BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- With Cartoon Network's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," the animated "Star Wars' universe comes a long way from those late '80s "Star Wars" cartoons "Droids" and "Ewoks." Premiering sometime this fall (no date set) after next month's big screen premiere of an introductory animated "Clone Wars" movie, the series features beautiful, 3-D computer-generated animation, less stilted dialogue than the recent live-action "Star Wars" films and a fair bit of humor.
Cartoon Network screened a full episode for critics this morning and it made a positive impression. The episode's opening featured a re-orchestrated "Star Wars" theme song and an announcer whose voice sounds like a World War II news reel announcer.
The episode featured Jedi master Yoda on a trip to a planet to convince a leader to allow the Republic to build a base nearby. Evil Count Dooku sends evil Asajj Ventress to win the aliens' alliance before Yoda's arrival.
There's a maturity to the storytelling as Yoda gives the clones a pep talk, saying, "Clones you may be, but The Force resides in all life forms."
Later, in an amusing and unexpected moment, Yoda beheads a droid as it talks with Ventress via a hologram transmitter.
Supervising director Dave Filoni said the new "Clone Wars," a visual leap from the previous 2-D "Clone Wars" microseries, is set between the events of "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" and "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith."
"We're not just telling Anakin Skywalker's story," Filoni said. "The Clone Wars is three years in the history of the 'Star Wars' universe and there are so many stories to tell and I've been amazed at what we didn't get to in the first season and the stories we'd still like to explore."
The show's first season is comprised of 22 episodes and will air as part of a Friday night action and fantasy block of programming.
Posted
Jul 11 2008, 01:54 PM
by
Rob Owen