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REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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GARTH_MAUL
Title: Photorealistic LACWAC Manager
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
7/17 12:30pm
Subject:
REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
- Date Edited:
7/17 12:35pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
GARTH_MAUL
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YAHOO NEWS
Clone Wars' revives old-style `Star Wars' fun
By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer Thu Jul 17, 8:02 AM ET
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - A tinge of Anakin Skywalker's coming dark side clearly is visible in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." Yet the animated adventure mostly harks back to the fun, swashbuckling times of the original "Star Wars" trilogy.
Lucasfilm Animation, which screened the movie Tuesday for The Associated Press in advance of its Aug. 15 theatrical release, has crafted a movie nicely tucked in to Anakin's early heroic days, before his transformation into the evil Darth Vader.
Along for the ride are noble-hearted clone soldiers with the camaraderie of Marine grunts, inept android warriors as idiotic as the Three Stooges and a young protege who rivals Anakin for cockiness and affectionately calls him "Sky Guy."
Dave Filoni, director of the movie and supervising director for "The Clone Wars" animated TV show debuting this fall on TNT and the Cartoon Network, said the idea was to return to the wisecracking tone of the original "Star Wars" in 1977, before the gloom of Anakin's fall.
"I wanted this to have the banter. I wanted this to be funny," Filoni said in an interview at Skywalker Ranch, home to Lucasfilm Animation, a division of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas' filmmaking empire. "Telling that dark story of Anakin Skywalker was important for George, but this was a chance to show Anakin before that. Anakin as a hero, Anakin as the good guy, Anakin more like his son," Luke Skywalker, of the original trilogy.
The Anakin in "Clone Wars" is a hybrid of Luke and his rascally ally, Han Solo, Filoni said.
"He's cocky like Han, he can do a lot of things like Han, he's clever with machines like Han. But he's naive like Luke. The whole galaxy is a bit overwhelming," Filoni said.
The movie presents all of the key characters from Anakin's world: Jedi masters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Yoda; Anakin's future wife Padme Amidala; androids R2-D2 and C-3PO; gangster Jabba the Hutt; villain Count Dooku; and Palpatine, the galaxy's evil emperor in waiting.
Characters not seen in the live-action movies include conniving assassin Asajj Ventress; Jabba's sinister uncle, a giant slug that speaks with a Truman Capote-like Southern drawl; and Captain Rex, a loyal member of Anakin's clone crew.
The main newcomer is Ahsoka Tano, a teenage girl from an exotic alien species who's assigned as Anakin's Jedi apprentice. With mischievous wit, Ahsoka breaks down Anakin's stiff facade and reluctance to take on a student, the two establishing a flippant rapport as they slice up droids with their light-sabers, scale a daunting summit on a rescue mission and play nursemaid to Jabba's kidnapped baby son.
"She definitely brings a fun side out of Anakin. I think they have such a great relationship," said Ashley Eckstein, who provides Ahsoka's voice. "Ahsoka is very eager to prove herself, and I don't think she would allow Anakin not to accept her."
The movie offers a glimpse of the inner turmoil that contributes to Anakin's turn to the dark side. Crash-landing on his home planet of Tatooine, Anakin momentarily bears a haunted look as he's asked about the desert world, where he exacted a savage revenge over the death of his mother in "Attack of the Clones."
"I was hoping I'd never have to lay eyes on this dustball again," Anakin says.
Opening with a variation on John Williams' familiar "Star Wars" theme, the movie is heavy on humor. [b/]Anakin devises an amusing low-tech way for him and Ahsoka to sneak inside a droid energy shield. Obi-Wan engages in a witty surrender negotiation with a general who speaks in a Sean Connery brogue. When a droid falls off a cliff and smashes on the ground, his superior leans over and barks, "Get back here, sergeant."
A few veteran "Star Wars" performers provide voices for the movie, including Samuel L. Jackson as Mace, Christopher Lee as Dooku and Anthony Daniels as C-3PO. Taking over from Hayden Christensen as the voice of Anakin is Matt Lanter, while James Arnold Taylor does Obi-Wan, who was played by Ewan McGregor in the prequel trilogy.
