The Clone Wars

It's not that I had high hopes for this movie. It's just that I wanted to be surprised...pleasantly, but I guess even that was taking my expectations too far.

And the reviews start trickling in:

UPDATE: As I was writing this post, two absolutely scathing reviews of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, one that appeared yesterday and one that was posted earlier this morning have mysteriously disappeared from Ain't It Cool News. The links are no longer there. Looks like Mr. Lucas doesn't want anyone to know about the quality of this half-assed project before it opens. Curiously, there are also no advance reviews of The Clone Wars on Rotten Tomatoes.

I am torn-but not to the point where it is too painful, simply to the point where I am immensely frustrated. I know I won't be at the theatre on Friday, August 15th when this movie-and by movie in this case, I mean three episodes of the upcoming show strung together-comes out, but I still don't know whether I will be there...ever. I want to think that this can be good...somehow, but the animation and childish humor combined with the fact that no one cares what happens to these characters in this film or series because the repercussions of their actions already echo throughout the four live action movies that follow this time period. We know this new Jedi side-chick, Ashoka, can't survive past the lifetime of this CGI animated series on Cartoon Network. We know her life was never that important because we never hear about her again. We know who wins every duel. We know who wins the war.

And this movie-my judgement pending, although these reviews support this claim-is further evidence that we know the creative genius of George Lucas is fading or he has contented himself with sub-mediocrity and has decided that the money will still roll in if he takes a lackadaisical approach to Star Wars.