Released in 2002, Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones told the tale
of the beginning of the Clone Wars, an epic, fabled conflict of the past which was
first mentioned by the elderly Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope. The Clone Wars were
so named because of the army made up of clones (all cloned from none other than
Jango Fett, Boba Fett's father) that was called upon by the Republic to fight against
an alliance that consisted of the Trade Federation and various other interplanetary allies.
Attack Of The Clones ended with the Clone War in full swing; however, Revenge Of
The Sith, the latest and final Star Wars film, will only show the end of the
Clone Wars, leaving the day to day struggles of the Clone Wars largely untold.
To rectify this, George Lucas commissioned a series of 20 animated adventures,
each only three minutes long, which tell the story of the Clone Wars. Premiering
on the Cartoon Network in 2003, Star Wars: Clone Wars was directed by Genndy
Tartakovsky, who also directed Samurai Jack, and it's a fun, exciting ride
through the Star Wars universe. Told in a fast-paced, kinetic style that lets
its story unfold visually rather than through dialogue, Clone Wars shows the
battle on land, underwater, and in space. All of the major characters from the
first three films are involved in their own separate adventures. Mace Windu
takes on Trade Federation ground troops who are armed with a powerful new weapon;
Jedi Master Kitt Fisto leads the battle against a legion of underwater warriors;
Yoda and Padme attempt to rescue a pair of Jedi knights on an icy planet and
Count Dooku discovers a deadly new apprentice, a young woman with masterful
control over the powers of the Sith who is sent to kill Anakin Skywalker.
Despite the fact that there isn't much characterization (not that there wasn't
much characterization in the last two Star Wars films, anyway), these cartoons
are still exhilarating to watch, for they effectively recapture the romantic,
adventurous spirit of the original Star Wars films. The DVD gives you the really cool option
of watching all twenty episodes cut together in a 69-minute movie, or in their
original individual chapter installments. There are two director commentaries,
a behind the scenes featurette, and there's also "Bridging the Saga: From Clone
Wars to Revenge of the Sith," a new featurette that's exclusive to this DVD, galleries with concept
artwork, storyboards and more. There's also a trailer for the new film, Revenge
Of The Sith. I should mention that despite the fact that the title is Clone Wars:
Volume One, all twenty cartoons are included in the DVD. The "volume one" of the
title refers the existence of a second batch of Clone Wars cartoons that made
their debut on the Cartoon Network in March, 2005, and will no doubt be released
soon on DVD as well. So if you want to see an enthralling, imaginative space adventure
that recalls the glory days of the Star Wars of old, give the Emmy-winning Clone Wars a shot. --SF
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