star wars: the clone wars (2008)

Allow a guy to snark a bit at the recent press release from Lucasfilm regarding a full-length animated Star Wars commercial and subsequent TV commercials (I'm lifting these right off the AP):

Though the "Star Wars" films have been extraordinarily lucrative, the force won't be expected to be as strong in cartoon form. The film and series are clearly aimed at younger viewers, though Filoni hopes to also entice the many "Star Wars" die-hard fans.

"An animated series always appeals more to a younger audience," said Filoni. "But at the same time, we've tried to do some sophisticated things and ensure that we are going to satisfy the broad spectrum of 'Star Wars' fans."

Though Lucas farms out various "Star Wars" projects in what's known as the "'Star Wars' expanded universe," Filoni says that Lucas ensured "The Clone Wars" has "that 'Star Wars' feeling."

So this Star Wars film is aimed at younger viewers than the movies? Are we talking prenatal appeal here, because it would be difficult to aim lower than Attack of the Clones. The threat of throwing in something more sophisticated for older audiences is troublesome as well. This is coming from a creator/producer/director that managed to make Pearl Harbor look like a master class in the subtleties of narrative film. Maybe The Clone Wars will feature more belching and farting jokes, a high water mark of the Star Wars experience.

That being said, the final quote really takes the cake: "that Star Wars feeling." This either refers to the look and feel of the film, which means wooden, abrasive and creatively stunted in its juvenilia; or it means the feeling the audience has of being beaten over the head by plastic toys featuring characters borne of very suspect racial and gender stereotypes.

The Empire Strikes Back is the singular example of how George Lucas could have succeeded in making a simple, fun swashbuckling serial without being offensive. Heck, there is almost a decent female character in it. Instead Lucas' legacy of homage to old 1940's serials will ultimately rest in the blatant celebration of their outdated social attitudes, not the fun we might have had watching them.