the Mind’s Chew Toy

Synopsis:

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and the rest of the Jedi Knights and their allies battle the evil forces of Darth Sidious, Count Dooku and General Grievious (Wood) in a galactic battle of good vs. evil. Animated. This film takes place between Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005), and is the lead-in for a new animated series debuting on Cartoon Network Fall of 2008.

Our Thoughts:

George Lucas likes fooling his fans. Back in 1999, just when everyone had given up on the much-rumored Star Wars prequels, he came out with Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999). Now, 3 years after the final prequel film, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith (2005), he tosses out another unexpected film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

While not everyone was a big fan of the prequels, they still made enough money to insure that this franchise will continue forever. But, is that a good thing?

While most film series (aside from slasher horror films like Friday The 13th or Nightmare On Elm Street) are hard-pressed to make it to 6 films, Star Wars: The Clone Wars will mark the 7th film in the series.

But, Star Wars: The Clone Wars isn’t really a true sequel - in fact, it’s more of a spin-off of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (2002). And, Lucas is changing things up by bringing the movie out as CGI animation, rather than the special effects laden live-action we’re used to seeing in the Star Wars films.

While fans of the Star Wars films will probably flock to the theaters for this one, it’s probably a sure bet most will be disappointed. Since Star Wars: The Clone Wars is more of a feature-length introduction to the upcoming Cartoon Network series, there’s a good chance that it won’t be as finished as the other films have been. In fact, if it weren’t for the Star Wars name, it’s probably a good bet this would have been a TV film instead.

Still, as I said, fans will flock, and, despite some probably disappointment, most will probably enjoy this new animated foray into the Star Wars universe. This, of course, will lead viewers to the upcoming cartoon series, thus boosting the ratings, and generating more money for Lucas and Co.

At the very least, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a great marketing ploy for the upcoming cartoon series. Here’s hoping it’s decent as a film in it’s own right as well.