Anakin remains a bit rash, but he has graduated from apprenticeship to Obi-Wan to take the lead on his own missions as an equal to his former master.
[b]"With this movie and also the ongoing series, we're going to see the banter between Obi-Wan and Anakin. We're going to see them as comrades, as buddies," Lanter said. "It is reminiscent of some of the original `Star Wars.' It's got that comic relief in it and has kind of that old-school feeling."
Mentioned briefly in the first "Star Wars," the Clone Wars are depicted fleetingly in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," the second and third episodes in the prequel trilogy.
The new movie and the TV show take place in the three years between those films, as the Jedi lead the galactic republic's clone army against the robot forces of a separatist movement headed by Dooku.
It was a murky epoch in the "Star Wars" universe, ripe with stories about Anakin and other central figures but also minor characters and new ones never seen before.
"That was the impetus of that, this whole period of time we could run around in,"
Lucas said in an interview earlier this year.
Lucas initially planned just a TV show. But as he viewed the first footage, "he said, `This looks great. The fans should really see this on the big screen,'" said Filoni, who came to "Clone Wars" after working on the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Filoni and his collaborators reshaped a story arc developed for the series into a stand-alone tale they could tell as a theatrical movie.
The computer animation borrows from the striking panoramas of Japanese anime, while the characters have a chiseled look and movements vaguely reminiscent of the 1960s puppet adventure series "Thunderbirds."
Though animated, the world is recognizably "Star Wars," from Yoda's twitching frowns to the hum of the light-sabers.
"A lot of people have said to me that have seen it — well, the few people that have seen it at this point — that they feel like they're watching `Star Wars,'" Filoni said. "They feel like they're seeing those characters again. Even though we've done this style that's painterly, if you want to call it that, it's still `Star Wars.'"
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Dustin + Tina =  Clone Wars discussion is in LACWAC forum!!! The Clone Wars: in theatres August 15th On your TV October 3rd
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DarthSapient
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
7/17 12:38pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Wow, that's a really good review. They're comparing it to the swashbuckling adventure that is A New Hope. That's saying something. They said they felt like they were watching the original trilogy. Great! 
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Bly
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
7/17 12:43pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Sounds pretty sweet, but "sky guy" sounds as bad as "punky muffin."
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Honored recepient of Thrawn McEwok's Bronze Thranta™  A Liberal and proud of it "Politics is simply the continuation of war by other means." --Mandalore the Ultimate Formerly known as Commander5052
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GARTH_MAUL
Title: Photorealistic LACWAC Manager
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
7/17 12:44pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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nerf herder?
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Dustin + Tina = Clone Wars discussion is in LACWAC forum!!! The Clone Wars: in theatres August 15th On your TV October 3rd
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DarthSapient
Registered:
Jun '01
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Date Posted:
7/17 12:46pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Not exactly a new thing in terms of nicknames.
- Walking carpet
- Fuzzball
- Highnessness
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VladTheImpaler
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
7/17 1:37pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Sky Guy sounds kinda cute/funny. I don't mind it.
I'm more worried about the southern accent on a Hutt. Why, Lucas, why!
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darth_nemisis
Title: Host:
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May '04
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Date Posted:
7/17 2:11pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Well, the review was pretty interesting...Well, from what I could read without highlighting. 
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VladTheImpaler
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
7/17 6:54pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
- Date Edited:
7/17 7:18pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
VladTheImpaler
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I guess I should comment about the review itself.
I'm thrilled to see a positive reaction, even though I have no idea what kind of credibility the AP holds as far as movie reviews(and I'm not even sure if this even qualifies as a review. I can't tell if the reviewer was giving his own opinion by saying it felt like the OT, or if he was just trying to paraphrase lines given by Lucas and co). I know it shouldn't matter to me, but I enjoy seeing love for Star Wars in the press.
With all of the positive early reviews for the episode shown and now the movie, my expectations are pretty high for this series. Don't let me down, Filoni, or there will be hell to pay! (And by hell to pay, I mean I'm going to write a strongly worded letter and then forget to send it.)
