Make no mistake,
Clone Wars is honest-to-goodness authentic
Star Wars. The animated series takes place between
Episode II, Attack of the Clones and
Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. If the feature films covers the beginning and end of the war,
Clone Wars depicts the actual battles and events that made heroes into legends. Don't expect too much character development, as the episodes tend to be driven more by flat-out action than by dialogue (which can be a good thing, considering some
Star Wars dialogue). We see such familiar faces as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, and Mace Windu in combat, and we meet the elite Arc clone troopers plus new Jedi--the amphibious Kit Fisto and two women, Luminara Unduli and Barriss Offee. We also see a little more development of Anakin--showing off the best pilot skills in the army, defying Obi-Wan, and engaging in a deadly duel with Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress. But just when it's clear that the Separatist droid armies are no match for a Jedi, the tide begins to turn with the introduction of the menacing General Grievous, who plays a crucial part in
Episode III. The cast mostly consists of veteran voice actors, but Anthony Daniels does appear as C-3PO.
Clone Wars was created by Genndy Tartakovsky, whose resume includes such stylish series as Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and The Powerpuff Girls, and the program won a 2004 Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or More). These 20 episodes, which played on the Cartoon Network, can be viewed as a seamless 69-minute whole or as individual chapters. DVD features include two commentary tracks, a making-of featurette, video game and Episode III trailers, and an Xbox playable demo of the stealth game Republic Commando. If you're a fan who can't wait for Episode III, Clone Wars is essential viewing. --David Horiuchi
The saga continues with the Emmy-winning "Star Wars: Clone Wars," available for the first time ever on DVD. This animated micro-series, directed by Genny Tartakovsky, captures George Lucas' vision in a dynamic animated style that is a visual delight for all ages. "Star Wars: Clone Wars" Volume One reveals the epic adventures that bridge the story arc between Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. Follow the valiant Jedi Knights and the brave soldiers of the Republic's clone army as they battle against the droid forces of the Separatists, led by the evil Sith Lord, Count Dooku. Witness the battles that made galactic heroes out of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, and along the way get a first look at the new menace from Episode III, General Grievous. This is a must-have for any Star Wars DVD collection.
1 Great
This will make you remember why you love Star Wars in the first place, just in case you forgot. There are also no weird moments where it does not feel like Star Wars. The direction of the animation is top notch and I really lover the stylized character designs which totally grow on you. There is a scene which is a direct homage to a scene in Akira which i thoroughly enjoyed. The nice thing about this dvd is that it has everything in it that you have been wanting to see from Star Wars.
2 I was pleasantly surprised.....
I was pleasantly surprised by the continuity found on the DVD. Watching the vignettes on the Cartoon Network and Star Wars dot com did not do the stories of the Clone wars Justice. They all seemed to be a mishmash of unrelated stories until watched back to back.
The Jousting on Speeder Bikes segment seems a little far fetched but most of the rest of the episodes come off well. Our favorite is the Kit Fisto segment with the Mon Calamari. The cartoon Kit is a more lively Jedi Master than the Heavily Made up Kit in the films(but perhaps he does better in an aquatic environment).
I think I should have waited though because there is bound to be an extended edition DVD containing both Clone Wars I and II before the release of Episode III on DVD sometime later this year.
3 The excitement continues to build...
I just finished watching Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume I. Originally shown on the Cartoon Network as a series of short cartoons, and brought together in a seamless fashion on the DVD, Clone Wars Volume I tales several interlocking tales from within the clone wars. These tales feature Yoda, Mace Windu, Dooku, Palpatine, Amidala, R2D2 and C3PO, and of course Obiwan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. The cartoon style is stylistically close to Japanese anime, in terms of both how it is drawn, and how the action plays out. This is a good choice, as it really reminds one of how much the Jedi are based upon samurai.
Mace Windu wreaks Jedi power upon his foes unlike anything you've ever seen.
Yoda is deadly, but brought a few smiles and at least one laugh to my face.
Anakin is headstrong and impetuous, and his actions hint at his future fate.
Obiwan is much like a Jedi version of James Bond. Unflappable.
The soundtrack is sparse, but features well-known Star Wars themes. The sound is 2-channel Dolby surround.
Now, I'm just wondering when Volume II will be released...
4 Jedi Jousts, Jedi Karate, Jedi Duels, and Jedi Killers!
Oh, and Jedi Water-Breathers, Jedi Women, and Mind-Tricks!
Like most fans of Genndy Tartakovsky, I was hyper-ventilating when I heard that he was going to be creating Star Wars cartoons. The man had already proved time and again with Dexter's Lab and the Powerpuff Girls (to say nothign of Samurai Jack), just how tight, slick, mesmerizing (and just plain cool!) action sequences could be in modern cartoons.
Like those shows, the Star Wars cartoons were at first to be only a few minutes in length. "Oh no!", thought many. "How can you tell Star Wars in a space of a minute or two!?". Well, it just so happens that these guys specialize in making minutes count like no other, creating dramatic tension in seconds instead of minutes, and thowing elaborate fights at you right and left, smoothly flowing from one episode to another.
Of course when I saw these awesome cartoons on television I kept telling myself that I HAD to have them on DVD. For animation of this brilliance, the crystal-clear quality of DVD was just an absolute must. The wait HAS been worth it.
While the original flow the show had to be changed (each episode doesn't end in a dramatic musical moment and there are no lightning-fast preveiws of the next episode to grab your attention), these changes were neccisary to make the cartoon episodes flow smoothly in one continuous story arc.
In fact, I'd say I like the DVD version better. In place of individual episodes with beginnings and endings, we have one episode changing to another with screen-wipes (an old Star Wars standby that works to great effect here). The sparkling transfer and high-fidelity sound really add to your enjoyment of the show. And the two short documentaries (and the two commentaries!) will doubtless add to the enjoyment of hardcore fans just as much as they did for me.
The voice actors are mostly different from the movies. There isn't much dialog. The music is not as elaborate or sweeping. the animation is simple. Valid points all, but also all irrelivant. Genndy Tartakovsky's brilliance comes from the simplicity of the animation (you might even say that he's pioneering a brand new way of producing animation in our time). The dialog that is there is carefully chosen and tweaked. Music is used for maximum dramatic effect. And the action scenes...
The real reason to own this DVD is for the AWESOME action scenes. From the space battles, to the underwater battle, from the gladiator arena to the jedi jousts, there are constant surprises in the way that the action sequences work out. And when you see the fight between Ventress and Anakin for the first time you are bound to be impressed (it's the best fight Anakin has had yet {though I have not yet seen Revenge of the Sith}). I mean, in Attack of the Clones we had a fight between Obi Wan and Jango Fett, and I was dissapointed. In this we have a fight between Ventress and Anakin that is not only longer, but is more elaborate, and features a light-saber fight in the rain with crackling and SIZZLING of the light-sabers while the two combatants wait for the other to make the first move.
The characters manage to convey emotion despite a lack of dialog. In the first episode there is a wonderful farewell between Padme and Anakin (where Padme just looks at him and blinks like a character out of a Chuck Jones cartoon), in the episode with the two female jedi (my personal favorite) we get a strong sense of friendship and understanding (the last time the apprentice imitates her master is really great), and in the episode where Yoda launches a rescue for the two Jedi the interaction between Yoda and Padme (and the looks that they exchange when he tells her that he'll call her if he needs her help) is really sweet.
The greatest episode overall though, is probably the last. When a collective of Jedi are surrounded by General Grievous and his driod army, we finally get to see a REAL villain capable of wiping out Jedi (just as the space battles let us finally see why Anakin was the best star-pilot in the galaxy). The first time I saw Grievous fight all those jedi at once my mind was blown. It's a wonderful action sequence that keeps you guessing and keeps up a break-neck pace to the end, and also a wonderful tie-in to the movie still to come.
Now if only they would release the rest of the episodes on DVD so I can finally sleep at night...
5 Excelente Compra
El DVD esta demasiado bueno, los episodios tienen una reso–uci—n digna de coleccion. Ahora lo śnico que me hubiera gustado es que el DVD tuviera los tracks en 5.1 y no en 2.0, pero lo mas seguro es que cuando saquen el pack con el episodio 1, 2 y 3 definitivamente este volumen va ha estar como un bonus talvez con el audio en 5.1. ESPEREMOS QUE ASI SEA
LA duraci—n del DVD es de 109 minutos, que parece que fueran solo 30 porque la trama es tan veloz que el DVD se te acaba demasiado pronto y quedas con las ganas de poder seguir viendo los episodios que estan pasando ahora en CARTOONNETWORK
6 I see why this is rated "Youth-7"
You'd have to be 7 years old to enjoy this crap. The characters are totally flat. No character development. I've seen more character in a Flintstones or Scooby Doo rerun. BOTTOM LINE: It's basically just a bunch of random fighting scenes strung together, and adds virtually nothing to the star wars story. *Don't waste your money.*
7 This is better than any of Lucas' prequels
Originally premiering on the Cartoon Network as 3 minute animated shorts directed by Genny Tartakovsky (Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack), Volume 1 of Star Wars: Clone Wars is everything that George Lucas' recent prequels weren't. Bridging the events between Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Clone wars is full of dynamic action, and even a little bit of character development, and it has just about everything a Star Wars fanboy could hope for. On this DVD release, you can watch every episode as one seamless feature, with all the Star Wars characters here: Obi Wan, Anakin Skywalker, Amadala, Mace Windu, Yoda, Count Dooku, and even a first glimpse as General Grievous who is to play a pivotal role in the upcoming Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The only real problem with Clone Wars is the animation style. Those who are fans of Samurai Jack pretty much know what to expect animation-wise, but it can be a turn off for some. Despite that, there is a solid voice cast, some great writing (as a previous review stated, the few second scene between Anakin and Amadala was more poignant than any scene between the two in Attack of the Clones), and the classic Star Wars action that old fans would come to expect. Now let's all hope that Revenge of the Sith actually lives up to the hype and it's brand.
8 Hyped and over-hyped
Frankly I do not undertand why a lot of people (...) make a big fuss about it - The relatively low standard of prequel should not be used to judge the quality of this DVD. This animation doesn't have enough story and character development, it's all action. For an example the exaggerate action sequence with Mace Windu just seems to be repetitve and unrealist to me. Perhaps if you LOVE lightsaber actions and care only about the action styles, or if you have no high expectations, you'd love it (if you are a hardcore Star Wars fan, obviously you will buy this anyway). But for regular fans, I recommend that you rent before you buy, otherwise you might regret it.
9 Animation of the Highest Quality
The events included in this DVD "Clone Wars: Volume One" are almost directly after the battle on Geonosis from Attack of the Clones (AOTC) and focuses mainly on the battle to liberate the planet Muunilinst controlled by the Seperatist Intergalactic Banking Clan chaired by San Hill (the guy with the thin head in AOTC). The action also moves to various locations in the galaxy. If you had seen this series on TV, you would know that each episode only went for about 3 to 4 minutes. What is impressive about this DVD is that there is no division between the episodes; the story is one feature without breaks (and titles) which runs for over one hour.
The second series (which has longer episodes than this series; apparently more like 15 minutes) evidently picks up the story just prior to the events of "Revenge of the Sith". So this is a must-have DVD as it provides parts of the Star Wars storyline during the Clone Wars which we will never see in any of the films. George Lucas actually endorses this excellent animated series by appearing on the DVD in an interview.
The animation and action-packed storyline is top class. I was originally disappointed in hearing that this team was involved as I wasn't a fan of their animation style (see Samarai Jack and the Powerpuff Girls), but the use of subtleties, amongst other things, is perfect. Take, for instance, the departure of Anakin into battle from Coruscant where he stops at Padme's window in his jedi-fighter. Here, they pause for a few poignant moments, longingly gazing into each other's eyes with their hands pressed against their respective glass barriers. This just wasn't expected - its animation for goodness sake! This one moment between Anakin and Padme says much more than any scene in "Attack of the Clones" did and just highlights the quality of this series.
This series shows all the well-known Jedi in battle: Yoda, Mace Windu, Anakin and Obi-Wan. Dooku also appears and enlists the services of the dark-jedi Asajj Ventress who is found in the Clone Wars graphic novels. The series also shows lesser known jedi in more detail: the amphibious Kit Fisto, Ki-Adi-Mundi, and Luminara Unduli with her apprentice Barriss Offee. Perhaps the most intriguing scene involves the first appearance of General Grievous. Overall, the action involving each of these charcters is very pleasing, especially Anakin and Obi-Wan.
