Although the prospect of Tartakovsky-free Clone Wars animation may not sound altogether promising, this film actually confirms what many have voiced since “The Phantom Menace” hit in 1999 – that Lucas should leave the directing to others. Veteran animation director Dave Filoni does a fine job in that capacity, interpreting the feel, pace, and texture of Lucas’ galaxy, proving that when it comes to maintaining the dignity of Star Wars, others are prone to be more careful than Lucas himself. And although that is a slight knock on the creator, be assured that I am a lifelong fan of the “Star Wars” movies, including the ever-controversial prequels, which I consider to be mostly successful pieces of art – that trilogy functioning more as an impressionistic and painterly tapestry than as commercially viable storytelling.

So Filoni and company got the style and feel right – what about the looming fact that we know how this war turns out; the events of this film (and upcoming TV series) rendered inconsequential by the later events of “Revenge of the Sith”? Well, call it the “Titanic” factor (i.e., we know the ship sinks, and yet the story is compelling), but knowledge of the ultimate conclusion did not lessen my investment in this adventure. And that’s exactly what this is – a single adventure in the greater fabric of “The Clone Wars”. If a fun, action-packed tale populated with familiar and new characters wielding light sabers sounds good to you, then this is the movie for you. Despite this taking place in the prequel era, there are no senate scenes, no gungans, and no pontifications on the nature/biology of the Force. This is simply straight-ahead adventure. On that note, I should add that the uninitiated will be utterly lost from the outset, as none of the backstory is explained. This is one is unapologetically for the fans.

One of the most questionable aspects of this film is the introduction of a heretofore unheard-of padawan learner assigned to Anakin (voiced by Matt Lanter), a young alien girl called Ahsoka Tano (voiced by Ashley Eckstein). Clearly an important character in the upcoming series, with the only true character arc to speak of in this film, Tano cannot be ignored. But what may appear to be a serious bit of retro-continuity refashioning (and I’m not saying this isn’t,) most likely has a designated fate, even now. I base this assumption on the meticulous attention to all other manner of Star Wars minutiae evident in this film. If anything, finding out what happens to this smart-mouthed tween Jedi kid with a propensity for holding her light saber backwards is yet another reason to tune in once this thing begins to regularly broadcast, right?

The plot involves the race to locate and rescue Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped son before Count Dooku’s separatist droid army can find him, as whichever side returns the child wins the Hutt’s favor, and use of his prized outer-rim trade routes. From here, we learn that even Jabba the Hutt has a weird uncle. In a semi-clunky bit of storytelling, Padme Amidala is introduced to the story at the three-quarters mark, with the intention of negotiating with the Coruscant-based flamboyant gangster blob, best described by a friend of mine as “Capote the Hutt”.

But don’t let that be a deterrent. (Do negotiations ever work in Star Wars?) “The Clone Wars” remains a mostly solid effort, despite any perceived shortcomings, however accurate they may turn out to be. And regardless of the fact that this film is destined to be a mere footnote to the live action six-film saga, it is nice to see a number of the original actors taking a continued ownership of their roles (this includes Christopher Lee as Count Dooku, Samuel L. Jackson as Mace Windu, and of course Anthony Daniels as C-3PO). Which is more than can be said for 20th Century Fox, which did not get to distribute this film. So consequentially, the familiar Fox fanfare does not start things off. Instead, we get the Warner Brothers logo accompanied with “As Time Goes By”. It is admittedly weird that a different studio logo and theme would affect my experience on any level, but then again, I wasn’t the only one to comment on it at the screening I attended.

So fear not, Star Wars fans. It’s time to clean the dust bunnies off those Jedi robes, polish up those stormtrooper costumes, and make sure those toy light sabers have fresh batteries. Thank the maker - there’s a new “Star Wars” film!

- Jim Tudor