When
viewers think an animated film looks cheap, they frequently complain that it
resembles a mere videogame, but as videogames get more visually sophisticated,
that insult carries less weight. It's more of a problem when a film feels like a videogame, which implies a
story that's more fun to play through than watch. Unfortunately, there's no
interactive option for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a CGI follow-up to Cartoon
Network's Emmy-winning 2003 Clone Wars TV/webisode series, and a prelude to the CGI TV series The Clone Wars.
And with its simple-goal-driven plot, its wordy, cutscene-like interludes, and
its stiffly modeled characters, it wouldn't even make for a particularly
high-end videogame.
Like
the 2003 series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes place after the events of Star Wars Episode
II: Attack Of The Clones, and assumes a high level of Star Wars familiarity. When Count Dooku
(voiced by Christopher Lee, one of very few players briefly reprising their
live-action film roles) kidnaps Jabba The Hutt's son and frames the Republic,
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Anakin's arrogant new padawan Ahsoka have
to find and return the "Huttlet" and unravel Dooku's plot. As with so many
videogames, this one includes numerous side quests that vary in nature but play
out similarly: Whether the characters are defending a city, assaulting a
fortress, or crossing a desert, they wind up lightsaber-hacking through hordes
of comically stupid robots. Still, the road to victory is complicated,
eventually leading to a mincing transvestite Hutt who sounds disturbingly like
Carol Channing.
For
a while, the Clone Wars movie (which producer George Lucas openly admits was "almost an
afterthought" to the TV show) gets along on speed, visual novelty, and Lucas
touches like the old-fashioned scene wipes and rich audio track. Ahsoka even
serves as a quality addition to the Star Wars universe; her cocky recklessness
rivals Anakin's, which brings him out of his usual sulk. But as the story
grinds on, repetition weighs down their banter and their battles, and every "level"
feels the same. And where the 2003 Clone Wars (helmed by Samurai Jack/Dexter's Laboratory mastermind Genndy Tartakovsky,
who's notably absent here) had the sense to concentrate on crisp action and
Jedi ass-kickery, the latest iteration is pure Lucas: talky, flashy, and
focused on juvenile relationships. It's better than an unimportant filler plot
arc in an already-completed story has any right to be, but as with videogames,
there's no real reason for it to be on the big screen, instead of viewed in the
comfort of home.