Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2008 > August > 11 > Entry
Star Warzzzz: The Clone Warzzzz
I like to call myself a Star Wars fan, but not a fanatic. I’m not one of those people that obsesses over Han shooting first, or pines for the original version of “Lapti Nek” from Return of the Jedi. (Although I guess I’m geeky enough that I even know the name of that song.)
Still, I do own every Star Wars film on DVD. Moreover, I’m what’s known as a “prequel apologist,” meaning that I actually like Episodes I, II and III. Yes, even The Phantom Menace, Jar-Jar, Jake Lloyd and all.
So why can’t I get excited about Star Wars: The Clone Wars, opening on Friday?
The trailer for it instantly underwhelmed me.
That animation just looks - cheap. It SCREAMS “direct-to-DVD knockoff that’s getting a theatrical release.”
The reviews so far aren’t encouraging. Variety says: ” … there’s little doubt this stuff will look more at home on the tube than it does on the big screen, since one thing is for sure: This isn’t the “Star Wars” we’ve always known and at least sometimes loved.”
The Hollywood Reporter says: “Frankly, given the newer installments’ increasing reliance on computer-animated effects, the transition from live action to animation isn’t really all that dramatic.”
And then, most witheringly of all, Harry Knowles at Ain’t It Cool News put up a review over the weekend (since yanked-hmm) that contained the pungent phrase. “I hated a Star Wars. That F - - - sucks. ” His review was pulled off the site, but for now, it can be found here.
Good god. If the amazingly forgiving Knowles can’t get into it, what hope is there for the rest of us?
What do you think? Are you interested? I’m not even sure it’ll crack $100 million at the box office. I have a bad feeling about this …
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Coming Attractions
Comments
By Patrick
August 24, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
Congratulations, George Lucas. You’ve finally made something to elevate the Holiday Special from being the Worst Ever Star Wars Production.By Science_1
August 21, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
Watching the trailer felt exactly like watching the intro to a video game. The cartoonish characters with wooden expressions and lackluster backgrounds make me wanting to hit the spacebar to skip to the game. But there is no game, it’s all intro. If they had made a movie based on the legos Star Wars, I think it would be more inspired. Still, I will see this film. I will enjoy seeing it on the big screen at the dollar theater with a box of greasy popcorn.By Tony
August 14, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
I am a huge Star Wars fan. I own just about every novel (including graphic novels) and have read most of them. That having been said, I did not like this movie (I saw it a month ago). The characters didn’t make sense to me. Slight SPOILERS ahead: Anakin didn’t act like a whiny brat. There are no references in any books or tombs of Star Wars knowledge that Anakin ever had a Padawan. Anakin never would have put up with the back-talking smart mouth attitude of that Padawan. The story with Jabba the Hutt’s son is boring and ridiculous and there is no reference to Jabba ever having a son. (I recall reading in one book that when Jabba died in Return of the Jedi, his family line died as well). I am just glad I didn’t pay money to see this movie.By SRCputt
August 13, 2008 4:24 AM | Link to this
Todd McCarthy clearly hated it. Lines from his Variety review include “devotees old enough to have seen the originals on their first go-round will likely wait to check out this strip-mining of one of the cinema’s most enduring mother lodes at home.” And: “the movements, both of the characters and the compositions, look mechanical, and the mostly familiar characters have all the facial expressiveness of Easter Island statues.” And: “the newly minted Obi-Wan Kenobi looks like he belongs in ‘300’ rather than at the controls of a spaceship.” Yikes.By SRCputt
August 13, 2008 4:17 AM | Link to this
Actually, per Variety, the movie is the first three episodes of the TV show strung together. It is not that complicated to reshape computer animation into (or out of) scope. My daughter is a massive Star Wars fan and has been talking about it for months.By Zack
August 12, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this
@SRCputt: Actually, it’s in ‘Scope, which tells me they always had every intention of releasing it to theaters. Wikipedia says: “The film will lead in to the weekly animated TV series of the same name. The film was ‘almost an afterthought’ as Lucas watched some of the TV episodes on a large screen and decided: ‘This is so beautiful, why don’t we just go and use the crew and make a feature?’” However, having seen the film, I can tell you it’s only mildly entertaining — mainly geared toward 10-year-olds.By SRCputt
August 11, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this
It was made for The Cartoon Network, and then released to theaters in a cash grab. I expect it to be every bit as good as The Ewok Adventure and the Star Wars Christmas special.By Kim S.
August 11, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
I have zero interest. Then again, I’m not a big SW fan. The only one of the eps 1-3 I liked was the last one. The ‘real’ set (4-6) amazed me when I was a kid, but seem far too dated to me now. Seems to me like Lucas is taking his one semi-original idea and continuing to milk it ad nauseum. This doesn’t surprise me in the least.