This DVD also contains some extras: director commentary, Hyperspace commentary, documentary on connections to Episode III, sketches and storyboard, and posters and artwork stills. But it is the feature that is the reason for buying this DVD.
Every Star Wars fan should have it as it provides endorsed stories from the Clone Wars done in a superb way.
10 StarWars fans should love this
CloneWars is what I think StarWars fans anticipated and hoped for when they stood on line for weeks and weeks waiting to get Episode 1 tickets. Just like that though there's not much character development but at least there's more action than there is of bad Lucas like dialogue. I mean here even Jedis besides Obi-Wan, Anakin, Yoda or Mace Windu get to shine a little with some intense battles. They even have lines when in the movies they barely get to say anything at all. I like this show so much that I think they should make a volume 3 after Episode 3 is released in theatres. It would need a name change of couse though since the CloneWars are over after Episode 3.
It could deal with showing how Vader actually looks for Obi-Wan and Yoda after they disapear. Plus shows taken place after Return of the Jedi would be great too. I'm getting ahead of myself but CloneWars shows that their could be life in the StarWars universe after episode 3. Hell maybe even more life than the prequels.
11 More than a mere cartoon
I don't like anime. I don't like cartoons. I don't like silly, over-the-top animations. But this is different. It's real Star Wars. It's everything you hope and want it to be.
This is the bridge between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. This chronicles the Clone Wars and the actions of the Jedi and the clone troopers who do the fighting. It also introduces General Grievous and Asajj Ventress as new and exciting characters.
This collection of shorts go together smoothly and make for a great watch. The best segments include the ARC Trooper and the battle between Asajj and Anakin. Great animations and exciting story telling. I can't wait to get Volume II.
Don't pass this up just because it is in anime format. It's a great addition to the Star Wars expanded universe.
12 Cartoon silliness, but a Star Wars fix nontheless ...
After reading the positive reviews here, I decided to give this DVD a try. As it promises, it is really just a filler for the time between (the AWFUL) Episode II and where Episode III (purportedly) begins. Probably not really necessary to understand episode III, but it is entertaining. You do see a little of Anakin's dark side still emerging, and the DVD does not lack action.
The fact that it is really a collection of cartoon channel shorts does leave it a little discombobulated at points in time, since there's really no way to cut from one scene to another when they were originally days (if not weeks) apart as they aired on television.
For those that have seen the Red vs. Blue "Halo" spoofs, you'll find some obvious parallels, perhaps even some some direct spoofs with the "cloned" troops. Unfortunately, some of the cartoon action is just ridiculous - even for Jedi Knights. I half expected a Jedi Knight to start flying through hyperspace for hours on end without any aparatus after seeing some of the ridiculous things they do in some of the scenes (stopping entire armies of robots spewing immense blaster fire with a single flick of the wrist [and just why do those robots attack "one at a time"?], turning on a light saber while underwater, ...) - thankfully they do still use spaceships to go through hyperspace. Obi-Wan's character is also way out of line with the movies; in these cartoons he cracks jokes at every opportunity he gets and seems very impatient - a complete reversal from his character in the movies. However, all is not lost in the cartoon nature of the DVD - some creative new creatures are drawn, and we get to see some of the creatures from the original movies (IV-VI) in their home habitats.
In any case, it's a pretty entertaining DVD. Certainly better than Episodes I & II (although that's not saying much), but I hope it won't turn out to be better than Episode III. Only time will tell on that one.
13 Don't Clone yourself: It's good but not great
Genndy Tartakovsky's "Clone Wars" continues the frantic pace set up by the final battle of "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones." By saying this, I mean droids line up on one side, clones line up on the other, and they shoot eace other whilst jedi act like super-soldiers in the middle. What ever happen to "wars not make one great?"
Anywho, the entire "movie" is a series of shorts shown on Cartoon Network that take place during those crazy Clone Wars between the Republic and the Separatists. Another sortof sith (whose name I have conveniently forgot) is sent off to further lead Anakin Skywalker away from the over-rated light side of the force to the much more glamorous dark side. He leads a space battle just outside a planet (whose name I also have forgot) where Obi-Wan leads a ground assault.
And "assault" is precisely what happens to your senses. Millions of lasers are fired, missiles shot, droids destroyed, and ships are blowed up real good. After a while it gets overly repetitive and dull. When you've seen one droid force demolished, you've seen them all.
Fortunately, it's not all that bad. There's an inventive jousting battle between Obi-Wan and a creature that can be best described as Laffy Taffy from Hell. The battle between Anakin and Sith wannabe amoung the tree tops is pretty cool, and the final battle between the troop of Jedi and General Grievous is awesome.
It isn't up to the standards of the Original trilogy(but what is), but offers some nice action without all the whine and cheese of the prequels (okay, the "good-bye" between Anakin and Padme was cheesy but thats about it). For fans who at least enjoyed the action of the Preqs, "Clone Wars" delivers well enough.
14 A COOL STAR WARS CARTOON
I wasn't sure I wanted to buy this, when it was released. But I'm glad that I did. I ended up enjoying it, and serious Star Wars fans will love it.
The feature takes place in the time period between Star Wars Episodes II and III, with a running time of approximately 70 minutes. Since the galaxy is in the throes of a great war, the focus is on...the war! It is very much action-driven. A wide variety of combat scenes take place throughout, including the must-have lightsaber duels. But there are more subtle character moments as well. There is some stellar animation on display in this cartoon-combined with some good CGI in the space flight/space battle scenes.
The artists have a great sense of style and provide a new look at the Star Wars universe. All the main good guys and bad guys appear. Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin Skywalker. Senator Amidala. Yoda. Mace Windu. Darth Sidious. Count Dooku. Plus, one is treated to super-villains Asajj Ventress and General Grievous.
The voices are well done. None of the cast from the prequel trilogy is on board here, except for Anthony Daniels- providing the voice of C-3PO. Liberal use is made of the Star Wars library of sounds, plus the viewer is treated to segments of John Williams' score from the films.
There is a featurette discussing the cartoons that lasts about seven minutes, that includes some words from the creators and from George Lucas. It's short, but interesting. There's also a behind-the-scenes featurette that is also worthwhile.
Since this is the first of a two-volume series, it does leave you hanging just a bit. But the reason that you care is that it's GOOD...
15 Filling In Some of the Gaps.
THE CLONE WARS were originally a set of 20 three-minute segments that aired on the Cartoon Network during the Fall of 2003 and Spring 2004. ATTACK OF THE CLONES begins the Clone Wars (of the Star Wars universe) and the war comes to an end in REVENGE OF THE SITH. In between is a 3 1/2 year period with all kinds of action and heroics going on. THE CLONE WARS fills in some of these gaps.
Though there are stories in THE CLONE WARS that focus on major characters we already know about, the stories help build the characterization of secondary characters that just aren't as well known. For instance, in one episode Jedi Master Kit Fisto leads a group of Clone Troopers to battle underwater to free the Mon Calamari people (the race that Admiral Ackbar belonged to). We don't get to see much of Kit Fisto in the movies, but he's always looked liked a great Jedi warrior and THE CLONE WARS helps to flush his character out a bit.
Another intersting story in THE CLONE WARS has Obi-Wan battling a strange warrior called Durge that seems capable of reanimating itself to life. Durge seems unstoppable until he commits a fatal mistake.
Mace Windu has an episode all of his own and Yoda, Padme, R2-D2, and C-3PO all make appearances, too.
One of the main story lines has Count Dooku looking for a Sith warrior of unbelievable skill that can kill Anakin Skywalker. He finds one in Asajj Ventress and hires her to kill Anakin. The Sith can't seem to stick together for anything--I mean instead of trying to kill Anakin, Dooku and Asajj Ventress and all the others should be trying to join up with him instead of doing what Palpatine wants. They could have an unbelievable army if they weren't so interested in wiping each other out. Anyway.
THE CLONE WARS is some pretty exciting animation with some great plot lines, especially for a series of 3 minute cartoons. Of course, being so short the DVDs biggest flaw is just that, it's so short. However, THE CLONE WARS does an adequate job of filling in some of the gaps in the story and makes a great gift for any Star Wars fan.
The DVD includes a few special features including two commentaries, a couple of featurettes, some video game previews, a teaser trailer of REVENGE OF THE SITH, storyboards, and one level of STAR WARS: REPUBLIC COMMANDO that is playable on X-Box.
16 BREATHTAKING
first off i must say that i am a complete star wars fan, i read and own all the books, collect the toys, and watch the films over and over again. This is a very satisfactory purchase, it is full of pure action, never before have i seen such breathtaking jedi fighting, if you are a star wars fan, you HAVE to own this, it's as simple as that.
17 A fair beginning to a new series.
This is nice. I mean it, more big-name movies need something like this to fill in the gaps. Where Episode II ends, it's the beginning of the Clone Wars...but when Episode III starts, they're pretty much over. What exactly happened in a war that was mentioned by Obi-Wan in Episode IV? Quite a bit, and it would've been a shame if this animated series hadn't been made. While I won't get into the new prequels and their quality, I will say that those who've been disappointed with them so far should like Clone Wars. Where the movies had much more dialogue going for them than should be humanly possible, Clone Wars is nothing but action. Heck, some episodes don't even have dialogue in them. So is a series just barely over an hour worth your bucks? To give you a blunt answer- yes.
Clone Wars starts out with just that- the Clone Wars. Yoda leads his army of Jedi and Clone Troopers into battle, and the series begins. Different armies led by Jedi Masters and knights are stationed throughout the galaxy to prevent them being under seige by battle droids. Obi-Wan and Manequin...I mean, Anakin are bickering as usual, thanks to his little "but I want to go on adventures and not listen to the Jedi Council" attitude. Obi-Wan is sent to a world where a Banking Clan is up to something, and has even hired an uber bounty hunter to help attack the Republic forces. Meanwhile, Anakin's space army is doing well in taking out the opposing forces. But, Count Dooku has hired a very impressive (and sexy) Sith assassin, Asajj Ventress. Seriously, this lil' lady could take out Darth Maulester like he's nothing. She's used as a tool to release Anakin's anger and turn him to the dark side as she leads him to a planet to fight under Dooku and Darth Sidious' wishes. Those are the main stories going on here. There are a few others though that don't really have a whole lot of substance. There's one of Mace Windu single-handedly taking out a droid army, Kit Fisto who can somehow use his lightsaber underwater and leads the Mon Kalamari to an easy victory, and Yoda goes off with Padme on a very meaningless quest to rescue two Jedi from an ancient temple on another planet. While Mace and Kit's scenes are full of action and showing them victorious, there was no point to Yoda's. He goes to rescue the two Jedi, who are under attack, and then nothing happens. We never see them again.
There were a few problems I had with Clone Wars that ended up having me take off a star. The first being that the battles, while intense, do get repetitive. Especially with Mace Windu's fight against an entire army. Once he does a backflip over the droids and does one Force Push (out of 129740197 in the span of 5 seconds), you've seen them all. This power was abused enough in the first two prequels, but here it's just a cheap gag. Something else especially irritating were all of the characters. Who were these guys? Particularily the two Jedi that Yoda goes after. All we get is that they look after a temple, and that's all. The same goes for a few others in the final episode that don't see any other screen time, and are just used as target practice. I just didn't care about most of these characters. Even Durge, the uber bounty hunter. He just seemed annoying to me. Plus, a lot of the character designs looked more like Clerks than Samurai Jack or anything else Tartakovsky's done. Obi-Wan reminds me way too much of Dante. But, the series is good in the long run. If anything, watch it for Asajj Ventress being the coolest Sith/Jedi to date, and the final episode where General Grevious makes his debut. Really, they got this guy down perfectly here, and I'm doubting it can be equaled in Episode III if only because he's CG. Here, he makes full use of his droid-body. All points of articulation are used. Like when his torso spins while using two lightsabers, but his head and legs remain stationary. And how about doing flips and other agile moves while using lightsabers with his feet? I want more.
The audio and visual quality are perfect, as we'd expect from Lucas, so let's move on.
