Small Screen Surfin'
Created | Updated Nov 12, 2003
Last time I announced that this week I would be reviewing1Star Wars: Clone Wars, and now I have to keep to
it.
My problem being that I have only been able to see 'Chapter I' before the deadline so here is my
Star Wars: Clone Wars- Chapter I review of all 300 seconds of it. *Ahem*
In a move not unlike the Wachowski Brothers - remember my review of 'The Animatrix' - Lucasfilm have produced a compact series of
animated 'shorts' that are supposed to give further insight into the two-year period between the Star
Wars movies: Attack of the Clones and.. erm.. Episode III.
What is meant by this, of course, is that Anakin Skywalker doesn't just go into a huff in 'Episode
II' and become James Earl Jones in 'Episode III'. He progressively moves toward the 'Darkside' ie.
He has many, many huffs that can't be shown in a two hour film thus must be shown in the games, books,
graphic novels and now cartoons.
Having only seen 'Chapter 1', I have to assume that the series will all link together and tell a story...
Though why they couldn't have done this as a one-hour programme is beyond me. The animation is good
but the actual look of the main characters' designs have something to be desired. The gist of the
story is that Anakin must go settle a dispute despite the fact that he is still only a learner in the ranks
of the Jedi Order. Anakin however, looks like he just smelled something rotten, Obi-Wan Kenobi looks
like a ginger Zeus and Dooku looks like... well... Christopher Lee.
The 'acting' isn't very subtle. If you didn't know Senator Palpatine was to become the Emperor,
then you'll definitely pick it up on this with his very black cloak, whitened skin and shape like Mr.
Burns from 'The Simpsons'. Anakin gave a nice 'Oh I'm so going to turn evil and kill you in the
future' scowl when Obi-Wan told Palpatine that Anakin couldn't go alone as he was still a Padawan. All in
all, the whole things like a parody of itself. Anakin going off on mission, throwing his cloak to the wind
which flaps into the face of C-3PO.
Then there's the soundtrack. Lucasfilm haven't really put themselves out when it comes to finding a
unique sound for the programme- each sound bite beyond voice is a noise swiped directly from 'Attack
of the Clones' (bar one which is from 'Empire Strikes Back'... a tauntaun noise though not the animal
visually) as well as the music which is just the score that cuts off.
To sum up, it's something decent to watch if you have five minutes to spare, but seems rather lazy
considering the quality of all the other Star Wars products. I stand by my belief that a live-action
series would be welcomed.
Next Week: I know not... keep Surfin' though!
call them that from me
