One little word makes a lot of difference. In this case it is the simple word "the" which separates the Star Wars cartoon series I reviewed last month with the one I will review today. Although they take place at the same time in the Star Wars universe, they could not be more different. As I will delve into during this review, this series has many things to applaud as well as some shortcomings. Choosing which Clone Wars series is better becomes a matter of personal taste. For today, I will focus on the 2008 CGI series created in house by Lucasfilm.
To introduce audiences to the new Clone Wars project, Lucasfilm released a theatrical movie in August 2008. The film centered on Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, leading a mission to rescue Jabba the Hutt's son from the clutches of the Separatists. Along the way, other characters such as Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme Amidala, Count Dooku, and Asajj Ventress play supporting roles in helping or hindering the mission. The film received negative reviews from critics, with common complaints centering on the bland dialogue and the bizarre, wooden animation style. It probably wasn't the best introduction to a new era in Star Wars, and put a lot of fans on their guard during the debut of the television series. I watched the first episode of the TV show with an open mind and came away satisfied. I was excited to see how the series would continue to develop.
As I mentioned in my last post, one of the things I liked about the 2003 Clone Wars series is how it shed some light on events that take place between the movies. The newer series does the same thing in even greater detail. With a full half hour to play with, characters, locations, and events can be developed thoroughly every episode. Unlike the first Clone Wars series, battles are shown in their entirety. Viewers see characters strategize and fulfill mission objectives to gain an edge in the conflict. New planets are introduced in several episodes with great physical and cultural geography established so that viewers can build a complete picture of the world in their minds.
We also get to see a new side of several classic characters which helps supplement existing material. Obi-Wan is given a love interest in the form of Duchess Satine of Mandalore. The big takeaway from this is that even though Obi-Wan can be tempted by love, he is able to keep his feelings under control and understand that his duties as a Jedi come first. That being said, if Anakin had confided knowledge of his marriage to Padme with Obi-Wan instead of Palpatine, Obi-Wan might have been able to help Anakin sort through his conflicted emotions. Asajj Ventress is given a more complete backstory and is better developed as a character in this series. Anakin's dark side is explored in several intriguing story arcs, further foreshadowing his transformation into Darth Vader. Boba Fett begins his career as a bounty hunter. Even Jar Jar gets some chances to show his surprising competence.
One thing I liked in this series was the level of character development given to the clone troopers. Although the movies portray the clones not much differently than the droids they battle against, there are several episodes in The Clone Wars where the main focus is on the clones themselves. We see clones who choose to betray the Republic, desert from the fighting, and make selfless sacrifices for their comrades. These make for interesting plot points, but I think a greater message is trying to peek through here. The clones were grown in laboratories, but they are still living beings. Each episode that focuses on the clones brings out the personal struggle each one has about coming to terms with what it means to be human. They are not programmed. They are not droids. They can make their own decisions and think on their own. Humanizing the clones makes it fun to root for them, and viewers grow to care for the clones in ways that are simply impossible from just watching the movies.
Aspects of galactic life outside the battlefield are given a look, helping better explain how the Galactic Republic crumbled from within. One story arc follows Padme as she fights legislation to funnel more money to the military efforts at the detriment of Republic citizens. Another deals with criticism of the Jedi, and how they have betrayed their ideals by fighting in the Clone Wars. All of these storylines help explain how Palpatine successfully manipulated the galaxy to create an environment where the Empire can be born.
If I were to knock The Clone Wars for anything, it would be for the complications it introduced to the overall story of Star Wars. Ahsoka Tano is a well developed character, and a great role model for young female fans of Star Wars. Unfortunately, the writers had little choice but to get rid of her somehow before the series concludes. Otherwise there would be a lot of explaining why someone who has been established as being so close to Anakin is not present during his final fall to the dark side. I do not fault Ahsoka as a character, but I feel that making her Anakin's Padawan was not without its risks. Other material from the Clone War era firmly establishes Anakin and Obi-Wan as the driving force behind the narrative. They are, for all intensive purposes, the dynamic duo. As I said in my last post, the movies don't elaborate too much on why or how Anakin sees Obi-Wan as a father, brother, and friend. That relationship is explained in far greater detail in both Clone Wars TV series as well as the Expanded Universe novels. However, with the movies as constraints, no other material placed another character front and center with those two. Lucasfilm took a big gamble by giving Anakin a Padawan in this series, and it worked, for the most part. I think the writers handled Ahsoka's departure from the series with as much respect for the fans as possible, but I also feel that it was a solution for a problem that didn't need to exist in the first place.
I may come off as a hater in that last paragraph, so I would like to stress that there is more to like about Ahsoka than there is to dislike. In a way, Ahsoka's growth and development as a character is symbolic of the improvements made to the entire series over the years. The early seasons had some goofy episodes that while fun to watch, didn't really feel like Star Wars. Around the third season, the series really hit its stride, producing thoughtful and compelling story arcs that brought out the best in the animators, the actors, and the writers. After five seasons, I thought The Clone Wars had got it all right. When the sixth season of The Clone Wars was announced, I was excited to see how it would tie up remaining loose ends before the events of Revenge of the Sith.
It's therefore very sad that the series came to such an ignoble end. The buyout of Lucasfilm by Disney resulted in the sixth season being the final season of the series. In addition, many story arcs were cut out and the remaining episodes were released on Netflix. The end of The Clone Wars was precipitated by Disney's desire for the team to direct its focus on a new series called Star Wars: Rebels. On a positive note, arcs that did not get finished were released as story reels or print publications as part of The Clone Wars Legacy project.
If you are a fan of Star Wars, I highly recommend you watch this series if you haven't already. It might seem a little silly at times, but the overall product is one of the most complete and engaging Star Wars projects ever created.
No comments:
Post a Comment