The Star Wars prequels have left a very bad taste in the mouth of fans and critics. Where once anything Star Wars was greeted with enthusiasm and open arms, now Star Wars is eyed suspiciously and with a cynical"prove it to me" attitude. That's rather unfortuante, I think. Although I agree that the prequel movies weren't nearly as good as the originals, I still enjoyed them. Perhaps because of my much less cynical attitude and the fact that I wasn't too disappointed by the prequels I still find Star Wars to be a lot of fun, and I felt no different about The Clone Wars. In fact, I still didn't feel any different after seeing it either.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is essentially the pilot episode to a new TV series, but only George Lucas could say "Let's putthe first epsiode of our showin movie theaters." Personally, I think this was a good move as I certainly want to see the series now that I've seen the setup. However, keep in mind that this is a setup for an ongoing series on TV, not just a movie. If you're expecting this to be a spin-off movie from the film franchise, you're likely to be disappointed. This is not the equal of or even on the same level as the movies, including the prequels. For some that may be condemning criticism, but that's not the way it's intended. I'm merely trying to explain what you can expect from this movie because going in with the right expectations can have a big impact on your experience.

The plot of this adventure centers around the abduction of Jabba's son. I know, that sounds kind of weird, but it's really just something to hang all the action sequences on. Still, the plot is serviceable and interesting, and it also introduces plenty of threads that will undoubtedly continue through the series itself. Still, the plot is fairly simplistic and because of that it never bogs down the action, of which there is plenty. In fact, this is probably the most action-packed Star Wars adventure I've seen on the big screen. Maybe it's just the kid in me, but there's just something special about the action in the Star Wars universe that always sends a thrill through my entire being, and I got plenty of that in The Clone Wars.

One of the main developments in the movie is the fact that Anakin receives a padawan of his own to trainin the way of the Jedi. I was intrigued by this new development in the story of Anakin, especially in light of an ominous statement made by Yoda. Ahsoka Tano makes a great foil for Anakin with her youthful enthusiasm, head strong obstinacy, slightly irreverent attitude, and natural talent. I think these two will be very interesting to watch through the course of the upcoming series, and the movie does a good job of setting up their story arc.

The Clone Wars also gives us a closer look at the relationship between the Jedi and the Clone Troopers, which makes the events of Revenge of the Sith even more poignant andtragic. Throughout this movie, we see how the Jedi have developed a very special relationship with the Clones, relying on them as comrades and friends more than as just soliders to fight a war with. We see hints of admiration and respect and even a little affection on both sides, and I really hope this is developed even more in the course of the series. The Clone Wars shows us that that the Clones have personalities and even individual identities, and in many instances are just as much the noble heroes as their Jedi counterparts. Its a fascinating insight that was completly missing from the prequel films, and I'm glad its included here.

One of the few things I really don't like about the prequels is how the understanding of the Force has been subtly changed. Once again, Anakin talks about the Force having a will, something that was never mentioned or even implied in the original films.I know, the original films were set in a time when Jedi knowledge had been lost while the prequels are when the Jedi are at their peak, but this whole concept of the Force having a will just doesn't fly with me. If you want the Force to be a mystical energy field created by life that certain individuals can tap into and manipulate, for good or for evil, fine, then let it be just that. When you start to say the Force has a will, suddenly we're not just talking about some impersonal energy field, but something that has a purpose, direction, plans and a personal interest in the outcome of events. If the Force has a will, then it's not impersonal. If it's not impersonal, then it is not neutral. If it's not neutral, it must either be good or evil. If it's good or evil, then either the Sith or the Jedi are purposely being deceived and misled by the Force.

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