The special features are the other reason I rated this only 3 stars. There are two commentary tracks with Genndy Tartakovsky, which doesn't make that much sense. There's one called "Director's Commentary" and the other being the "Hyperspace" one. With the Director's version, he doesn't say a whole lot aside from spoon-feeding you what's going on in each scene. It got old fast, waiting for bits of cool info between long pauses. At least in the Hyperspace commentary, he almost never stops spilling the goods. Going on about how scenes were animated, where he got the idea for the use of music here and there, how the original ending to this volume didn't even have General Grevious, and more. While he does continue to spoon-feed everything, explaining what's happinging in x scene, this track is a huge improvement over the previous one, and makes me wonder why they even threw that on here in the first place. Bridging the Saga is mostly interviews with George Lucas, Tartakovsky and a few other workers at Cartoon Network, going over the production of Clone Wars. Something I thought was cool was that they used post-it notes as storyboards for a few scenes. That's a great idea, and something I plan on using in my own work. Also, they point out a few uses of CG animation, as if we couldn't tell once it appears on screen. The behind the scenes featurette is basically the same thing as Bridging the Saga, and has the same people involved. Tartakovsky also goes over the plot for some reason. A brief look at some of the voice actors is also here, which was nice since there are few animated series that include voice actor clips in their special features. Finally are a ton of sketches, an Episode III trailer, and a demo for the Xbox version of Republic Commando. While it sounds like a lot here, you can breeze through all the special features in under 20 minutes, save the demo and commentaries.
While I mostly pointed out the bad, Clone Wars is an above average series which can only get better in the next batch of episodes, where they run more than just 3 minutes an episode. Hopefully, characters will be developed more, and there'll be less use of the Force Push. And maybe Yoda'll do more than wander around an ice planet. Check this one out to see all of what happens during the Clone Wars.
18 AWESOME STUFF MADE BY THE GURUS OF SAMURAI JACK!
and if u have no idea who samurai jack is, you have missed some really great animation/storytelling. let me explain further...
in comic book form, have u ever read CERBERUS? we are talking about premiere writing. awesome stories and a character u gave a care about.
if that is not good enough for you....
FIFTY CENTS album is probably one of the most innovative and secure pieces of talent I have heard in a long time. This guy is strong in the industry....but you have to love his style to dig it.
and maybe a little bit of...
the TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY was very cool, but the early works of TWIN PEAKS were better. If you didn't like TWIN PEAKS, watch every season of 24 except the second season.
if you are a movie buff, then here this...I SAY HEAR THIS!!! the Usual Suspects had me riveted...so did L.A. Confidential.
What I am saying is, this animated series is as intricate as the things I mentioned before.
Standouts are the fight between OBI-Wan and General Grevious, Mace Windu's battle against the droids and Anakin's first taste of the dark side. Awesome!
Look for the second set of films to come out soon. As a DVD experience, it is okay. no big deal with a behind the scenes segment and the first episode III teaser, which is old now.
19 Very very ordinary- I expected a muchbetter story & got none
Someone has to pull their heads out of the clouds with all these dodgy one eyed positive reviews and look at this with the public's eyes. 93% of whom won't be seeing ROTS at all in the cinema! The stories depicted here, really are quite ordinary. A few mish mash battles with dialogue that genuinely stinks. (Unlike Lucas's grand dialogue in all his movies, designed to be the way it is for the most part to speed the story along and explain what needs to be explained so the story can continue to move at a quick pace - unlike character films like when harry met sally, where the dialogue itself is the point and there is very little story to tell) It is not a bad story but not a great one either. The ig banking clan really could have been developed more - put together these 20 episodes cover and hour and seven minutes and yet at the end we know nothing more about them, about munilist, (the planet the main action takes place on) if this was a 67 minute live action movie, it would be lambasted by the critics and given no stars and a don't bother next to the name... The movies deal with grand themes, develop them and have some amazing concepts. The two mace windu epsiodes were the worst. Nothing was motivated at all. Why was he fighting? What were they fighting over? If you wanna see some kung fu, go play a video game. No dialogue at all either in thoise 6 minutes... Just Mace all by himself beating up droids in more and more ridiculous ways on a planet we don't even know for a reason we don't even know... The only thing these do is give a brainless action fan what they think they want. Really GL knows better than to cover this stuff in his movies (and he certainly explains well why people are fighting and what fights are about in his character/political scenes - and doesn't give us fighting for the sake of figthing - I for one am glad we did not see the end of the battle in AOTC - we probly saw too much of it as it was - the only thing story wise that was important was to show that the clone wars started and that Dooku escaped after slicing off his arm/defeating Anakin) and I think he's right. Battles for battles sake, really are quite boring. If its action you want to see, go rent a dodgy action movie before you buy this. They are a dime a dozen and chock full of fights, chases and eminently forgettable caricatures. These 20 episodes do not focus on character or story in any way. Its just action mish mash. Had Star Wars just had this stuff, without cleverly focusing the narrative on places of meaning inside our hearts, Star wars (or his prequels - which I actually prefer - as they do look at real character/emotions and dare to grey good/evil, so that it is somewhat more similar to our own daily existence and the choices many of us must make each day - is it the right thing to do - or simply the easiest to adopt out a baby...) would have been as memorable and culture changing as smokey and the bandit or the last starfighter if you want a sci-fi analogy. Furthermore, don't beleive all the extras on the package. Also, despite the widely advertised promise, my dvd did not come with the episode 3 teaser trailer; so to say the purchase was a complete disapppointment, was an understatement. The only thing good about it, was the extras. The director's commentary in particular; which as an aspiring film director myself, I am a collector of. I have certainly learned a few things not to do with my own scripts! Though having read the ROTS novelisation - I think that film will probably be the best yet (Though will probably do the worst of all of them at the box office becuase everyone I talk to, is just so tired of hearing about star wars... they've had enough and their response now is who cares how darth vader got to be darth vader... time people came up with new ideas of making money, not rehashed old ones) and I thought AOTC had been the previous best. I give it one star for the music and one for the xtras. None for the cartoon though.
20 Better than Episodes 1 & 2?
A couple days ago I was in Target and picked this DVD up and was intrigued. A Star Wars cartoon....looks pretty cool. I threw the DVD in my cart and continued shopping. When I got home I popped the DVD in and was absolutely and immediately satisfied with my purchase. My daughter loves it as well. It was great to see the different "Clone Wars" stories being told. I loved watching the ARC troopers sequences and as a side note, I love the Xbox game Republic Commando. This DVD is a must for anyone that has a Star Wars DVD collection or plans on having one. I don't have the Cartoon Network so I can't wait for Volume 2 to be released. General Grevious is amazingly cool in this DVD and I look forward to seeing what happens in Episode III. I've watched this DVD at least 5 times since I bought it 3 days ago.
21 Awesome bridge
These short stories don't leave a lot of room for character development but they show where characters are headed and have some really awesome action. They show how the characters work within war context and give the Jedi some awesome tasks. Worth a buy for any Star Wars fan. I couldn't believe it ended so quickly and am eagerly awaiting the second volume!
22 Stupid Sheep
Anyone who pays money for this is retarded. This animated movie consists of 25 episodes. You're only getting 20 of the on this disc. 21-25 are not a sequel, not a different story, just the final 20% of this movie. So if you buy this, you are paying good money for 80% of a movie. What if your friends told you he could loan you a copy of a movie you wanted to see, but he accidentally taped over the last 20% of it? You'd tell him No Thank You. This is a product most people with an IQ over 50 wouldn't take for FREE, much less pay for. Because they only released PART of this on DVD, I did something I usually don't do with products I like (yes, I do like this movie): I downloaded all 25 parts and burned them onto DVD. Since they refuse to sell the complete movie, which I would have paid for, I just took the whole thing for free. I reccommend that everyone else do the same, until they come out with an ENTIRE MOVIE on a SINGLE DISC. Imagine that.
23 Nothing to do with the movies....
I can finally say that Lucasfilm is making too much Star Wars, these cartoons really were terribly drawn, written, and voice performed. It's not like they need the money. Lucasfilm should just be content with the movies and not give the go ahead to make cheap cartoons like this, done by animators who worked on the Power Puff Girls. No Thanks.
24 Good, thought the second series is better
The first volume of the animated Clone Wars is quite good. The characters are well done and the stories are interesting, though so fast paced and compressed that we don't get enough of the characters themselves.
Hopefully, the second set of longer adventures, which can now been seen on StarWars.com, will soon be available on DVD. These feature better character developement and lead directly into the movie.
25 Awesome Animation from a Galaxy Far, Far Away
My kids and I love this DVD. It is really good animation with a lot of action and suspense. If you like Star Wars and want to get in the mood for Episode III next month, this is the DVD for you.
26 All right, but hardly great
I don't understand all the 5 star reviews that this received, especially those saying that it is "worthy of the originals", as this, in my opinion, suffers from the same thing that the "Phantom Menace" suffered from, and that is being too childish.
I also did not care for the animation (not the style I'd have chosen for Star Wars), but that I could have lived with it if the story itself was more mature. I could not help but feel, however, like I was watching an episode of the Super Friends instead of a Star Wars show.
27 I missed all of these on TV except for like 15 sec. of Ch.16
This series exceeded my expectations.
The action, pacing, and ( for lack of a better word ) "cinematography" are great.
I only have two complaints. One: the sound seemed a bit dodgy to me in some places, but I'm listening to it on an older TV without any kind of sound channel setup, so that's probably it.
The only other thing is that I think both Vol.1 and Vol.2 should have been released in the same package. Vol.2 will probably have a decently-sized array of extras as with this volume, but it's still just a little over an hour of CW.
Also, I think that when 3PO says "But that's on the other side of the system!" it should have been the other side of the SECTOR instead. I don't think going from one side of a solar system to the other should constitute a significant detour, unless Ilum's system is exceptionally large and gravitationally complex.
It's nice to actually see the battles of Asajj Ventress ( with Dooku and Skywalker respectively ) that have been referred to in books such as THE CESTUS DECEPTION.
Also: the battle of Muunilinst ( a location named by Zahn but pronounced here as though having a silent second 'n' ) utilizes IG-88 type droids in the "jousting" scene. IG for Intergalactic, as in Banking Clan. Oh, now I get it.
Speaking of Muunilinst, this is the only instance I know of, outside of my own KOTOR files, where a Jedi wore armor in battle.
I saw a review ( complete with screenshots ) on someone's web page that discussed how they didn't like the Ilum scene with Barriss and Luminara. Strange; for me, that scene is the Lothlorien of this piece, and perhaps its quiet center.
28 A Star Wars Must!
This DVD is worth getting big time!!! You get all of the episodes released up to now and it is beautiful, heartfelt and action packed! I love this series, worth getting for any Star Wars fan. Wonderful story with beautiful animation.
The special features only add to this package. The "Bridging the Saga" documentary is very interesting with new interviews with George Lucas and the team who makes this series. It also shows clips of Volume 2 which looks to top this! They also explain that this connects Episode II and III together, thus the name "Bridging the Saga". It also has the teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The movie looks AWESOME!!!!!! Can't wait! It also has an awesome video game trailer for Star Wars: Republic Commando and a trailer for the Episode III video game which looks fantastic, except no sound, I'll explain.
Now the downside. I don't know if this is for every DVD or just mine but I have noticed that there is no sound when I'm watching the trailer for the video game Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It plays the trailer, but there is absolutely no sound whatsoever. The same thing happens of the Behind the Scenes Featurette. No sound. It's not something I'm going to swap for because it may have that problem on all of the DVDs. I don't know. But I figure as long as the series itself plays fine and "Bridging the Saga", Episode III trailer, and the Republic Commando video game trailer works, I won't be taking it back.
Overall, this DVD is very very much worth getting. But don't be surprised if some of the special features work but with no sound. It's still neat to look at.
29 UNEXPECTED HIT!
Just because this is animated, it doesn't mean that it sucks. This cartoon is brilliant. It kicks off right after episode II. Every single thing about this dvd is amazing. Plus it has the tight trailer of Star wars episode III. So go on and buy this dvd, whether you're a star wars fan or not.
30 A very cool collection
I missed a few of these on TV so this was my chance to catch up. Love the animation and the storyline is great. It just makes me hunger for a Star Wars TV show proper!
31 More action and battle than the actual movies!
I'm not gonna lie, I'm a star wars fan, not a freak but a fan. I got this dvd for my little 10 year old brother who's into star wars aswell. I was thinking this would be a typical cartoon network series, not being necesary stupid but in a way it might have its battles here and there. Boy was I wrong and I can't be any happier! From start to finish this series has it all (battle-wise). You can not get enough of laser shooting, air crafts crashing and exploding and light sabors fighting. It has all that, prolly much more what you can imagine and expect. The whole story line is really interested aswell, which I won't spoil for the people who haven't seen this. This is no regular cartoon, it fits for people of all ages and for star wars fans, epic adventure fans and war battle fans; taking place in all different locations making you wanting for more. After it's done you prolly might even want to see it again and enjoy this masterpiece one more time.
