Hello FILMGO lovers! Its Anders here, Bill himself has requested that I write another blog (I am a little worried about his mental state) so I have decided to oblige. I guess I must be doing a good job (first time for everything) because they keep asking me back (desperation is soooo sad). Today, I would like to share something that I have been really enjoying.
Ok, we've established that I am a superhero, comic book, Star Wars fan. I want to make all of you aware of (if you haven't discovered it on your own already), a little cartoon series called Star Wars: Clone Wars.
The show basically picks up where the animated Clone Wars movie (which I really enjoyed), left off. It takes place between Episodes II and III, and really gives you a taste of what happened between. Anakin has taken on a padawan named Asokah, and has become one of the most respected Jedi Knights. The cartoon is done all in CGI animation, and I think it is really geared towards the older Star Wars fans.
The reason I love this show so much is because I feel like it captures the elements I loved about the original trilogy. Between you and me, I felt like the new trilogy left a little to be desired. I always thought the reason I didn't quite enjoy it as much as the originals was because I had lost that child mind set I had when the first movies were released. That may have been somewhat true, but after watching this cartoon I realize I was wrong. What I find so compelling about the cartoon is that the writers get it. They get what made the original Star Wars great. That my friends is interactions between the characters. Whereas I felt like the new set of movies was pressed for time and confined to making everything fit into the timeline of the universe, I was disappointed by the lack of character development. It seemed like everything was somewhat forced on you, and not necessarily believable. Take the love story between Anakin and Padme, it felt awkward and hurried, while in contrast, the Han Solo / Princess Leia romance seemed totally natural (which could also be credited to the acting). In the new flicks the Anakin and Obi-Wan relationship wasn't awe inspiring either. In the cartoon it is depicted magnificently. You can almost feel the pride Obi-Wan takes in Anakin's ascent to master Jedi and leader. I also really like the wrinkle of giving Anakin a padawan, not only is Asokah a mirror image of a younger more rambunctious Anakin, it also shows a side of the Anakin character that makes his fall to the dark side that much more sad and shocking. The show also does a nice job of giving you a consistent villain. While Count Dooku is a regular and the mastermind behind the plans of the bad guys, the development of Asaji Ventress as the constant thorn in Anakin and Obi-Wans side is really enjoyable. While I felt that Darth Maul was a cool character, they killed him off too quickly in the films. It was like you had to keep adjusting to the type of villain you were dealing with as opposed to Darth Vader in the original series (yes I realize that is a lot to live up to). It's just nice to see the relationship of hero and villain develop as well, and Ventress is an interesting and formidable foe.
It just seems to me like the writers of this series get it. Now obviously there is no rush to fit anything into the timeline of the Star Wars universe (which works in their favor), but instead it is an extended look into a piece of that timeline. I even love the fact that they sneak in the “I got a bad feeling about this" line that is in every one of the films. The acting is great also, I realize that most people don't consider voicing an animated character acting, but as a voice actor I know different. Trust me when I say that they do a wonderful job.
Overall, the whole show is nicely done. I look forward every Friday night to coming home and seeing that my DVR recorded a new episode. I get giddy, and excited, not as excited as when Empire was coming out, but as excited as a 4 year old can get trapped in a 35 year old body.