"Clone Wars" Cartoon Shorts on Cartoon Network

snilloc writes "Starwars.com announces that Cartoon Network will carry "Star Wars: Clone Wars" cartoon shorts in order to bridge the gap between Episodes 2 and 3. I guess this means we won't be seeing the Clone Wars in Ep3, as many of us had hoped. On the bright side, we get our SW fix in twenty 2-3 minute shorts. We can only hope against hope that they won't suck."

Comments

This is horribly stupid

[kaltkalt]

99% of people (or even Star Wars fans) are not going to watch the cartoon network to see 2-3 minute cartoons which are apparently necessary for Episode III to make sense. Yes, I'm sure that Lucas will stick all the cartoons on a $24 DVD for sale a week or so before Ep3 comes out, but that aside, this is simply idiotic. If he doesn't want to film the clone wars, or other necessary plot devices, that's fine (a shame, but fine) - just allude to them in the movie. Have a character talk about it and fill us in. But 2-3 minute cartoons on an obscure cable channel? What is Lucas smoking?

I knew it!

[natron 2.0]

I knew something like this was going to happen somewhere in the first three episodes...

It is hard to write prequels for movies that have such a long expansive storyline. I think Lucas thought he could do it all in just three prequels, but now he has realized that he has got in over his head and these clone wars cartoons are just him saving grace. I doubt it will work though. I just hope the transitions from film to cartoon and back to film are seamless.

Not a sermon, just a thought.

Will roak

[bytor4232]

Given Genny's work on Samauri Jack I think it will rock hard. I am looking forward to it big time.

Oh dear...

[moronga]

The character designs look TERRIBLE. :(

Apparently, they got the Samurai Jack / Dexter's Laboratory guy to do the shorts. Who the hell made that decision? His goofy style is totally inappropriate, imo. I'll watch them, but I'm not too optimistic.

If they had to pick someone totally out of left field, they should have gotten the Sealab 2021 guys to do it. :D

Why?

[Pedrito]

Is anyone actually going to go see Episode 3? I mean, Lucas is directing it, right? At least he had the sense to let Kershner and Marquand direct "Empire" and "Return". The acting was significantly better because of it.

I saw Episode 2 recently because a friend told me it was good (I will no longer trust his judgement in movies) and because I had heard there was less Jarjar in it. The acting was so flat and emotionless, this from some really good actors too. It was pathetic. When one good actor does poorly in a movie, you can blame the actor. When all the good actors in a movie do poorly, there's only one person to blame: The director.

Lucas created an amazing story, and made a huge breakthrough with Star Wars. When he handed the director's chair over in Episodes 5 and 6, it only got better. Then, for reasons I'll never understand, he decided to sabotage his masterpiece by taking back the director's chair.

Look, Lucas did a great job with American Graffiti. That was the one and only movie where he ever did a good job directing actors, though. And now his direction of CGI generated characters is even worse. George: Get out of the director's chair. Produce, write, but please, for the love of God, Don't Direct!

Uh, Star Wars has always been for CHILDREN

[Anonymous Coward]

There are no complicated plots, there are no serious new philosophies, and there definetly was never any adult content.

Star Wars is for Children. And Children love cartoons. And most children have two parents, even if they don't live together. Potentially, that is two incomes the kid has, so this is perfectly logical. Have you intelligent nerds not realized that everything is marketed towards children? Especially 10-13. Check for it.

Would you rather watch a 6 hour movie?

[vgaphil]

If Lucas didn't do this Episode III would be about 6 hours long. It's a cheesy idea, but at least George is trying to fill in the gaps. I just hope I don't end up fighting over the remote with my 5 year-old. She loves SpongeBob on Nickelodeon, but who doesn't?

Star Wars Trek

[Helpadingoatemybaby]

Just like with Star Trek, another franchise that was exploited right down the toilet, Star Wars has performed poorer and poorer with each outing.

Mark my words, when the franchises are really on the ropes, and no movies have been made for a few years, someone in Hollywood will propose "A combined Star Trek vs. Star Wars battle where Princess Leia has to fight against Jean Luc Picard" which thankfully will go nowhere. (Or worse yet: "Princess Leia falls in love with Jean Luc Picard...")

Don't believe me? Remember "Alien vs. Predator" or "Superman vs. Batman"? Both projects that came at the ends of the franchises.

Now that Hollywood has come out with just a few too many comic book movies (the Hulk, coming soon, with Archie and Veronica even being proposed) the whole comic trend will eventually collapse and like all good Hollywood things, will have been exploited to death.

Cases in point: the meteor movie trend, that's cratered, the "virus" movie trend (Outbreak et al) has died, the space adventure (Star Wars, Star Trek) lasted longer than most, but appears to be having the air sucked out of it's lungs, and now the comic book movie trend is crumpling.

The nice thing about Hollywood is that it is very predictable... almost as predictable as the mass market viewers.

What's the next movie bandwagon? I predict five years of dog movies. :)

Grassroots Advertizing/Distribution

[X-rated Ouroboros]

20 two to three minute shorts...
Bet you those will be all over the P2P networks soon enough.
Bet you that's exactly what was intended, too.

It's nice to see someone finally tapping into a viral distribution model. Let's hope that they don't suck and the mocking spoofs don't become more popular than the originals.

Sick thing

[Picass0]

It would be ironic if these cartoons turned out to have better charater and story development than the EPs 1-3. I've thought for a long time that Lucas' directing is part of the problem, and now we will see what these characters can do in somebody else's hands.

Re:You totally forgot about the best pt: Samurai J

[Daniel Baumgarten]

Nonetheless, Star Wars looks best presented on the big screen, filmed by a camera. I think it's going to lose some of its impact as a cartoon. Outrageous stuff happens in cartoons every day, so without its name, this one is just another face in the crowd.

From the creator of Dexter's Lab and Samurai Jack

[Polyphemis]

Did no one notice that these shorts are being created by the guy that did Dexter's Laboratory and Samurai Jack? I don't know about most people, but imo, those cartoons seriously kick ass. Samurai Jack's one of the most visually interesting cartoons I've ever had the pleasure of seeing (anime excluded, haven't seen much of that).

I can't wait to see what he does for Star Wars. I know that it will at least be interesting visually. Rock on, looking forward to it! :)

No Clone War in Ep 3.

[Vinnie_333]

Lucas has already stated that Ep 3 won't feature much of anything about the clone wars. Maybe a bit of the aftermath. This is a bit disapointing, since many invisioned the Clone Wars as being a battle on the epic scale (generations long over several solar systems). Now, it appears to be more of a skirmish.

So, this cartoon series could turn out to be more interesting them ep3. Especially since more people than just George are coming up with the stories.