Highly recomended indeed!!!
32 Impressive, this Clone Wars is!
I was a bit skeptical about watching an animated version of "Star Wars", as I had been disappointed by "The Animatrix" dvd, and I hadn't bothered to watch "Droids" or "The Ewoks" which are available on dvd. But, since we don't get to see The Clone Wars in the actual "Star Wars" films, this is the only way to understand what those wars were about. Okay, so I'm a geek...but I can't help myself. The first "Star Wars" came out when I was in Kindergarten and captured my attention and imagination like nothing before or since. The first trilogy is simply part of my (and my friends) childhood, a unifying generational experience, so I hold these films in very high regard.
The animation is quite impressive, as I like the way the cartoon likeness resemble the actual actors in the film. The story lines are interesting and well done. Most of the sequences are action packed, and that's fine in some ways, but I was actually hoping for some more political intrique, as I'm interested in seeing more about Chancellor Palpatine and his alter ego Darth Sidious, and how he can be so two faced...but I also realize that this one is geared mostly for children who wouldn't sit still for such a talky and grown-up world of character development.
The sequence featuring Senator Amidala on an icy planet (was it Hoth?) was the lamest of the bunch, as she didn't wear any heavy winter clothing, yet she was wandering into a blizzard and tossing her shawl to bring out the bad robots was something that could only be done in a cartoon. It was a little to hokey for me...but I guess these cartoons are aimed at a younger set, not to a guy in his 30s.
The short documentaries are a great special feature, as well as the "Revenge of the Sith" teaser trailer. It says on the dvd that this is only Volume 1, but they don't indicate when Volume 2 will come out, and I hope its soon (before the movie opens), because the last cartoon is a cliffhanger. I don't understand why Lucas had to release "The Clone Wars" in two separate volumes...the only reason I can think of was to milk his cash cow for all he could get. Well...when Volume 2 comes out, I'll be buying that one and I hope that the actual trailer to "Revenge of the Sith" will be included, as I'm really excited to see the conclusion to his saga, and I'm certain it won't disappoint anyone. This dvd makes a great appetizer for the main course we'll devour in one month's time.
33 The Unseen War
Something that is only reference in the pervious Star wars movies is called the Clone Wars, you see the start of the CW at the end of the Attack of the Clones and the end of the fight at the begging of Revenge of the Sith. But you never see the actual war, until the Cartoon Network created a mini series that takes place between Episodes II and III.
Animated by the same people that did Samurai Jack, the Clone Wars has the aura of a mega summer blockbuster. Blending CGI and traditional two dimension pen and ink animation, and the magic of Star Wars, created a truly unique mini-series spanning twenty five episodes and having the kind of action that you only see in Japanese Animation.
Volume One consisted of the first 20 episodes each under five minutes, it has two commentaries, a Republic Commando Demo, and a teaser trailer for Episode 3
Something you see are full scale battles with hundreds of thousands of droids and Clone Troopers, even a Jedi using his lightsaber underwater, and a first look at a Jedi's worst nightmare, General Gervious. Gervious might not look threatening in his cartoon format, but when he takes on five Jedi masters at once and hold his own with that creepy violin solo playing, you know he is a force to be reckon with.
Also the music is incredibly stunning, combination of original music and music done by John Williams gives a massive epic feel.
Clones Wars is a must have for any fan of Star Wars or Animation
34 Star Wars - Clone Wars, Vol. 1 (Animated)
This video is very cool. It fills in the blanks between Star Wars Episode I and Star Wars Episode II. Some of the dialogue is rather breif, however, the animation is really cool.
35 To bad episode 1-3 is not this good
Wow I had lost hope in the last 2 and are not expecting much from 3. But man this hit the spot. Every time I show this to someone new they watch it,, then we discuss it then watch it again. So much action so little time. We already know the characters, no need to introduce them just show them kick a@@ and thats what this dvd does. from the very begining fight after fight kill after kill and yes the storm troopers get theres. A must have for those who hate those poor ecxuses for a prequels
36 Better than the prequels?
Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky of Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack fame, this series of 20, 3 minute shorts was created to bridge the gap in story between Episodes 2 and 3 of the Star Wars prequels. This is vol. 1 of a 2 vol. series; the second will be in a slightly different format (15 minute episodes) and will animate the opening scrawling text of Episode 3. These shorts, though brief, are a lot closer to what the fans have expected out of the prequel films but haven't gotten. There is a lot of action and the characters, for the most part, are much better realized than in the films. In fact, there is more character development in just the one 4 second scene between Anakin and Amadala in this series then there is in the entire second Star Wars prequel. Lucas gave Tartakovsky reign to tell original stories for this series and he has chosen to focus on the various Jedi and their skills, something the films generally lack. Once again, we learn more about Mace Windu and the entire order of the Jedi through these 3-minute shorts than we do in the hours of Prequel footage released so far. What's really nice about this DVD is that the shorts have been edited into one 69-minute feature that helps keep the story much tighter than when they aired on the cartoon network, broken up into 3-minute chunks. The extras are nice as well, though just as short as the original cartoons were. All in all, between this volume and the next currently in production, I think these cartoons will eventually find their way to becoming part of the Star Wars film series and not just a diversion from it.
37 Great DVD - What's Lucus going to do with animation next?
Well I bought this DVD thinking I would just add it to my collection of Star Wars. For the most part I have all the DVDs accept the new cartoon releases which came out in the family section. Although I will probably buy Droids, since I grew up watching that on TV.
But anyway, I never saw this series on Cartoon Network. But for some reason, I was more interested in Lucas's input on animation. If he had interest in Japanese Anime at all. Well this DVD reveals Lucas's interest in Anime. Rumors were out that he has set up a Lucas anime studio in Singapore. Perhaps its cheaper there than Japan, but of course the free trade agreement between Singapore and Japan make it easier. Perhaps Lucas will move into Animation?
Well this series is quite interesting. I would say that for the most part I enjoyed seeing the designs, sounds and even characters in animation format. The story always makes animation. Honestly I'm getting tired of all the flashy computer anime style DVDs which is out but lacks story.
This DVD series, you'll have to watch a couple of times. I'm finding little things that you would probably miss unless you watch it over again. I actually found it through the commentary where they pointed it out. It's a Emperor's shadow during some of the fights. Perhaps there's more.
This is certainly action packed. I would say the beheading of clone troopers is a bit much for cartoons, but certainly I've seen worse on South Park, or Akira, GIS, Ninja Scroll etc...
The thing I love about this animation is the flat 2D tradition. I'm a big fan that animation should be flat and not computer rendering of a regular live action movie. Sorry you Macross Zero and Final Fantasy or even Shrek fans? I consider those things more of a computer videogame category.
This is a great DVD, a must for the SW collection. But meanwhile, hell it's better than some movies that are out in theatres.
38 At last the wait is over!
I watched some of the episodes on TV and has been waiting for this DVD to come out! This is way better than the actual movies, with better character depiction and development! A must buy for any Star Wars fans!
39 Makes For A Superb DVD
I was blown away by the quality of this series. Clone Wars breathes a new, creative style into the Star Wars universe that works splendidly. You'll notice similar artistic touches between this and the equally good Samurai Jack series (they were directed by the same guy).
Compelling characters and slick animation abound. Action scenes are handled very well, effectively blending tension with intensity. The last chapter on the disk features the first video appearance of General Grievous, my favorite character in the movie prequels and one fearsome dude!
Each chapter on the disk is actually an entire episode that was aired on Cartoon Network. Individually they're only 5 minutes long, but since there are over 20 of them they compose a full length animated film. Since the story fills in space between Star Wars Episodes II & III it should be required viewing for anyone interested in fulfilling their knowledge of the Star Wars saga. The only other way to experience this is to read the books or comics, but then you wouldn't be treated to such riveting visuals!
This exciting series is the perfect prelude to Episode III. It's definitely the finest piece of Star Wars animation in existence, BY FAR. I can't wait for Vol. 2 to be released!
40 Great Fun
When I was 8 way back in 1977, my uncle took me to see Star Wars. I loved it. I never saw anything like it. During the light saber battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, I wondered - and this was in '77, mind you, way before we knew there would be sequels let alone prequels - what in the world (or in the galaxy) had happened before between these two characters. Since 1999, Star Wars fans like me have been getting to find out exactly what happened between Vader and Kenobi. I loved the original trilogy and I love the new trilogy. I don't understand those Star Wars fans who say the new films don't compare to the originals. The reason for this, I believe, is that they were children when the originals were released and they viewed them then from an entirely different point of view. I've always kept that in mind when watching the new films, which I believe makes me enjoy the new ones just as much as the originals. You know, years from now, people are going to look back at the whole thing as one work of art. And to those future fans who really, truly enjoy it, they're going to clamor for more when they're through watching episodes I through VI.Their hunger for more will be found in these neat cartoons from Genndy Tartakovsky, who lovingly captures the goings-on of the Star Wars universe between episodes II and III via animation in Star Wars: Clone Wars. This is just volume one, and hopefully volume two, which was recently broadcast on Cartoon Network, is released on DVD soon. To those people who truly are Star Wars junkies, this is a fix. It helps. As I write this, episode III is a mere one-and-a-half months away. The cartoon provides background to events that lead directly to the start of the new film. It has the music, the action, the story ... everything you could hope for in a Star Wars film. I think this was so well done that I hope George Lucas doesn't stop there. It would be nice to see a cartoon that bridges episode III with episode IV someday.So, if you're a "true" Star Wars fan, this is a must. If you're one of those fans who like the original trilogy but just can't loosen up enough to enjoy the new trilogy, this is still a must.
41 Get a front row seat for the Clone Wars
This DVD does a much, much better job at whetting the appetite for Episode III than that silly, stiff "Labyrinth of Evil" prequel novel also available now, and it's less expensive, too. The animated Clone Wars adventures collected on this "volume one" DVD deliver a variety of exciting, original, well-staged stories that- most importantly- really FEEL like, well... Star Wars. And I'm talking Star Wars at its best, where we get just the right mix of action, edge-of-your-seat escapes, romance, lush music, amazing worlds, etc., etc. The only quibble I have is that the cartoons should have been presented here in their original 3-minute or so installments, as they were created and paced to appear just that way; contrary to Amazon's description, viewers are NOT given the choice of watching the cartoons as individual episodes or edited together. Stiching them together into one sixty-eight minute adventure certainly doesn't ruin the experience (and I'd be a cad to recommend not buying this DVD because of this alteration), but it does somewhat diminish the artistry of their original presentation, as you don't get the full impact of each individual cartoon's dramatic resolution or cliff-hanger ending; you're immediately shunted, via "Lucas wipe", into the next adventure. But this IS a quibble, and the whole piece still kind of holds together as a single, big adventure, just one with many asides and subplots. The DVD extras are quite enjoyable, especially the "making of"/behind-the-scenes stuff and the teaser trailer for Episode III. But get this DVD for the cartoons... they're really great.
42 Better than the first two episodes.
Sadly, this animated film was better than the first two episodes. At least when I saw something that was "lame" it fit more appropiatly since this is a cartoon. Not to say this was a "lame" film by any means, just some lines.
As for the film its self. It was done suprising well. I did feel like I was getting something from the star wars universe and not some sort of off shoot. The film also takes the time to explore some of the aspects of the star wars universe that are not explored in the movies, such as the creation of light sabers and the ritual that goes along with it.
Anyways, go buy this film even if you are not a hard core Star Wars fanatic.
43 Best Starwars ever!
I'll keep this simple and short. Gendy is a genious with animation, style, and story telling. This adaptation of the starwars universe from the eyes of Gedy is just stunning. He packs more story in just a few min of on screen animation than the entire starwars movies ever did. If you are not really a Starwars fan, Pick this up and give it a view, I think you'll become a fan of clone wars.
44 Clone Wars, here and now, where they belong.
Ok, I'm a Star Wars fan. But this does not mean that I like everything with "Star Wars" in it. I had never seen a single chapter of the Star Wars: Clone Wars series so when I finally had this DVD I was surprised.
