Photo courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd
Like many fans of the original trilogy, I was relieved that the disaster of the "prequels" mercifully ended after Revenge of the Sith. I can't relate to you the sheer embarrassment I felt when my boyhood hero, Darth Vader--a character to whom I ritualistically sacrificed neighborhood pets as a child!--weakly mewled, "Nooo!" after hearing of his beloved Padme's death. Well, fans of the original trilogy are about to feel some more pain. Star Wars: The Clone Wars will hit theaters this August 15th. It's an animated feature that follows Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in the time between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.
Understand, I don't despise George Lucas like many original trilogy dorks do. Do I think he's mostly in it for the money? Yes. Do I think there's anything wrong with that? Well, yes, but it's not the worst thing in the world. Frankly, I'd love to see Lucas fulfill his long-stated ambition to return to making more experimental films along the lines of THX 1138 (which is fantastic). Will he do it? Obviously not, judging by this recent news. A Clone Wars TV series will follow hot on the heels of the animated feature so expect more B-grade Star Wars material for the next decade or so. I don't get it. Other than Darth Maul, was there anything particularly new or interesting in the prequels? And if you must do this, George, can you at least bring in Irvin Kershner and Larry Kasdan?
