Star Wars gets back on track with this excellent story that nestles in between episodes 2 and 3. The only criticism is Lucas' choice of animation style that makes it look like a computer game rather than a piece of art. Great shame.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #199 in DVD
• Released on: 2008-12-08
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Subtitled in: English, Hebrew, Arabic, Icelandic
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the 2008 CGI-animated theatrical film that serves as the kick-off to the weekly animated Clone Wars TV series. The concept came about way back in 1977's original Star Wars film, when Leia says in her message to Obi-Wan Kenobi "Years ago, you served my father in the Clone Wars." Initially a simple offhand reference that would reveal Luke's past, the phrase captured fans' attentions for years, until Episode II: Attack of the Clones revealed just how the Clone Wars figured into the battle between Republic and Empire.
The 2008 movie is full of familiar characters--Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Count Dooku--and a new one: Ahsoka Tano, a young girl who has been made Anakin's Padawan. Together, the two headstrong youths embark on a mission to rescue Jabba the Hutt's kidnapped child, battling each other as much as they battle the Separatist forces. There are some good sequences, including duels with Dooku and his assassin, Asajj Ventress, and it's interesting to see some new corners of the Star Wars universe, such as the seamy underbelly of Coruscant. But Ahsoka and her penchant for nicknames that are too cute to stomach seem aimed only at tween-age audiences, and for all that goes on in the movie, nothing really happens in the end. The 2003 animated Clone Wars micro-series, which had the advantage of being directly tied into the live-action film series, had much more emotional bite.
At least some familiar voices return: Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO, and still the only actor in every movie), Christopher Lee (Dooku). Other voices include Matt Lanter (Anakin), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka), and James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan). But even the traditional opening crawl has been replaced by a narration more suited for Starship Troopers. Veteran Star Wars fans will probably want to see The Clone Wars--once--but it won't take them long to discover that this Star Wars isn't theirs any more. --David Horiuchi

DVD Description
In Star Wars - The Clone Wars, the heroic Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army.

Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side...

Synopsis
Would-be Jedis (and Sith) everywhere can jump for joy at the big-screen arrival of Star Wars - The Clone Wars. Series creator George Lucas executive produces this all-new, CGI-animated tale that revisits classic characters, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Padme Amidala in the midst of the Clone Wars. The film will be followed by small-screen adventures on Cartoon Network.

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Customer Reviews

"Begun, the Clone Wars has": one of the better Star Wars films
Lucasfilm Animation, director Dave Filoni, and screenwriter Henry Gilroy have crafted the perfect Saturdy morning summer animated film, "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", which is a more than adequate sequel to the "Star Wars" prequel trilogy, set between Episodes II and III. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting much, but left the theater quite impressed with the quality of much of the animation, which, I might add, is much closer to Pixar Studio's than classic Walt Disney in its realism. I was also surprised with the amount of screen time given to Count Dooku (voiced by the ever incredible Christopher Lee), as well as the voice "returns" of Samuel L. Jackson (General Mace Windu) and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) (Daniels has now the distinction of appearing in every "Star Wars" film.).

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" captures successfully much of the excitement found in the original trilogy and in "Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith". Moreover, it offers more amazing battle sequences and light saber duels than seen in the live action films thanks to state-of-the-art animation technology. Where "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" fails is in some of its insipid dialogue, and the rather curious introduction of the inexperienced Ahsoka Tano as Anakin's padawan (Jedi apprentice), who comes across more as a spoiled brat than a genuine Jedi warrior in training. And yet, with these few glaring defects, this remains a film which I can recommend highly to those who are diehard "Star Wars" fans and others seeking high quality cinematic entertainment that's suitable for the entire family.

"I've got a bad feeling about this" NOT!
After the disappointment of Eps2 and 3, the Clone Wars goes a long way towards rekindling the excitement I've always associated with Star Wars. It returns to the non-stop action rollercoaster feel of the Luke Skywalker days, where the heroes gallop across the galaxy from one hot spot to the next, light-sabres blazing and blasters, err, blasting.

The style of animation takes some getting used to: it's nothing like a realistic or slick as Pixar, so you won't be seeing images like those in the feature-length Beowulf or Final Fantasy films. Instead it merges the Star Ward universe with some mange/anime styles to create a different, 2D experience. Where this works especially well is with the giant space cruisers (every bit as onimous as the models in Ep1, I feel), and with some truly moody and evocotive shots set under Tatootine's twin suns.
The flaws in the Clone Wars are similar to those which plagued the recent live-action trilogy: too much of a good thing. Some of the action is ridiculously over-fast which robs the Jedi fights of the grace and majesty they deserve. And where a droid army faces a clone army there's just too much firepower -- the overall themes can be drowned in a blizzard of blaster fire.

However, there's also an awful lot to love in the Clone Wars. Anakin comes over as a more developed character in this installment than he did in the three prequels; he faces a real challenge in a female Sith warrior; and a younger Padewan Jedi joins him to bulk out the cast for the transfer to a long-running TV series. The clones themselves take on characteristics too -- there's a lovely sequence which shows them all with different hair cuts/colours, so they can tell each other apart...
The well-known voices really jazz up the soundtrack (as does the revised theme music), although I felt that the majority of the vocals were very well delivered, and didn't conflict with my memory of how Obi-Wan, ofr instance, should sound.

The Clone Wars doesn't add a great deal to the Star Wars mythology. It's not ground-breaking scfi-fi, nor particularly inventive animation. However, it does help to round out a big gap in the history of the series, and lets us finally see the Jedi and the Republic in their time of maximum power. It's a very entertaining romp for the family, although adults who aren't Star Wars fans may struggle to understand what exactly the thrill is for the rest of us...
7/10

Enjoyable and action-packed
I was sceptical when I heard another Star Wars movie was being released but then read that it was evolved from the Clone Wars cartoon micro-series, which really captured the Star Wars spirit. I took my kids and we all loved it. I rate it as better than Ep2: Attack of the Clones and on a par with Ep3: Revenge of the Sith.

To briefly summarise, the Jedi/Galactic Republic armies are struggling in the Clone Wars with hyperspace routes being blocked off by the Separatists. Then Jabba the Hutts son is kidnapped, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine sends the Jedi (Anakin and Obi-Wan) to rescue him, with the aim to secure Hutt support for the War. The Separatists led by Count Dooku have their own agenda of turning the Hutts against the Jedi.

The movie was pure action with a thin plot, but after the prequel trilogy fiasco who really expected George Lucas to come up with a great story? Besides, I personally wanted to see more about the changing Anakin and Obi-Wan relationship and this film did just that. Anakin is depicted as the great warrior he is and Obi-Wan as the wily general using his legendary negotiating skills. As Anakin has progressed from Jedi apprentice to Jedi Knight we also see him mentor a Jedi apprentice (a feisty female) himself. This addition actually worked really well.

The negatives to the movie were that despite all the fighting the main characters (Jedi and Sith) all survive. This was probably to set-up a longer series that will be shown on TV. Mace Windu and Yoda were not shown in combat roles, which was disappointing as they were pretty awesome in the micro-series. General Grievous is also yet to appear. This movie does require the viewer to have some prior knowledge of the Star Wars saga so stand-alone viewing may not be advisable.

For those seeking fun and action in the true Star Wars sense, I recommend it highly.