I personally think that individually each chapter is very fun to watch. It's pure Star Wars in its own way. The problem is that as a single feature it really does not work for me. Don't get me wrong, I did like it, but after a while you really can't see the delicate connection between the chapters. For me, it has to flow like music, with some pauses and with some fireworks of course. Since this micro-series was conceived as individual chapters it doesn't have this seamless connection, and it can appear a little formulaic. Huge space dog fights, cool Jedi action, cool Clone trooper action and repeat.
Putting this aside, this is what we wanted, is it not? If you have in mind, that this is a short-chapter based idea everything is fine.
The video quality is excellent, bright colors, traditional animation combined with some computer based animation. The character design is cool; it really captures the personality of the movie characters. For example, Obi-Wan Kenobi's formality, Yoda is grumpy-yet-cute, Anakin reflects that youthful defiance and Count Dooku is kind of arrogant and "too sure of himself".
The audio quality is great. The series uses the sounds from the movies, its all here from laser fire, star fighter engines to the always-cool light saber. It uses a Dolby Surround 2.0 setting, in English, Spanish and French.
The Special features are good. I'm not personally attracted to the still galleries and storyboards. The director commentary is slow at first but latter on he starts to reveal more `unknown' information. The Hyperspace commentary is more of the same.
Be sure to check the Clone Wars Vol. 1 before Episode III.
45 Better than Episode I
This series is awesome on so many levels. It's non-stop action and great storytelling. You will want to become a Jedi after watching this series. It will also reignite your excitement for Star Wars if you have been put off by the first 2 prequels. This should be the direction Star Wars goes in after the final movie. The storytelling possibilities are endless. I can't recommend Clone Wars enough. Also check out Clone Wars Vol. 2 free online at Cartoon Network to what happens right before the beginning of Episode III!
46 The force is strong with this one!
I decided to purchase Clone Wars because I completely missed the micro-series on cartoon network. Needless to say, I was not disapointed. The animation was decent (you either liked it or didn't) and the story was story was compelling and better dialogue than the current movies. The voice work was very close to the movie actors (especially whoever's voicing Obi-Wan). That, plus it's now 100% Jar-Jar free, makes this a must see.
47 "You Fought In The Clone Wars?"
Say what you will of the prequals. Myself? Aside from a few misteps, I think they're fine. Maybe lacking in heart, but poineering films nonetheless. But how anyone cannot see how special this little series of cartoons are, then you are jaded beyond hope. Had these been available when I was young and soaking in everything Star Wars during the eighties, I may have decided never to grow up. That is if I ever did to begin with.
Having peiced the entire first two seasons together, The Clone Wars plays out like a short animated feature film. The picture quality is stellar, and all those sound effects that, in my mind, make up a third of what makes Star Wars as powerful as it is, race through your speakers and gives these stories their momentum. We finally get to see the clone wars in all their glory. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for season three to complete this gap in the Star Wars saga. I think this DVD might just be enough to tide me over until Revenge Of The Sith. But only "just".
48 I am NOT a Star Wars Fan...
I don't know. Maybe it's just the fact that being a huge fan of Star Trek most of my life, while all of my Star Wars fan friends picked on me for being a Trekkie. Maybe it's all of the hype surrounding each entry of the series. Maybe it's something else entirely. I don't know. All I do know is that I have never been very fond of the whole Star Wars universe. I mean, I've watched the original trilogy, and Attack of the Clones. They're not bad movies, but I just don't see what all the fuss is that people make about them.
That said, I recently had the opportunity to see the 2003 Cartoon Network short series "Clone Wars", and I must say that it is absolutely incredible. The action is intense. The story arc is engaging. The character/ship designs are cool. The music is great (I love the use of various John Williams cues from the films, esp. the love theme from Attack of the Clones, while Anakin is looking at Padme while taking off to go to battle).
In all my years, I have never gotten as much enjoyment out of a Star Wars title as I have with "Clone Wars".
If you are already a die-hard Star Wars fan, then you probably already have this title and don't need me to tell you how great it is.
If you are either an arm-chair fan, a newbie, or a non-fan like myself, then I can not recommend enough that you check this show out immediately. I would be very surprised if you don't enjoy it.
49 Finally... a great Star Wars story outside the feature films
The STAR WARS GALAXY has finally been redeemed from the 1978 "Holiday Special" and those cheesy Ewok TV movies with this brilliant masterpiece of animation: CLONE WARS! In many ways this micro-series is everything the prequel films should have been. Volume 2, having just aired on Cartoon network, is even better! Can't wait for that DVD either... May the force be with you!!!
50 Why can't the prequels be this good?
That's the first thing I'd ask George Lucas. This animated DVD; although I never saw the cartoon network version..this one is much better than both prequels combined. I hope that someone at the Cartoon Network convinces Lucas for more of these. These are better than anything I have ever seen in Star Wars animated.
51 Impressive...MOST impressive
At first I dismissed it as being for children. I later caught it on boring saturday night on cartoon network. They played all of them, back to back.
I was amazed.
The story telling is fast and packed full of action. The fight scenes are not graphic and yet manage to convey a sense of weight to the battles.
The voice acting is good and not over done. They don't try to cram words in where they are not needed, they let the visuals tell the story. Which is effective considering each chapter orginally shown was only 5 minutes long.
The style of the animation reminded me of samuri jack, just a bit more colorful. The 69 minutes seems to just fly by when you are watching it.
I would buy it if you like Star Wars, Cartoons, or good action.
52 The heart of Star Wars is still beating...
...even if some among us feel it may not be at Lucasfilm anymore.
The Clone Wars cartoons were 19 3-minute shorts plus 1 10-minute finale that aired between fall 2003 and spring 2004 on Cartoon Network. But plenty of others have already praised the series, and I see no reason to disagree so I'll let their comments stand.
This is a review of the DVD itself. (NTSC Region 1 release)
If you're reading this, I will assume you can readily see the cover artwork for the DVD. All the artwork, inside and out, is done just as well, all in the same style as the cartoon itself. The DVD contains a single-page insert with an image of Anakin on one side and a list of chapters on the other. A+ for the artwork.
There are a few extras on the disc, nearly half of which are aimed at the game-playing public, and one which can only be accessed using an Xbox. Points off for that one. Why not a PC-playable demo version as well? Had they included that, they might have actually sold me an Xbox too.
A preview of Episode 3 has been included, but it's the original teaser trailer, so it's hardly a coup; any hardcore fan would have seen it many times by now. An exclusive trailer or brief sneak peak BTS would have been better. A few interesting commentaries and featurettes are also present, which does give the Extras Watcher something to do, if not much. Watch closely in the Extras material for brief glimpses of new Episode 3 footage. C+ on the Extras.
The main program is presented in a way that I expect will confuse a few people: It's been cut into a single 1 hour, 9 minute cartoon. This was done at the expense of a bit of audio here and a bit of animation there. In addition, there is no option to view the chapters individually as they were originally broadcast. The move will aggravate many purists, I suspect, but for me it is a welcome change. Or rather, a step in the right direction.
I say "step in the right direction" because the edit is not perfect. In cutting the shorts together, apparently little concern was shown to pacing changes and transitions between some of the chapters. Some wipes and cuts were abrupt and intrusive, and a few important music cues were cut short as though taken off by a Civil War surgeon (with a rusty hacksaw and no anesthesia).
On top of that, in at least one spot chapters were reordered entirely, although I've yet to figure out exactly what is gained in this change. (For those who are interested: The underwater battle was originally after Durge's charge and before Ventress's arena fight. It is now _before_ Durge's charge, moved from spot #5 to #4.) A minor irritation to me, but an irritation nonetheless. And I'm sure it will be yet another thorn in the side of many purists.
I will confess that- after the cartoons originally aired- I had cut together my own long-form version for easy viewing (As, I would suspect, have others) and can honestly say that the official edit could very easily have been done better. On a number of the transitions, they did exactly the same as I'd chosen to do. I'll even concede that one or two of theirs were better executed. But the rest seemed too choppy, and even disrupted the flow from one chapter to the next that should have come very easily.
As for the technical quality: With Lucasfilm at the helm, one can expect nothing less than top notch video and audio. On this DVD, that is exactly what you get. The sound and video are pristine.
Overall:
Program (not counting the edit): A+
Packaging (including the edit): C (A+ for the box, C- for the full-length edit)
My only real complaint is with the sloppy editting on the full length cartoon. Even with that flaw, though, I would consider this DVD a must-own for even the casual Star Wars fan.
53 Clone Wars!
After the fairly duff ewok cartoons released in the 1980s, Genndy Tartakovsky's fantastic, action-packed CLONE WARS is a delight to watch, with the great characters, fast-paced space battles and lightsaber fights aplenty. Some have argued that the action in CW is superior to Attack Of The Clones, and while the series does have its flaws (Mace Windu is way too powerful, Padme's story is slow and un-involving), there is still plenty to get excited about. The main two storylines concern Obi-Wan and his clone trooper army battling the fearless droid army leader, Durge. And Anakin faces his most dangerous enemy yet, the deadly dark Jedi, Assaj Ventress. Other Jedi such as Kit Fisto and Mace Windu have episodes devoted to their battles, which are impressive, but lack the enthusiasm of the main story. Overall however, this is definitely worth buying, and I can't wait for season 3 to be released!
54 Some just don't get it
This is another stylistic approach to the SW universe and I think it's wonderful. Whoever it is on here that has made the remark about the prequels being superior is obviously wanting someone, like myself, to call him on it. Well, happy to do it. The prequels (so far) have had their moments, but overall, they are not, nor ever will be, superior to the original trilogy. There is no "fun" to the prequels. There's just some great set-ups for ILM to animate, animate, animate. The political rumblings are fine, but jeez, let's get on with it. Why don't we have some history on the Sith? Ep 3 hopefully will have something in this department.
Clone Wars is a depart from the prequels style in that it's, get this, an friggin' cartoon! It's great. The style is great. It's so over-the-top and minimalist. And by "over-the-top" I mean that things happen which you will never see happen in a SW film. It's an take on the universe by a different artist. And by the way, don't think that Lucas just said, "Ok Cartoon Network, do whatever the hell you want with my precious brand." No sir, he's approving all of this.
So finally, Clone Wars is a wonderful ride and Volume 2 is just as great if not better so far. A great connector to Ep 3. I think some people were just expecting this to be either hardcore anime or some Disney looking nonsense. I think they got it just right. It feels like the SW of my youth and not the dull pace and happenings of the first two prequels.
55 Clone Wars: Many will love, some will hate.
Some background on me so you understand my point of view:
In 1977, I saw the orginal Star Wars at 7 years of age and there's no doubt it made an impression. Though I am a big fan of Star Wars, I'm not the type to dress up for a premiere, but you can pretty much bet I'll be at the midnight showing of Ep III. I thought Episode I was very weak, Episode II a little less so and have at least some hope for Episode III. But the originals will always be better IMO.
Now to Clone Wars... I agree with a number of the criticisms. Some of the scenes are silly, and over the top... However, you need to take the Clone Wars episodes in the context of the animation style. THIS IS NOT A STAR WARS MOVIE. It is an animation piece with some of the back story for the Star Wars genre.
The animation is done by the same fellow who created the Samurai Jack cartoons and the style is almost identical. If you don't like Samurai Jack, you probably will hate Clone Wars. The action is very over-the-top and a little goofty in many places (as cited by other reviewers) and the main characters generally display an invincibilty over an overwhelming number of foes (as does Samurai Jack).
However, I liked the change in style... If you take it as a fun piece of animation with good "fill in the blanks" back story included, and do not come into it expecting realistic action (it's animation, for goodness sake), then you'll probably enjoy it. Quite a few of the 5 minute episodes are very good.
Leave your fan-boy expectations behind a little, and enjoy it for what it is. A fun little romp in the Star Wars universe.
56 Keeps Me Quiet Until the New Movie
These are pretty cool to watch because Revenge of the sith hasn't come out but otherwise I don't think I would be excited. I'm not the hugest fan of the animators that did all of the pieces. They're not bad but they arn't very good either. I felt like a lot of space dogfights and lightsabre battles were canned, but of course even a lame light sabre battle is still pretty cool. Rendering of certain characters wasn't particularly good either. Specifically I'm referring to yoda and anakin but I thought Obi-wan and Dooku were right on. I wish that lucasfilm had taken the same approach that Wachowski's took with animatrix and commissioned various animators to do longer pieces.
