Star Wars: The Clone Wars: A Galaxy Divided (2008)--2/5

By writing this up, I'm doing it a bit more justice than it deserves. In a crass marketing move, this disc packages the first four episodes of the first season of "The Clone Wars." The first episode is unrelated to the following three and the title, "A Galaxy Divided," means nothing. Furthermore, the entire season has twenty-two episodes. Studios moved on from this splitting-up-seasons garbage years ago, at about the time "Star Trek: TOS" came out in a complete season set.

The entertainment value of "The Clone Wars" is questionable. The open-ended series allows for variety and experimentation in plots. Each episode doesn't carry the weight of the "Star Wars" films, released every three years to the sobs of disappointed fanboys. The show is at it's best during scenes of pure action; space battles look as good as those in the films.

It seems like "The Clone Wars" could tell exciting, inconsequential stories forever. The series is more "Star Trek"* than "Star Wars," with plots tidily resolving themselves. But it still has an snobbish sense of canonical importance. If Anakin is a bit more aggressive than usual, it must be a key ingredient in his journey to the Dark Side--cut to extended close-up of his snarling face. Everything has already been set up, by "Episode II." "The Clone Wars" needs to loosen up.

Each modern "Star Wars" iteration has a rotating annoyance (Jar-Jar, Hayden Christensen, and others). George Lucas has chosen the battle droids to fill the position in "The Clone Wars." They're even more incompetent than usual, missing targets that are three feet away, questioning orders, and screwing up simple tasks. They're programmed automatons! Fire the IT guys.


*Sorry about the two "Star Trek" references.