Review: Action-filled 'Clone Wars' revives 'Star Wars' Saga

I said I’d never go to a theater to see “The Clone Wars,” the latest addition to the “Star Wars” saga that fills the gap between “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” But I came to my senses and woke up early Saturday to get a spot in line for a sneak preview, and I’m glad I did. The movie isn’t perfect; it has quite a few flaws, in fact. But it’s 98 minutes of nonstop action, and it lacks the gaping plot holes that made the live-action prequels such a chore to watch. And it’s funny. Yes, “Star Wars” is lighthearted again. And it’s real humor, not slapstick Jar Jar Binks shenanigans that make you yearn for the sweet release of a red lightsaber through your brain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

From the beginning, it’s a very different “Star Wars.” No 20th Century Fox fanfare (it’s distributed by Warner Bros. now, so you hear the Casablanca theme “As Time Goes By” instead). And the biggest surprise of all: There is no opening crawl.

The biggest problem this movie has is its look. But while bad animation can kill an animated movie, “Clone Wars” gets by because most of its characters are helmeted troopers, featureless droids or bizarre aliens. The exotic locations, vehicles and gadgetry look just as they should, but where “Clone Wars” fails is in the human faces.

They’re stony, even the hair. At worst, it’s kind of like watching “Star Wars” as it would have been performed by the ancient thespians who used masks to represent different characters. And in an odd way, that’s somewhat appropriate for this saga.

The computer generated imagery allows the Jedi to perform the acrobatic feats and Force powers we’ve been waiting to see. There is one particularly memorable scene in which the Jedi and their clone troopers scale a cliff wall under heavy fire from droids. It’s often argued that “Star Wars” degenerated into a cartoon over the course of the prequel trilogy, so this seems a natural evolution. Maybe it’s how the prequels should have been produced from the beginning.

“Clone Wars” elaborates effectively on one of the main themes of the prequel trilogy: attachment. Specifically, Anakin Skywalker’s got a problem with letting go of the people in his life. To break Anakin of this complex, Yoda arranges for him to mentor a young Padawan learner named Ahsoka Tano.

Aside from Ahsoka, another female steals the show in “Clone Wars”: Count Dooku’s Sith apprentice, Asajj Ventress. With a thirst for revenge that we can actually understand for once, she eclipses the villainy of Dooku and his master, Darth Sidious, who remains mostly in the shadows for this outing.

“Clone Wars” left me eager for the TV series’ October launch on Cartoon Network. And it hinted at all the possibilities that “Star Wars” still holds.

REVIEW

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”

Cast: Voices of Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Catherine Taber, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels

Behind the scenes: Directed by Dave Filoni

Rated: PG; 98 minutes

GRADE: B+