My favorite episodes were those that focused on characters that previously havn't gotten much exposure. Particularly those that focused on the elite clone unit and Kit Fisto. I think Chapter 14 with Barriss Offee and Luminara Unduli is the best although I have no clue why the droids which can turn invisible bother to become visible again right before they attack???
I wish that more story had been developed but that is admittedly difficult given the length of each piece. There was barely any dialogue in this that isn't just a rehash of things in episode II.
One thing that certainly stands out in these pieces is the voice talent. I had thought they used the original actors until I read otherwise.
The Mace Windu episode is just silly and makes him into an interesting combination of superman and the flash. It misses a crucial opportunity to do something interesting with a farmboy introduced in the first seconds but settles for a ridiculous battle against a gigantic trash compactor. It's definitely cool in some parts but proves that mace doesn't need a lightsabre light the other sissy jedi (or probably even a spaceship for that matter).
Then there were things that were downright stupid, like the heavy artilery that can be taken out with a single hit from a LANCE.
I don't want all my complaining to mislead you, there are a lot of extremely cool scenes that will run a shiver up a true star wars fan's back. Still there are enough dumb scenes to give this only three stars.
57 Not quite as good as the prequels...
But pretty awesome. It'll never match the greatness of the prequels coming out now (which are arguably better than the original trilogy), but its still great and fills up some gaps in the story line from Ep.II to Ep.III. Get it if you've ever been curious about the clone wars!
58 It can't get any worse than this!
You can put the Star Wars logo on a bag of dog crap & the fans will "eat" it up and ask for seconds! Better than the movies? SMOKE ANOTHER ONE BUDDY!
This show is absolutely horrible! I've been a fan of Star Wars since I was 4 years old,I'm 32 now. Watching this is painful. Reading good reviews of this no-talent trash is painful! How can anybody do this to Star Wars? The animation was un-watchable. This is what people call good,or even worse, "superb" animation these days? This is on the same goofy,construction paper cut & paste level of Southpark. Anakin didn't look or sound anything like the real Anakin. Yoda looks like a leprechaun on crack!
There was no story at all,just battle after battle that lead nowhere! The voices were a joke! And what's with Dirge? Was he multi-colored bubblegum or cotton candy,I couldn't tell? Or maybe just a bad Akira rip-off? That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen in the Star Wars universe. I watched the first 3 quarters & had to shut it off.
You're telling me that hopping on a speeder bike & then jousting with AT-TE's is cool? One stab & the walker blows up? The character on the bike was almost as big as the AT-TE? Mace Windo is completely invincible. Padme looked like a reject from a powerpuff girls episode. I swear to God 99% of these reviews must be from 3 year olds or younger! Almost every frame of this show was idiotic!
I hope this isn't where the future of Star Wars is heading.
If you want a Star Wars DVD with a story avoid this.
If you want it to be realistic based on what Lucas established for the Star Wars universe in the movies,then REALLY AVOID THIS!
If you want good animation that shows talent then look elswhere.
Complete garbage! Avoid at all costs! -5 stars
People just don't have any taste these days! Want proof? Spongebob is popular! There ya go!
59 I wish I could give this more stars!
If you haven't been able to catch this incredible miniseries , (or is it micro-series?), on the Cartoon Network and see what all the buzz is about, now is your chance to catch up on this eye-popping masterpiece. I kept missing it on TV, and have been hoping they would do soemthing like this. With this DVD you can see every one of the 20 episodes actually known as "Chapters", either in order, in the order you choose, or a neat feature allows you to play them all as one seamless 69 minute storyline. Clone Wars was adapted to animation by one of the finest animators of our current time, Genny Tartakovsky. He is the creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and others. Tartakovsky has an ability to load tremendous storyline and visual punch into short time frames, and he knows how to say so much without any dialogue. Again, see Samurai Jack. As a result, his treatment of Clone Wars garnered him an Emmy Award for TV's Outstanding Animated Program. By the way, the voice actors are excellent at mimicking the original actors.
This is in widescreen despite the fact it was made for television! The action in these Star Wars shorts takes place in between the most recent two live action films in the saga, Episode II, Attack of the Clones and Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, and actually adds some to the storyline. What a brilliant concept! These chapters are the battles of the Clone Wars. All of our old friends are here: Anakin Skywalker, C-3PO, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, R2-D2, Padme Amidala, Master Yoda, Jedi Mace Windu, Palpatine, the Clone Troopers, the Droid Army, as well as new Jedi and Sith characters. Another new bad guy is the bounty hunter "Durge".
There are battle scenes that keep up with any in the Star Wars movies, and the collaboration with Lucas Films is always evident in the advancing storyline that matches what is anticipated in the next movie, as well as tying into the previous movies in clever ways. Anakin continues to creep toward the dark side, giving us glimpses of who he will become. My favorite is when Annakin who shows off his incredible pilot skills says, "I have you now" while bearing down on another ship for the kill. We also see more troubles with Anakin as he acts like a hothead, arguing with Obi-Wan and dueling Sith fighters. The chapters are heavy on action and hint at the political intrigue behind the war. Skywalker and master Kenobi fight for the Republic alongside the Clone Army against the Separatist Droid army led by Count Dooku and his Sith apprentice Asajj Ventress.
The DVD is loaded with extras, such as behind the scenes featurettes, commentaries, galleries, trailers, interviews, and English, French, and Spanish tracks. Believe it or not, it also has an Xbox console playable demo of the game Republic Command.o The Cartoon Network is advertising a new season starting soon, Cloen Wars Season II, and I don't want to miss it. Many thanks to the studio for making this DVD available to the fans, especially in such a smart accessible format.
60 A New Hope
I'm a big nerd.
I don't want to be excited about Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, I really don't. Lucas' last two movies have dulled what was a bright spot of my childhood.
So why am I watching the old movies (yes, even Episodes I & II), reading Labyrinth of Evil and playing Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy?
Somehow excitement about Star Wars stuff is just hard-wired into me, no matter how much Jar Jar you throw in.
Thankfully, Genndy Tartakovsky and crew have given me a new hope (pun intended) with the beautifully conceived Clone Wars, Vol. 1.
Airing originally on Cartoon Network and bridging Episodes II & III, Tartakovsky's animated shorts have the goods. Twenty episodes follow Anakin, Obi-Wan and a host of other Jedi as they wage the long awaited Clone Wars.
There's plenty to keep Star Wars aficionados happy. Memorable quotes include a few "I've got a bad feeling about this" and a nice homage to Vader with Anakin commenting "I have you now" with an enemy in his ship's sites. I'd have loved to have seen a nice stormtrooper head bumping, but what are you gonna do.
The episodes that impressed me most included the Kit Fisto underwater battle (this makes Aquaman look like a punk), the Mace Windu sequence (although I could have done without the doe-eyed anime child onlooker), and the hissing lightsaber duel in the rain between Anakin and Asajj Ventress.
George, buddy, take a cue from Clone Wars! Less political wrangling about separatists and more cool stuff like this that made Star Wars great in the first place.
(BTW, check out the latest episodes on Cartoon Network and at StarWars.com. You get to see C3PO showing off his new bod!)
61 This is a must have for Star Wars fans.
I enjoyed watching these on Cartoon Network the first time around, but seeing them edited together and with surround sound it was awesome. So complain of the story, but these were not ment to be one long story, but short glimpses into the events of the Clone Wars. Buy this and enjoy it and count the days till volume two is released on DVD.
62 Really entertaining
I didn't see this short movie on the cartoon network. I didn't even know about it until I saw it here on Amazon. The animation is really cool and the colors are vibrant. The plot follows after Attack of the clones. Really cool. I hope that they make more of these films. Lucas says that he is not going to make any more movies. Well how about making another cartoon that spans between episode III and episode IV. It would be cool to see Darth Vader kick some A$$ for about 20 years.
63 Keep Cloning this series
Having viewed 'The Clone Wars' last night, I must say it was an awesome concept that bridges the gap between Episode II and Episode III. Lots of action, less dialogue.
Sure, I'm 32 years old, and get scoffed at times for watching cartoons (but the Simpsons shouldn't really be considered a cartoon in my opinion, same for King of the Hill) but this has to be considered up there with Japanime. It definitely holds your attention throughout.
My input is that they should not stop here. Bridge the gap between Episode III and Episode IV. Why stop there? Bridge them all!! Cheaper to do, and a lot less time than waiting for 3 years for a movie to come out.
64 IF you like the Series get this!
This is a very good DVD, personaly I think the best feature is that they bridge every chapter so that you dont have to watch that anoying Star Wars Clone Wars opening thing twenty times. Also at the end of all twenty episodes they have real credits (who is the voice of who etc.). I also like watching trailers for things and this DVD has three - The Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the SIth TEASER TRAILER ( not the theatrical trailer which you saw after the O.C. on the tenth of march or saw in the movie theaters with Robots, the Episode 3 video game trailer, and STar Wars Republic Commando's trailer. In addition there is concept art, "Bridging the Saga" with interviews from George Lucas, Genny Tarkovsky, and various people who made the Micro-Series, two different menus (one for light and one for dark) which come on at radom, good sound and picture quality. Their are more features than that too. It is worth every pennie.
65 Everything that the new Star Wars movies should be
The animated incarnation of Star Wars has come a long way since Droids and Ewoks back in the `80s. Clone Wars (2003-2004), which originally aired on the Cartoon Network, manages to reproduce the grand scale of the Star Wars films but trims them of unnecessary narrative fat and awkward dialogue that plagues Lucas' recent trilogy. The DVD collects all 20 installments of this visually arresting animated saga.
Each episode is like a mini- movie with Genndy Tartakovsky's uniquely stylized animation. He keeps the pace brisk with lots of exciting action: elaborate space battles, large scale ground assaults and plenty of fast and furious lightsaber-induced carnage. The battles rage in outer space and underwater (with an amphibious Jedi no less!). It all spools out like the vintage serials from the '30s and `40s that originally inspired George Lucas.
The style of animation is definitely cartoonish and exaggerated with a bit of a Japanese anime feel to it and this works, adding to the pulpy/serial vibe. Tartakovsky understands that you don't need a lot of dialogue when you have such arresting visuals that can speak for themselves. This results in a leaner, tighter, more exciting story. This mini-series is everything that the new Star Wars movies should be.
The "Director Commentary" provides a new cure for insomnia as Tartakovsky tends to narrate what we are seeing and explains the characters, vehicles and so on, which gets tedious very fast. If you enjoy hearing a lot of comments like, "Here are the Separatist drones..." or "And these are giant cannons," then this is the track for you.
The "Hyperspace Commentary" is a vast improvement as Tartakovsky talks about technique and explains the look of the series, voice casting, etc. He points out the use of CGI and how it was blended in with the regular animation.
"Bridging the Saga" is a seven-minute featurette that examines the Clone Wars' place in the Star Wars universe. Lucas says that the animated series allowed him to show the Clone Wars, which in the films only starts at the end of Episode 2 and ends at the beginning of Episode 3.
"Videogames" features trailers for two Star Wars games and a playable XBox demo.
"Behind the Scenes" is a featurette that gives a brief look at how the mini-series came together. Various crew members geek out as they finally realized their dream of contributing to the Star Wars universe.
Finally, there is a teaser trailer for Episode 3.
66 Non stop action
As a Star Wars fan I bought this right away. The animation is wonderful and the action is non stop. There is little dialogue and it's not missed, since there's so much action you don't feel lost. This is the first volume of the Clone Wars saga that bridges Star Wars Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. There are several stories that show what the Jedi are going thru at this time. I'm anxiously awaiting the next set of stories to bring us to the Revenge of the Sith.
67 Hmm...
I love the cartoons and I'm certainly glad to see them on DVD. But...
We all know that 'Volume 2' is going to come out later this year. So, what happens when those cartoons go on DVD? You end up buying 2 DVDs. Well, since these cartoons are 'shorts' it reasons well enough that all of the cartoon shorts can fit on only 1 DVD, and that is the DVD I want to buy. So, I'm hesitant to purchase this one and get suckered.
68 Much better than TV shorts...
This DVD makes the animated story much more enjoyable. I was so annoyed with the short format on Cartoon Network. Just as I was into the story, the episode ended. Now you can watch them back to back in this DVD which makes for an enjoyable 69 minutes. If you enjoy Star Wars and you are wanting to get ready for Episode 3 on May 19, 2005, then buy this. It will tide you over for a bit. Also, I would add that another reviewer is correct by saying this is much better than the Droids or Ewoks DVDs previously released.