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SaberJedi2
Registered:
Apr '07
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Date Posted:
7/17 7:10pm
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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This sounds like a really good review. I'm relieved to see that they'll be portraying Anakin in a positive light. We've always heard that he was a good friend to Obi-Wan, but we haven't had a chance to see it that in depth. From all of the reviews, both the TV show review and this recent one, the general consensus is that it 'feels' like Star Wars. To me, that's one of the most important things about the movie and TCW. I want it to feel like I'm watching Star Wars, feel like I'm taken back into that world. I can't wait.
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September 19 - Fanboys
October 3 - The Clone Wars comes to TV
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Tyi-Maet_Nefer
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
7/18 1:39am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Nice, thanks GARTH!
GARTH_MAUL posted:
"A lot of people have said to me that have seen it — well, the few people that have seen it at this point — that they feel like they're watching `Star Wars,'" Filoni said. "They feel like they're seeing those characters again. Even though we've done this style that's painterly, if you want to call it that, it's still `Star Wars.'"
This was my favourite part.
It is a positive review, although it doesn't get into much detail. Nothing is said about the plot or twists but mainly about entertainment, which is interesting. But they all come hand in hand anyway.
Sweet.
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AnakinBrego
Registered:
Jul '04
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Date Posted:
7/18 3:16am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Here's another review.
"Clone Wars": Film Revives "Star Wars" Fun
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/17/clone-wars-film-revives-s_n_113242.html
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darth_nemisis
Title: Host:
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May '04
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Date Posted:
7/18 3:25am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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SaberJedi posted:
We've always heard that he was a good friend to Obi-Wan, but we haven't had a chance to see it that in depth.
Really? So that scene in RotS where he tells the Chancellor that Obi-wans fate will be the same as both of theirs is not that in depth? Nah, I am kidding. I get what you're saying though. And that's one thing I am really hoping to see out of the CW (movies and series).
The Review posted:
A tinge of Anakin Skywalker's coming dark side clearly is visible in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."
Just caught that, and that's awesome. I was hoping we will see some of his darker moments. Seeing it in the movie will be even better.
I hate to break it to you AnakinBrego...but that is the same review.
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JediLight
Registered:
May '01
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Date Posted:
7/18 5:38am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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I'm glad the movie sounds entertaining. I'm very excited. But it really going to annoy me to hear critics say stuff like "SW is back"
Revenge of the Sith was an excellent movie and my personal favorite of the entire saga.
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JediLight
Near Marathon on 06-09-08 (ROTJ short)
Best Episodes: ROTS, ESB; Underrated: TPM; Overrated: AOTC, ANH
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VladTheImpaler
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
7/18 8:05am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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JediLight posted:
I'm glad the movie sounds entertaining. I'm very excited. But it really going to annoy me to hear critics say stuff like "SW is back"
Revenge of the Sith was an excellent movie and my personal favorite of the entire saga.
When Revenge came out, I said to myself "this is the best of the six SW movies...but maybe I'm just saying that because it's new. Once I rewatch it a few times and it settles in, its ranking will probably sink somewhere slightly lower than ANH and ESB."
My opinion still has not changed...but it's been three yeras now. I would have thought the shine would have worn off by now, you know? But I still watch it periodically and I am still find myself wowed by it.
Still, even thought ROTS is fantastic, it still lacks the fun, laid back style and humor that the OT had. So I'm not annoyed at all to hear reviewers say that the animated series harkens back to the "fun" of the OT. I get what they mean, even as an overall fan of the PT.
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Veloz
Registered:
Aug '04
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Date Posted:
7/18 8:42am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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Nice review
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"Who's the more foolish...the fool or the fool who follows him?"- Obi Wan Kenobi, ANH
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GARTH_MAUL
Title: Photorealistic LACWAC Manager
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
7/18 8:45am
Subject:
RE: REVIEWS of The Clone Wars Theatrical release (spoilers within)
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AnakinBrego posted:
Here's another review.
"Clone Wars": Film Revives "Star Wars" Fun
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/17/clone-wars-film-revives-s_n_113242.html
That's actually the same review.
Sorry, I should have clarified: it's an Associated Press review, which means it will be syndicated throughout many publications in North America.
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Dustin + Tina = Clone Wars discussion is in LACWAC forum!!! The Clone Wars: in theatres August 15th On your TV October 3rd
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