Star Wars Clone Wars: actually pretty good!
George Lucas’s cruel ravaging* of poor Indy was only the latest in a long line of crimes committed by the bearded one. Thankfully the new Lucasfilm series Star Wars: The Clone Wars features George only in an executive role. That’s probably why it’s good.
Since Empire, Lucas’s telling of the Journal of the Whills saga has been the cinematic equivalent of putting chocolate on cabbage, or that nasty sweet-and-sour pork goo that passes for food in Chinese restaurants. He wants us to read the myth with Campbellian seriousness but simply cannot resist injecting the marshmallow. So, even as brave Luke is on the verge of patricide, we have Ewoks yee-haaing through the trees. Young Anakin abandons his mother to slavery in order to serve the Force while Jar Jar steps in Bantha poo-doo. Vader becomes a Sith Lord because of petulant teenage love. Etc.
This Aquafresh Star Wars hasn’t worked, so thank the Maker that the creative team behind SW:TCW has gone for a new approach: ditch the misfiring gravitas and aim for the fun. The series continues to tell the story of the Clone Wars that raged between episodes two and three. The animation and colour are rich and the action is pacy and interesting. Most importantly, each episode weighs in at about 20 minutes. (Stretched over 80, as was the initial movie, and it’s too much.)
Particular mention must go to the roger-roger battle droids. Here their cute stupidity isn’t so jarring and is played with tongue firmly in titanium cheek. One scene has a droid gunner on General Grievous’s starship fail to hit any targets. He wonders aloud why he’s such a rubbish shot before Grievous swipes his head off. The watching hologram of Count Dooku chides Grievous for this vandalism: “those droids are expensive.” Such asides were annoying in the prequels, but here it matches the less-than-serious tone of the series.
One gripe: the ongoing Star Wars franchise continues to mess with its earlier versions. Are we to believe that Anakin had a padawan? Why is Ventriss back when she died in the earlier 2D Clone Wars cartoons?
OK, another: I continue to wonder why the Jedi cannot smell Palpatine’s treachery. They are the worst guardians of the galaxy the galaxy has ever seen.
8/10. Watch it on CN or, um, elsewhere.
*Do not click this link.
Agreed. My son and I have been faithfully downloading them and watching them on the AppleTV each week. Most of the episodes have been pretty good. And, the “roger, roger” droids actually are funny.
Color me surprised…and pleasantly so.
Comment by Hayes — October 24, 2008 @ 6:18 am
They are the worst guardians of the galaxy the galaxy has ever seen.
The second trilogy of Star Wars movie led me to draw a similar conclusion. The Jedi seemed quite clueless and hopeless at times. They knew about the Sith but they didn’t seem to have much capability to ward off a conspiracy, protect a government, or even protect their own lives.
Comment by danithew — October 24, 2008 @ 9:45 am
He wants us to read the myth with Campbellian seriousness but simply cannot resist injecting the marshmallow.
I don’t know what Campbellian seriousness is but I did find that I enjoyed the franchise more once I started approaching it as a non-Campbellian Saturday morning cartoon. For a cartoon, it’s pretty deep. And the animation is so lifelike!
Comment by Tom — October 24, 2008 @ 10:48 am
I’m surprised the series is good when the movie this summer was reportedly so wretched.
I’ll lay good odds that these still aren’t as good as the Clone Wars cartoons by the Samurai Jack guy. Those were vastly superior to anything done by Lucas the last decade or two.
Comment by Clark — October 24, 2008 @ 10:53 am
Clark,
The movie was wretched only because it was 80 minutes of this. It works at 20, no more.
I own the older cartoons. They’re also good but aim for the more serious side of Star Wars. These ones are on the popcorn side. The prequel movies were slap in the middle, neither warm nor cold, thus spew-worthy.
Comment by The Brit — October 24, 2008 @ 11:14 am
The main problem I have with them (while admitting these cartoons are actually well done) is this:
It’s all for naught. The bad guys are in charge of both sides, and we know how it ends.
It’s sound and fury, and the adventures signify nothing because the galaxy will not be saved in the end (well, in the very end, their kids will come along and clean up the mess).
Comment by Ivan Wolfe — October 24, 2008 @ 11:34 am
It’s all for naught. The bad guys are in charge of both sides, and we know how it ends.
Oh, I definitely agree with that. There are better Star Wars tales to tell. Like KOTOR or stuff post-Jedi.
Comment by The Brit — October 24, 2008 @ 1:01 pm
Oh, one other point:
Why is Ventriss back when she died in the earlier 2D Clone Wars cartoons?
Dude. She didn’t die in the 2d cartoons. She merely fell off a cliff. In the comics, they showed how she survived. She’s been running around the comics for quite awhile.
Comment by Ivan — October 24, 2008 @ 6:23 pm
Good to know.
Comment by The Brit — October 25, 2008 @ 2:05 am
Yeah, yeah, it’s like the Titanic…we know how the story will end. But, there are some areas and stories that they can mine. And, “Rookies” has been my favorite so far…
I liked the Samurai Jack ones, but they were uber stylized, with the Jedi being able to perform at Neo levels of awesomeness. There is nothing in the movie that allows for that amount of power; these at least seem grounded in what is familiar (as far as the capacity of the Jedi).
Comment by Hayes — October 26, 2008 @ 9:15 am
Ronan,
I clicked on the forbidden link. I think it is hilarious that people can still(!) ask whether South Park has “crossed the line this time.” I haven’t seen any of these Star Wars cartoons because I have learned my lesson with giving Lucas the chance to ravage my childhood. When he added all the digital crap to 4,5,6 that should have been the last time.
Comment by Jacob J — October 26, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
there are some areas and stories that they can mine
yes, but considering the bad guys are in charge of both sides, and victory is either Palpatine’s or Dooku’s (which is Palpatine). Every battle, regardless of whether the Jedi lose or win, furthers Palpatine’s agenda.
There’s no winning here. Every victory is a loss.
Comment by Ivan — October 26, 2008 @ 5:27 pm