69 Excellent episode 2.5!!
After watching these short cartoons on the Cartoon Network, I must say that they make every fan happy, well, those of us at least who have been wanting to see the clone wars since 1977! The bad thing is, though, that I, myself would have liked to have seen more of the clone wars in Episode II. Hopefully we'll get some good battles in Episode III. The animation on these cartoons is a little strange. By the way, everybody, my advice is, if you liked this, go onto ebay and buy one of the greatest films ever concieved, THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL. It is an interesting spin-off of star wars that these clone wars cartoon only wish they could have been!!
70 It all comes together
I would like to say first that this series rocks. I would also like to say to PHOTOGUY from Greenwood, IN who gave it one star and was disapointed with the way it ended and I see your point however CARTOON NETWORK is airing episodes 21-25 starting March 21 to MArch 26. It will pick up where 20 left off with Yoda at the Jedi Council. I'm sure that it will have a better ending to tie in with Episode III. So be patient my friend everything is going to be OK. Now what was disapointing was the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL from 1979
71 Disappointing
I realize that there wasn't much possibility for a plot to be established in the 3 minute clips of the "micro series," but I thought that there wasn't much more than some frenetic battle scenes, a few lines of dialogue thrown in, and characters running (or flying) all over the screen.
The art and animation were superb, but at the end of the series, I wanted the real thing as only George Lucas and company can deliver. I certainly won't buy this on DVD after seeing it for free on Cartoon Network. Also, I can't beleive that this series won an Emmy.
Bottom line for me: May 19th, 2005 is worth waiting for to see Revenge of the Sith. Accept no substitutes.
72 GENIUS!
One reviewer sites that any praise for this series deeming it superior to the recent live-action prequels is "inflammatory". I'm not sure why that is, but I do know that I enjoyed this set of shorts a great deal more than the soulless, empty and ultimately unnecessary recent feature-length films. There's nothing remotely inflammatory in my remark, it's simply my, and, apparently, many other's opinion. Just because someone dislikes something that (for whatever reason) you in fact do like, doesn't mean they're "hating". Also, how can anyone knock this brilliant collection of cartoons? "A rip-off of The Animatirix"? That's just asinine. And are you really defending the Star Wars prequels by stating that this cartoon series "consists of no plot, no story arc, no character development, and nothing but mindless action"? Ummm... that pretty much sums up the last 2 prequels.
Anyhow, this is a fantastically entertaining set of toons that any true Star Wars fan would be proud to add to his or her DVD collection.
73 Elevating Animation to Unprecedented Heights
Wow! All I can say is, shame on you George Lucas for allowing a cartoon to surpass your multi-million dollar epics in both action and story telling. Great, great fun!
74 Connecter of 2 & 3 of the greatest film saga ever conceived!
:-)
I have read the reviews on line here at Amazon.com about "Star Wars: Clone Wars - Volume One," some I agree with, others I don't. I remember when this series of animated shorts were released on the Cartoon Network and they are still saved on my TiVo and my girlfriend & I both agree that what made these 5-minute shorts better than their two live action predecessors was that George Lucas was not the director. Lucas was however the executive producer and the characters were created by Lucas himself and the stories were based on Lucas' backstory. George Lucas is a great storyteller, creating great characters and a great adventure to watch those characters grow within the film, but he is no director, and I was glad he finally stepped aside and let a real director take control.
Even though these shorts leave little room for character development within their single episode, put them together as this DVD does and you see plenty of development of many of the prequel's characters. We see how Obi-Wan got the rank of General and how much of a great hands on leader he is of his troops. We also see more of a division between Obi-Wan & Anakin. We are introduced to the female Dark Jedi, Asajj Ventress, as she "auditions" before Count Dooku to take the place left by Jengo Fett. We are also introduced to the powerful mercenary Durge as he fights against Obi-Wan's ground troops and personally fights Obi-Wan himself. We watch as Jedi Master Kit Fisto leads Arc Troopers in fighting to protect the planet Mon Calamari. We watch as Jedi Master Mace Windu single handedly takes out a whole division of droid warriors and their war machines. We are introduced to female Jedi Luminara Unduli and her female padawan Barriss Offee as they defend the crystal caves at the Jedi Temple on the planet Ilum and are later rescued by Yoda & PadmŽ. With Anakin we see the subtle romantic feelings between secret newlyweds Anakin & PadmŽ as Anakin departs for the war, and we see how Anakin got the title of "the best starpilot in the galaxy." We also see Anakin come even closer to the Dark Side of the Force when Anakin comes face to face with Asajj Ventress, as Obi-Wan, Mace Windu, Yoda & Qui-Gin all sense Anakin's battle with the Dark Jedi. And we see many Jedis & Padawans fight alongside the three Jedi Masters Ki-Adi-Mundi, Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti as they fight the unstoppable General Grievous, the Jedi killer. This set of 20 animated shorts has been spliced together into an hour and half animated movie.
This is a great series and a must watch for all those who plan on seeing "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" and don't forget to check out volume two when it premiers on the Cartoon Network on May 21st, 2005, two days after the premier of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." The entire "Star Wars: Clone Wars - Volume One" was filmed on widescreen film so it is best to watch in widescreen mode and in a home theater atmosphere to get the best of the great sound. Highly recommended!
75 Better than the prequels? Are you on Crack?
How can 20, five minute cartoons that consist of no plot, no story arc, no character development, and nothing but mindless action be better than Episodes I or II? This is just an inflammatory remark that has absolutely no merit whatsoever. Stop hating and even more important stop over praising this interesting but ultimately shallow "micro series." Its a lame attempt at trying to emulate the Animatrix and it fails quite miserably.
76 This is way better than the 2 prequels, deserves 7 stars!!
Gendy Tartakovsky makes the best star wars stories since the original, in a animated and small package, better than the prequels with only 1 problem, they are 20 chapters of 3 minutes long each, but, this dvd doesn't have this problem, they edit the series making it one single run, and boy, what a run, not for nothing this won and emmy!!
77 A fun treatment
This series is strictly a filler, being more about action and less on plot... and that is totally fine considering the format it was presented (3 minutes at a time, which I found annoying actually). But it was just incredibly fun to watch. I can tell that Tartakovsky is a fan and I doubt that anyone else could have done a better job. His imagining of Jedi power is precisely what I had imagined and, more importantly, what I think it should have been portrayed as in the movies.
For an action cartoon, he did it absolutely right. Very little dialog, no mindless banter and interjections that you'd see on other action cartoons. I especially love the long sequences of fighting choreography. Nice framing for the action and very stylized, while not being flashy. The cartooning was quality and the characitures were fun, particularly the facial expressions on Yoda.
While I think that a comparison to the movies, as so many other reviewers have done, is inappropriate I do believe that this is an incredibly worthy production that deserves to be fully blessed as part of the Star Wars canon.
78 Clone Wars, and absolute triumph in story telling!!
The Clone wars series, shown on the Cartoon Network, was the greatest thing that that network ever aired. On top of that, it was the greatest offshoot of Star Wars related material ever created. I have seen alot of the Star Wars based TV spots, and pseudo movies made since the original trilogy, and nothing has been as exciting, and informative as these shorts. I was addicted immediately, and frustrated that I could only see them for five minutes at a time, and then had to wait months to see episodes eleven through twenty to finish this saga.
I was an instant fan of the original three in the seventies when "Star Wars" came out, and never really understood why it was episode IV, but still loved it anyway. Empire is by far my favorite, and Jedi, allthough many have a problem with it making such criticisms' as," is was like a muppet show", I thought was great too. I only wish that George Lucas, made the new movies with the same technology that he made the originals with. There is way too much computerized animation for me in the first two episodes, and thank God he downplayed Jar-Jar Binks' role in EpisodeII.
Back to the Clone Wars now, the story, and info given by the twenty, five minute episodes is essential to a full understanding of what the empire did to the Jedi, and why when we were all introduced to Star Wars, there was only Luke, Vader, Ben Kanobi, and eventually Yoda to show that Jedi ever existed. The Clone Wars is an excellent part of the big story, and is absolutely a must see if you are really interested in what goes on,in between what we all have seen on the big screen. I can't wait to receive my "Clone Wars" as soon as it becomes available on DVD.
Joe Mullaney
79 Star Wars Episode 2.5
Star Wars Clone Wars Volume 1 takes place 4 months after the events of Attack of the Clones. Since then the Clone Wars have traveled across the galaxy like fire. Hundreds of worlds have been engulfed in the horror of a massive galaxy war. The Jedi knights have been called to lead the clone army. While the movies show the beginning and the end of the Clone Wars the expanded universe has done the job of showing all the middle events. This cartoon is certainly exceptional. Its easily the best Star Wars cartoon by far. In fact its superior to The Phantom Menace and Return of the Jedi. Its Jar Jar and Ewok free. The cartoon shows multiple Clone Wars battles of many characters. She Mace go phyco on a whole mess of droids, see Obi-Wan as a general, See how lightsabers are made, and see some of the best lightsaber duels around. The cartoon has a lot of cool vilians. Dooku is at his best. Since the fact that hes evil is no longer a mystery as in the movie he is free to show off more then in the movie. We also get Durge and Assji Ventress. Both have been introduced in earlier comics and are awsome in animated form. Durge, who reminds me of Terminator 2s T-1000, gives Obi-Wan quite a match against this seemingly unkilable foe. Assji Ventress was a character planned for both of the previous prequel movies but got scraped both times. We now see her in this cartoon. She is a very tortured character and the battle she gives Anakin gives an awsome forshadowing on Anakins eventuel turn. By far the most important villian appearance has to be the introduction of General Grievous. The Military Cyborg killing machine who is the major villian of Revenge of the Sith. Grievous is unstopable. His fast, dangerous, and unholy fighting is absolutly amazing. I can't wait to see him as a realistic digital model on the big screen. He is sure to be awsome. Clone Wars Volume 1 ends with a cliffhanger for Volume 2. The 3 minute format kind of bothered me. For this DVD all 20 short episodes have been edited together into a single hour long movie. I am very happy about this but I am very dissipointed by the fact that we are having two seperate releases. Since both volumes only are 1 hours each they could easily have been given a single release as a single 2 hour movie and have plenty of room for extras and a 5.1 track. The fact that we are getting two seperate releases with only a 2.0 track feels like a very cheap attempt to get our money. Despite this I still recommend Clone Wars Volume 1 with a whole heart.
80 Clone Wars is FANtastic!
This DVD has 20 3 minute chapters of the Cartoon Network-aired CLONE WARS. The animation is slick and the characters have very simplistic style to them. Each has a distinct trait that is very well drawn. The story splits into a few directions as most Star Wars adventures do. It's a real treat to follow each story arc and delve into the ways of the Force.
My personal favorites are Kit Fisto's underwater battle on Mon Calimari. And the solo mission of the clone ARC troopers.
If your a fan of the prequel trilogy, you must enjoy the Clone Wars on DVD...
81 Almost better than the movies
For fans of both animation and sci-fi this is one of the best movies ever made. A prequel to the third Star Wars, it gives you a bigger insight to the events that would ultimately change the universe forever.
Directed by Gennedy Tartakovsky (Samurai Jack, Dexter's Lab), this movie is fast, action-packed exitement with all the thrills and fx of the real time movies. A must see dvd for anyone and everyone. Buy it now!!!
82 Cool Show
The Clone Wars Series aired on Cartoon Network shortly after Star Wars Episode II came out. This is the chance to check out the events between episode II and III. The animation is from the creator of Dexter's Lab, Powerpuff Girls, and etc... The Clone Wars is not aimed at kids but at fans of Star Wars, but if you have a subscription to Hyperspace on starwars.com you can check out all twenty episodes. The action is faced paced and very little dialoug exsists(a sort of George Lucas directory, he likes to visually tell the stroy not the dialoug). One problem that persists in the clone wars episodes is that the chapters are only 3 to 4 minutes long which cause breaks in the action, it essentially slows down the pace. Otherwise, for the price that amazon is selling this for pick it up.
