obi-Wan, as their fighting styles are very complementary.
Here we see something in Obi-Wan that was never adequately explored before: his wit. We only saw hints of it in the prequels, and even then his quips seemed quite contrived and, unnatural. It’s a shame, because Ewan McGregor can be so charming and witty. The Clone Wars shows Obi-Wan to be a true master, not only of the lightsaber and of the Force, but also of diplomacy and strategy. In fact, he reminds me of an English officer and gentleman, using not only brute force and arms but also diversions and word play to distract and defeat the enemy. This is an Obi-Wan I can see turning into Alec Guinness.
And then there’s Ahsoka Tano. She is Anakin’s Padawan, but it seems he’s the one who’s got something to learn. Because of Ahsoka, Anakin learns patience; from Anakin, she learns bravado. This interplay is refreshing to watch, and it’s great to see a female character making everyone think twice. Star Wars could benefit from more strong females in the middle of the action, and Ahsoka is definitely a strong female in the middle of a lot of action.
The dialogue is very reminiscent of the witty banter between Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, and this is exactly what Dave Filoni hoped to achieve. Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka exchange quips, jokes, arguments and, —later on, —affection. Their retorts and ripostes are a joy to observe, and it’s great that someone was finally able to give the Jedi personalities.
And look who else have interesting personalities: the clone troopers. Yes, they’re clones, but here they are not mere drones:, not disposable, not simplemere copies. Each clone hwas developed a unique personality, and has learned to distinguish himself—through his behavior, his thinking, and his outward appearance—from the others., Tand this makes them more endearing, more important, more real. Even the jibes between the clones are fun for the viewer, as though you were watching a real troop of battle-hardened soldiers who’d been through both good and bad times and bad together.
In fact, you get quite attached to these clones, and you start to think of them as real people:, not the monochromatic troops of Episodes II, or the disposable, multi-colored units deployed across the galaxy in Episode III. You start caring about them, so much so that you flinch whenever one of them gets shot. Of course, my sympathy for their pain also lies in the fact that I have my own clone armor, and I wore it three days in a row before seeing The Clone Wars.
In addition to such life-life soldiers, I also liked the amazing textures of the locales in the movie. Battlefields looked like real warzones, with Jedi and clones taking shelter behind fallen structures and avoiding rubble. One scene had such lush plant life in the background of a daring assault that I was reminded of Vietnam. Coruscant’s shady district was filled with bright lights and dark hallways, and was reminiscent of Blade Runner’s dystopian Los Angeles. And to have such realistic settings as the backgrounds for characters who look and move like marionettes: —the effect is a visual feast.
It’s difficult to write more without giving everything away, so I will end with my take on the music. It was fantastic, very exciting, and perfectly arranged. Much of it reminded me of Bear McCreary’s work on one of my favorite TV shows: the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. There, the score is used to much dramatic effect. Kevin Kiner’s work and the judicious use of John Williams’ classic themes made an already enjoyable film much better, and complete it as a Star Wars film.
This is a Star Wars movie, made by Star Wars fans for Star Wars fans, with the blessing of George Lucas. And it’s awesome. Now Dave Filoni, can you you remake the entire prequel trilogy as an animated series? Thanks.
Links:
IMDb |
Dave Filoni |
Kevin Kiner |
Official Website |
Wikipedia article 
