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August 11, 2008
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 For two years now, I've been pretty "meh" about the much anticipated Star Wars: The Clone Wars. However, after attending Texas' advanced screening last night at Space Center Houston, it seems that I was mistaken about a great many things. The theatrical pilot for Lucasfilm Animation's television series comes as a welcome changing of the guard, heralding a new generation of storytelling in our beloved galaxy far, far away.
The Clone Wars is more than just the opening act of a television series with lightsabers and spaceships. It is a testament to how far Star Wars has come since its seminal debut in 1977. However, instead of trying to imitate the films responsible for its existence, TCW proves to be an ambitious stepson, eager to step out from his father's shadow and make a name for himself. In a bold move to make its own stake on the Star Wars franchise and our fanboy hearts, the film successfully departs from several iconic framing elements present throughout the saga films, most notably by opting for a wartime newsreel in place of the infamous wall of yellow text.
Set between the events of Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the film's opening newsreel wastes no time in bringing the audience up to speed and catapulting us into the action. Jabba the Hutt's son has been captured by unknown agents and the crime lord offers the Republic the tactical advantage of free passage through his Outer Rim space lanes in exchange for his son's safe return. With clone casualties piling up and the Jedi spread thin across the galaxy, naturally the only heroes available to answer the call are Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, despite themselves being pinned down on a world overrun by the separatists. They are soon joined by Jedi newcomer Ahsoka Tano, a female Togruta youngling dispatched from Coruscant by Master Yoda to be Anakin's padawan, who along with the no-nonsense clone Captain Rex serves to fill out our band of likeable heroes.
James Arnold Taylor once again excels at mimicking Ewan MacGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi, bringing the same warmth and familiarity to the role that he has in past ventures, such as the Cartoon Network animated series and almost every prequel-era video game depicting the character. Whether duking it out with his "darling" Ventress or living up to his moniker as 'The Negotiator' with a separatist leader, Taylor does not disappoint in delivering our favorite Jedi general.
While I was disappointed when I discovered that Lucasfilm had decided to go with newcomer Matt Lanter for the role of Anakin Skyalker in place of veteran Mat Lucas, Lanter was a treat to "watch". While Lanter cannot mimic Hayden Christensen's voice with Mat Lucas' precision, nor does Lanter really make any attempt to, he still succeeds in bringing to life a very likeable version of the character sculpted by the script. As Jef Reahard pointed out in his review of the novelization of this film, the Anakin seen here is a far cry from the angst ridden teen of Episode II or the selfish bastard of Revenge of the Sith. While still portraying his trademark maverick persona, this Anakin is so approachable, mature, and heroic that I find myself loathe to watch him fall again in Episode III. This resonates strongest in his chemistry with padawan Ahsoka Tano, whom he affectionately calls "snips".
While I had my doubts about Ahsoka Tano from the trailers and pirated YouTube clips, she comes across as a very endearing character. Ahsoka makes an unusual foil for Anakin in that she is very much like him: eager, headstrong, and capable. This is expertly balanced in a script that makes an unbiased display of both her talents and frailties, which comes as a breath of fresh air in a genre where the status quo for heroines is to depict them as Mary Sue femme fatales. While Ahsoka's banter with Skywalker misses its mark sometimes (most notably when she inappropriately calls him 'skyguy'), their chemistry works fairly well. And at the end of the day, it serves as the formation for a new dynamic duo that I look forward to seeing more of in the episodes to come.
While I have yet to completely see the Band of Brothers feel that Dave Filoni alluded to at the Clone Wars Exhibit, this was only the theatrical pilot, so I will save my judgment until I have seen more of the first season. That said, the grit and originality of the clones is glimpsed through Clone Captain Rex who succeeds in making us care about him and his troopers. I found myself on the edge of my seat as I was forced to watch Rex in the clutches of the vile Asajj Ventress. If all goes well, we will see more of the clones' soldier stories developed in future episodes.
Underpinning the new feel of TCW is Kevin Kiner's ambitious score that boldly goes where no Star Wars music has gone before. While hints of John Williams' themes are present, Kiner and his 91 piece orchestra quickly get down to business of making the 84 minutes of soundtrack that appears in this feature their own. While a couple of scenes offer unique native and choral pieces, one piece in particular makes Kiner stand apart from his predecessor in his overt use of electric guitars and electronic instruments -- and it works. While some purists may have issues with Star Wars music that does not attempt to replicate John Williams note for note, Kiner's new style matches everything Filoni is trying to do with TCW, and certainly left this fanboy wanting to hear the remaining 316 minutes of music that Kiner has insofar written.
While the show works in many ways, sometimes the action can look a bit like a video game, and not a modern one, mind you, that is currently giving the theatrical experience a run for is money, but more like a previous-generation console title. While some planetscapes and characters appear detailed and approach photo-realism, under close scrutiny in the theater, it becomes very immediately apparent that much of it isn't. There are a lot of simple and undetailed textures, from a wartorn urban sprawl to Kenobi's low-rez cheeks. This often contrasts strikingly with other characters and locales and leaves the animation looking a bit inconsistent.
All in all, the film hits its mark by breaking away from the mold of the saga films, while still capturing the spirit of fun and adventure that made us fall in love with that galaxy far, far away. Ultimately, Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a passing of the torch into the next generation that proves, without a doubt, that Star Wars is forever.
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