Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a popular tv show which explores the time between Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith known only as the Clone Wars.

Previous to this year, I had only seen a few of The Clone Wars episodes. I had a few of these on DVD and I saw a few here and there when they were played on tv. These episodes were mostly from the earlier seasons. So when I began streaming the entire series on Disney+, I had no clue of the phenomenon that it would become.

This show was designed to grow with the fans. As the fans matured, so did the show. Consequently, the earlier seasons of the show weren't as great. The dialogue was tacky and it really felt like a kids show. The jokes were particularly aimed toward a younger demographic and the characters were created to be empathised for by the audience which were mostly kids. But this was fine as the show had a clear target audience and the show wasn't made for everyone. But from an older fan's perspective, the show definitely got better.

Firstly, the later seasons had a much better animation quality. It's not that the animators were trying to make the show look intensely realistic (as they could have just done this by making the show live-action), the animation just became less cartoon-like and more fluid. Like I said, the later seasons were also more mature. There were fewer children-aimed jokes and the show seemed to be taking itself more seriously. Additionally, the overall themes seemed to be deeper and even at times darker. I think that the show began to get particularly commendable throughout season three and going into season four when the entire show got a reboot. This isn't to say that all the episodes of the later seasons were perfect. There were particular episodes reminded you that this show was still directed at kids. There was a certain stream of episodes that surrounded the character of Jar Jar Binks. If you know Star Wars then you will know what this means for a tv show.

A wise acting teacher once told me that acting is always about reacting. What this means is that the most important part about acting in a movie or tv show is responding to what the other actor is doing. If two actors are only worried about saying their lines and how they are going to perform it, then the connection between the two characters isn't bridged. When actors do voice acting in animated shows or movies, they are often saying their lines in a room by themselves with no one to react to. Occasionally, this lack of connection can be quite obvious in the final piece of media.

Let me give you an example: if I am voice acting for a movie and my character's name is A, I will perform my lines by myself. There may be one scene where B says the line 'what are you doing?' to my character. They may say it in a really angry and demanding way, but because I didn't hear that actor say their line, I could easily assume that it was being said in a sarcastic way. I then may say my next line responding to what I thought B said and would be responding in an inappropriate way. This is a very exaggerated situation and often you won't see anything this far fetched in a final piece of media but this is the general idea.

Often, directors will be able to avoid this by having multiple takes or having actors come back to redo their lines, but in a project under such a tight schedule which doesn't even know how popular it will become, such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this is usually overlooked. Of course, as the series grew, the creators became better at avoiding this problem, but this disconnection between characters is definitely noticeable in the earlier seasons of the series. 

Putting all this aside, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was a great show, especially for a fan who wants to know every bit of Star Wars history. The show definitely filled out the missing gap between the movies and added a lot more depth to some of the weaker movies in the franchise. In fact, this series became so good that it was able to help people enjoy and watch movies that were previously overlooked and not up to the standard of other Star Wars movies.

It's hard to say who will enjoy Star Wars: The Clone Wars the most. For older fans, the earlier seasons could possibly be too childish but the later seasons would be too mature for younger fans. This is why I think that the series is best for those who were children when they started watching it back in 2008 and grew with the series and would be able to relive their childhood by rewatching the show. This show will still be enjoyable for other fans though such as me. I didn't grow up with the show but it has still become one of my all-time favourite tv shows. It is really a case by case basis on whether you will like it. If after reading this review you think you will enjoy the show, be sure to catch it on Disney+. Otherwise, maybe miss out on this one as it is in no way essential to enjoying the other pieces of Star Wars media. But if you do plan to watch it, promise me that you will stick with it until the end.

Unfortunately, Star Wars: The Clone Wars officially concluded last year so we will not be seeing any more of the show in the future. BUT! There is a new show on Disney+ that continues the story of a group of Clone Soldiers into the Age of the Empire. With the same animation style, Star Wars: The Bad Batch (as the show is called) is essentially an eighth season to Star Wars: The Clone Wars with just a different title.

If you have made it to the end of this review, I applaud you! Just to recap: Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a phenomenal Star Wars tv show with incredible character developments, a unique animation style and a way of improving lacking Star Wars movies. Although the series did not reach its peak until later seasons, the earlier episodes would be just as enjoyable for a younger generation.

Creator: George Lucas

Starring: Tom Kane, Dee Bradley Baker, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Ashley Eckstein

Years: 2008-2020

Number of seasons: 7

My Rating: 9/10

Review by Tristan Carr

Last edited: 27/06/21