Release Date: August 15, 2008
Watch Date: January 25, 2025
“As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, Anakin Skywalker and his new Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano plunge into a dangerous mission to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord Jabba the Hutt. The renegade Count Dooku is determined to make sure they fail, and with his deadly assassin Asajj Ventress in pursuit, this is a mission with grave consequences.”
I have been trying for a long time to watch The Clone Wars series. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that I can’t keep myself engaged in Star Wars content for too long, I get burnt out. Much to Bob’s chagrin. But at least I’m trying to watch and understand his one real fandom. We should at least appreciate this.
I had watched this film exactly one time before, and at that time I had never seen The Clone Wars series and I had no idea what was going on. I will, at least, give it credit that Ahsoka is introduced in this film, so Anakin just suddenly having a Padawan doesn’t actually cause too much confusion. And I can follow the plot of who most of the characters are, except Ventress who they seem to have a lot of history with and no matter how much Bob keeps trying to explain it to me, I simply cannot get my head around just who she is as a character.
I promise I’m trying.
The animated style has sort of become the classic animated style for Star Wars television shows, and I actually quite like it, though I’ve heard it’s much improved in the final season and that The Bad Batch – which also uses the same style – looks even better. But this kind of 3D but with heavy lines that make it look more hand drawn, kind of blocky…I like it. Dunno why, I’m sure other, smarter, people than me know what makes this aesthetic appealing. All I can say is that on first glance of the cover image I didn’t think I’d like the art style but watching it in action it’s actually quite well done and fits the setting.
Having now watched some of the series I can say that Ahsoka and Anakin’s relationship in the show comes off a lot better than here. It feels very forced, with Anakin not liking the Padawan, but then growing fond of her very quickly. Unnaturally quickly. Maybe that’s just Anakin’s inclination to love, but what do I know? I also think Padme was forced in the film just to be in the film, and her scenes and inclusion really did nothing to advance the plot and could have been kept out for an equally effective story.
All in all, this film isn’t Bob’s favorite inclusion in the franchise, despite the fact that he does love the television version of this series. He could, personally, live without it. I think it does a pretty good job of at least setting up the plot of the show, if you’ve never watched it before, and introducing you to some key characters and concepts – friendly clones (I love that each Jedi has their own little named clone buddy), narration in the beginning to orient you to the plot, a very creepy Yoda that looks like he could bite your face off with his sharp little gremlin teeth, and Anakin in a more professorial role. You may know how Anakin’s story pans out, but since no one has ever head of Ahsoka, or seen her in the third movie, you do at least want to know how that relationship works out. Where does she end up? Why is she there canonically in the middle of all of this but not even mentioned in passing in Revenge of the Sith? I still don’t know and Bob refuses to spoil it for me, so I guess it’s back to that Clone Wars series grind for me.
Doc and Bob's Disney Adventure 
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