Last night I was invited to a screening of Star Wars: The Clone Wars by friend and current SFBC editor, Rome Quezada (thanks, man!). We arrived just in time as the green Lucasfilm logo was upon the big screen and quickly found two empty seats.Then the action started and it didn't stop until the movie was over. Fun, fun, fun. I kept thinking about my two godsons and how much they would enjoy it (both being around four-years-old). There were Clone troopers, Separatist droids and of course Jedi battle it out scene after scene with the screen illuminated by bright blue and red blaster fire and good old light sabers.
The story is mainly of someone kidnapping Jabba the Hutt's son and each side trying to find and rescue him, realizing the importance of being in the Hutt's favor as they control the Outer Rim territories. There is also a sub-plot of young Anakin taking on a Padawan named Ahsoka. Their relationship is playful as the normally reckless Anakin shifts into the teacher position.
I must admit, when my adult [nerd] sensibilities kicked in, some little things bothered me. Mainly it was the idea that all this activity, battle, etc. occurs on the far off, obscure planet of Tatooine, therefore making it NOT the best secret location for an old Obi-Wan to become a hermit, OR a good locale to hide Luke Skywalker from his father (they didn't even change his name). And I have an entire droids issue, as R2D2 and 3P0 were in many locations that later seemed strange to them...it just doesn't always jive. But that's another story.
If you go in to see this film, looking to have fun, than that is what you will have, because it was just that. This definitely makes me want to go back and watch the Clone Wars cartoons that I mostly missed as well as read up on my Clone Wars comics. And in my eyes, any film that makes someone want to go off and read is a good thing.
