A friend asked me a great question today. "As a dedicated Star Wars fan, do you think the new animated Clone Wars movie is good, or do you think this falls more into the category of the Star Wars Christmas special?" My answer was long enough to blog about.I am wicked excited about the movie, even though it is animated. I have never seen the Christmas special all the way through, but from what I've heard, and seen, it really really is crap. Now I know the Christmas special was designed to keep up interest between episodes IV and V. That was its only purpose. The Clone Wars movie has much more foundation, and here's why:
1. The Clone Wars is a topic that every Star Wars fan has wondered about ever since it was cryptically mentioned on May 25, 1977 (the release date for episode IV), when Princess Leia's hologram said to Obi-Wan Kenobi "Years ago you fought with my father in the Clone Wars." What are these mysterious "clone wars"? How to they affect the story of Star Wars? The rise of the Empire? The fall of the Jedi? So its a really hot topic.
2. Since Episode II came out, there has been much merchandising which capitalizes from the Clone Wars. There are many comics. There are many novels. The characters of Boba and Jango Fett have been really played up, especially by author Karen Traviss. There are games. And, there was a cartoon series aired on Cartoon Network a few years back which covered the period of the Clone Wars. It was done by the same animator who did Dexter's Laboratory. It was like a series of twenty 10 minute shorts, or something like that. Its these cartoons that the animated movie is based on. The animation isn't intended to reflect real life, if you look you'll notice it looks like a CGI cartoon; its based from the cartoon's style of animation.
3. CGI and special effects technology are mind boggling today. Movies are phenomenal. I'd go see it just for the CGI.
4. It develops the character of Anakin Skywalker. Star Wars, as Lucas himself admits, is Anakin's story. So anything which shows him in detail is attractive.
So with all that, there is a much larger fan base for the Clone wars and it stands on its own as a story which fits into the whole saga, rather than simply trying to say "so, while you're waiting for Empire Strikes Back, here's what is going on in Luke's life!" That is why the Clone Wars movie is going to rock and the Christmas special flopped like a pancake.
2 comments:
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that is my response. do you see how it is in another language? yes, it is difficult to understand. when you speak about Star Wars, i must admit that i have trouble relating because it is like another language to me! hahaha.
So it looks like "The Clone Wars" is good enough to see. I do not think I would follow all the back stories though. Even though I never watched the Star Trek movies, I think I would consider myself more of a Star Trek fan, but not to the extent that I would know how to speak any of the alien languages.
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