83 Star Wars; Clone Wars
When I first heard about the series in production, I was initially skeptical, what with the previous attempts to animate Star Wars, such as Ewoks & Droids, which enjoyable, were not as good as Star Wars itself. From the 1st Chapter, I was hooked! The animation in Clone Wars is FAR superior to those 80's cartoons, and the story enthralling as Obi-Wan and Anakin lead a charge on the Separatist's armies on Muunilist. The characters from the Clone Wars novels and comics also appear in this series; Durge and the enigmatic Asajj Ventress, yet the series stands alone by itself. The main focus is Obi-Wan and Anakin, but other plots also take place, including Yoda and Padme's rescue of Master Luminara Undili and Jedi Bariss Ofee, Mace Windu taking on an army of Super Battle Droids, and the first appearance of Episode III's new supervillain, General Greivous. If there is any downside to this series, it's the nervous Jedi Padawan Sha' ag Gi (or however it's spelled) in the last chapter. Buy this DVD and enjoy it! Oh, and one last thing; Anthony Daniels does the voice of C-3PO!!!!
84 The best Star Wars since Episodes IV, V, and VI
Tartovsky does an excellent job with the mythos of Star Wars, creating wonderful visions of the long battles of the Clone Wars. Each battle is decisive and shows the slowly fading brilliance of the Jedi and the power of the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
What can be daunting for n00b5 is the lack of introduction for characters such as Asaj Ventress, Kit Fisto, and many others. Essentially, to really appreciate the significance of the fights, you'll have to do some research online to know the names of the smaller players.
The animation is fairly close to Tartovsky's other project, Samurai Jack. The dubbing is well done, and the music is acceptable. There are no stupidly cute moments. Since each segement is fairly short, dialogue is sparse and to the point. This is not to say that the shorts are without drama, however. Among the events shown are the destruction of a Jedi Crystal Temple, a raid on Munilist, and the creation of powerful new fighting droids.
I'd also like to add that
seeing Anakin enter a violent rage while he was fighting Asaj towards the end was far more interesting than the whiny geek teenager he was portrayed as in Episode II.
This is an excellent adaptation that advances the plot and allows fans of Star Wars to see just what their favorite pre-Empire characters were up to in the Clone Wars. This is a shot in the arm for people who missed decent sci-fi on television.
85 Worthless filth!
This isn't a review for the DVDs, but they are for the show which I saw on cartoon network. Okay, my title simply is understated for the unrealistic idiocy of this show! In one episode a jedi is using his lightsaber underwater pure madness! If the writers did any research on Star Wars they could make something worthwhile. The voices are terrible and some episodes are totally unrealistic, Mace Windu destroying an entire army of thousands of super battle droids on Dantooine, which is, nontheless a planet inhabited by primitive natives. In another, these guys on speeder bikes with long spears vaporize AT-TEs. Please. This is ridiculous trash made for 7 year olds. If you're smart, you'll stay away from these!
After reading the completely hilarious review by "Shrike_Machina". I've decided to edit my original review. I recently watched the latest episodes on Cartoon Crapwork. Garbage. Plain and simple. If this is where Star Wars is headed than I will puke out my guts in a horrendous manner,and it would probably look better than Mace Windu. Palpatine's face looks like a Botox injection gone wrong. All of you 3 year-olds out there going to say this review is "unhelpfull" should stop to rethink your life.
I hope some people with brains actually realize that this stuff is trash and write one star reviews so the average customer rating goes down to the sewer. Overall, stuff this DVD into a turbolaser and blast it into the crapper.
86 Better than the new Star Wars movies!
Okay, okay... that's not saying much, but these animated shorts are certainly on par with the original movies. Mr Tartakovsky and crew have an understanding of the Star Wars story and storytelling that Lucas seems to have lost. The animation isn't overdone or aided by computer graphics. It's animated in a similar style to Tartakovsky's other produced work (re: Samurai Jack). If you're looking for something that abuses computer animation, go watch Attack of the Clones.
If you're a fan of the original Trilogy, but find yourself let down by the newest movies, check this out -- you'll be very glad you did.
87 Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1 Coming to DVD March 2005
The Emmy Award-winning and critically acclaimed Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series is coming to DVD on March 22, 2005, and here's a first look at the box art of this action-packed release that blends the epic scope of Star Wars with a unique animated style.
Obi-Wan Kenobi fights a messy battle with an alien bounty hunter; Anakin Skywalker engages in an epic lightsaber duel in the decrepit ruins of Yavin 4; Mace Windu single-handedly takes on an entire droid army -- these are some of the unshakable images of micro-series, enjoyed by viewers of the Cartoon Network as well as members of Hyperspace: The Official Star Wars Fan Club.
All 19 three-minute chapters and the five-minute long Chapter 20 of the first round of Star Wars: Clone Wars are gathered together in this release. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky with Art Direction by Paul Rudish, the Clone Wars series are a fresh, stylized take on Star Wars that remains true to the spirit of the saga. They chronicle some of the epic battles that occur between Episodes II and III as the Clone Wars rage across the galaxy.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1 debuts on DVD on March 22, 2005. Cartoon Network will host the premiere of the all-new Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2 on March 21, one day before the DVD's release.
88 Star Wars: Jedi Wars
For those who don't already know, "Star Wars: Clone Wars" consists not of full-length television episodes, but rather of a number of 3-min. shorts that total up to slightly over an hour of viewing. Most of the first few episodes were quite excellently done, but over time the story drifted away from the Clone Wars themselves and became merely another means by which to showcase Jedi wiping out Battle Droids by the thousands in totally one-sided skirmishes. It's not that I mind Jedi- I want as much Mace Windu or Kit Fisto action as I can get- but the series hardly lives up to its namesake "CLONE Wars" if all the Stor-oh, [SARCASTIC TONE]forgive me[/SARCASTIC TONE], Clone Troopers get wiped out in seconds, only for a single Force-wielder to drive entire armies into surrender in seconds. And while I don't mind there being mercenaries with lances, I do mind if it gets as cheesy as it does.
Still, the animation was excellent and I liked the art style. The whole story builds on Episode II, set on a battle-ridden world with Anakin steadily going further down the path of the Dark Side. Count Dooku sends in a mercenary to deal with a band of Clone Troopers led by Obi-Wan, and takes as his apprentice a Sith-in-training who dual-wields Lightsabers. Ignoring his master's orders, Anakin pursues the Sith to the future home of the Rebel Base in ANH, and then... well, you have to wait and see. There are a number of stray episodes in there as well, many of them tying in with the Expanded Universe.
Overall, I felt it was well-done graphically, and deserves to be on DVD- howeverm only if it is at a slim price range. No matter how good the animation is, there's still only so much value you can give an hour-long cartoon.
89 The best Starwars cartoon ever
I Loved the clone wars only prob is it was only 5 mins each i say just combined them together on dvd to make one big action pack hour movie nobody wants to be getting into the action than thats it next chapter just all together call it episode 2.5 or just plan the clone wars. now i know that this will make way for more starwars cartoons maybe after episode 6 or way in the past before ep 1 all i know is i would love to see the japanese make an anime out of this it might rival the animatrix u never know this just gets every one heated up for episode 3 Revenge of the Sith ohhhh yeahhhhhhhhhh
90 I never liked cartoons.....till now!
I was never much of a cartoon person, even when I was young but 10 minutes of "Clone Wars" and I was hooked. I was always a fan of the Star Wars movies and was skeptic about the "CW" cartoon. The sound effects are awesome and the action is just as good if not better than the actual movies. This animated series really needs to be out on DVD. It would be nice to fill in the blanks of each movie. If not released....the Star Wars saga will be in-complete.
91 The Emmy win was appropriate for this mind-blowing series!
A recent airing of all twenty five-minute episodes on The Cartoon Network got me hooked on the series. It definitely deserves the DVD treatment with some added extras about the making of the saga, as well as deleted scenes (of which I am sure there are many).
To be honest, I enjoyed these "shorts" much more than I did the two theatrical prequels to the original "Star Wars" trilogy!
The animation definitely has a distinct style with the end credits revealing that it was done in South Korea.
The voice talent is dead on the mark, with the actors mimicking the voices of the movie actors flawlessly.
I just read that new episodes and expanded episodes will be aired in 2005.
Until that time, Lucas Films, Ltd. should really consider a DVD release.
92 PUT IT ON DVD!!!
Greatest. Cartoon. Ever.
Plllleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaasssse put this on DVD.
I didn't even get to see all of it, so I want to see the rest.
All my friends and I NEED to see this. We are all WAAAY-enthusiastic. For real.
93 The Force is still going strong with this one!!!
I gotta tell ya this, the idea of putting Star Wars onto a cartoon series was long over due! Sure a lot of people are saying "What's this!! This isn't Star Wars!!" If this was the case then anyone who group up in the 70's like I did(by the way folks,I turned 41 this year) and they call me "The Star Wars Man" over here because of the passion I have and for showing my stuff to kids and adults. I even have pics in the papers and on the internet of being not only the first American to get the tickets but also being the first one over all, and I gotta tell you that this guy is still lovin every bit of the Star Wars universe since I first saw it at the movies for the first time back in the 70's. Then people would say(like they did here in Germany) wait! where is Luke,Han & Leia!! This is not the Star Wars I know with all this new stuff!! Well different times calls for different ways and for Ep.I, II, and soon to hit the world next year Ep.III.it all boils down to one and only one thing..."STAR WARS ". True the cartoon is not what a lot expected, but when you look at it as a whole it is Star Wars and The Clone Wars can only be the begining of what might be yet to come! Who knows what other ideas are out there and what is being done now! Star Wars "The Clone Wars" is a wonderful experience for both young and old.I for one will be honored to own the complete set on dvd! May The Force Be With Us All!!!
94 Clone Wars is about the best Cartoon right now!
What can I say... the best out there right now... great fights. Padme could have had a little more fighting. But the Anakin and Obi-Wan fights were great!
Some people should make a paperdoll of the Cartoon Clone Wars versions! (Padme, Anakin...)
95 May fill in the gaps, but I can't stand the animation style
Let me say this right off the bat. I REALLY don't like Tartakofsky's animation style. I don't like the look of any of his stuff. Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, etc. None of it appeals to me. I tried watching a few episodes of this and while the storyline isn't bad (I'm guessing, based on the similarity of storylines across various mediums -- books, comics, TV, etc., that the people making Clone Wars spin offs have been given an overall outline to work from), but I just couldn't get past my distaste for the animation style.
Look, when I watch Star Wars, I want it to look like Star Wars, not like part of the Cartoon Cartoon lineup. If you're comfortable with any old animation style, don't really care, or like Tartakofsky's approach, you'll likely enjoy this. If you are ambivalent about it, chances are you won't like it much. Proceed at your own risk.
96 AWESOME MINI-SERIES!
If this doesn't come out on DVD, I'd be so mad. Sammari Jack was an awesome show, and Star Wars with Sammari Jack influence is an amazing experience. I taped all but four episodes, two of which were the best ones, so I'd really like it if they'd make this, and so do you. Trust me.
97 Fills in the Gaps
I found that this series filed in a lot of gaps, similar to the Episode 1 explanation of Midaclorians (sp?). The fast paced, serialized structure of the serries is very interesting. I love how I suddenly "jumped to the edge of my seat", ok recliner, on several occasions. I can't wait for the DVD to be released!
98 Just like the new movies good action bad plot
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible!
This series suffers from the same problems as the new movies, horrible plot, and a perversion of the characters from the original series. Just like the new movies the action was cool and I enjoyed every lightsaber battle, but I never cared who won. In fact the obi-wan in the new movies was more recognizable than the blood thirsty general they portray him as here. This series is at its best when it is just long dialogue free battles, but then why not just watch Samurai Jack at least that has characters I care about and it doesn't further tarnish the universe of Star Wars.
99 RELEASE ON DVD!!!!
Even the "making of" was excellent! I can't stand the suspense! I've recorded every episode in order and transferred to VCD, but I'd much rather have a crisp, clean picture and 5.1 sound so that I can feel the thrusters of Anakin's ship knocking me back in my seat! THX sound would be fantastic for this movie (since it is, more or less, episode 2.5). I find it more entertaining than Episode II, and it cleans up some of the loose ends that would have been forgotten with the release of Episode III. Genndy, is a genius! Lucas, you're a great man for allowing this to be made! Just take the next inevitable step and release it on DVD at least in time for Christmas!
100 George Lucas, you better be taking notes . . .
Having grown up with the original trilogy (I was born May 25, 1977. No joke. Look it up SW fans), I have to say that so far the prequals have NOT been Star Wars films at all. They do not capture the essence of the original trilogy.
However, these little cartoons, these Clone Wars 'toons bring the magic and essence of Star Wars back to Star Wars. They are worthy of the original trilogy. The writing and stories are exciting and action packed (wow, even space bat
