Let me start off by saying I am not a hardcore Star Wars fan. At the same time, I definitely enjoy the outstanding franchise and the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series is no exception. After Disney purchased Lucasfilm and Star Wars, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was cancelled with many episodes still in the works. Fortunately, the crew behind the series managed to finish a few episodes to finish the sixth season. To help ease the pain of the beloved series, Disney released the episodes on Blu-ray and DVD as Star Wars: The Clone Wars – The Lost Missions.
Tough situations
In the episodes included in this set, characters are forced to overcome tough situations. Characters die, secrets are revealed and darkness looms over the galaxy. These particular episodes include heavy ties to Star Wars Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. The Clone Troopers and Yoda, in particular, experience great battles with darkness as they take the lead for most of these episodes. Anakin Skywalker, Count Dooku and Chancellor Palpatine have great roles throughout these episodes, as well.
The animation is absolutely gorgeous, and if you purchase the Blu-ray version, all the air battles, lightsaber duels and blaster showdowns will absolutely glow in front of your eyes.
All of the sounds are quite sharp and the voice actors are as brilliant as ever. Matt Lanter completely sells Anakin, James Arnold Taylor is excellent as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Tom Kane is great as both Yoda and the narrator and Tim Curry very nicely takes Ian Abercrombie’s place (R.I.P.) as the chancellor. Other amazing voices include Corey Burton as Count Dooku, Phil LaMarr as Bail Organa and Terrence T. Carson as Mace Windu. Arguably, the best voice comes from Dee Bradley Baker, who voices all the Clone Troopers. Well, there’s also a few characters voiced by legends but mentioning them would be spoilers.
I have no plans to spoil the episodes, but here are the general descriptions. In the first story arc, a Clone Trooper loses his mind, forcing Anakin and Captain Rex to take action. This storyline takes a dark turn as secrets are revealed. In the second story arc, Padme Amidala finds herself in the middle of a bank plot and meets an old friend. In the third story arc, Mace Windu joins Jar Jar Binks (you read correctly) to stop an evil plan involving dark magic. In the fourth story arc, Yoda discovers the trippy side of the Force.
Balanced stories
While many of the episodes are steeped in dark plots and secret plans, the action, character development and occasional humour (AC-3!), manage to balance out the stories. While these episodes take place after Season 5, you don’t need to have seen those episodes to know what’s happening, though fans of the series will be at an advantage. Also worth noting, a few characters are missing from these episodes (C-3PO, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress, Ahsoka Tano).
Bonus features include a documentary and four story reels. The documentary is a solid (if a bit short) look back at the series. The story reels (available for Blu-ray only) are episodes in the animatic stage because they weren’t completed in time. Trailers for Star Wars Rebels (great show), Big Hero 6 (great movie) and Maleficent are included.
If you haven’t already watched these episodes on Netflix, I highly recommend you buy this set and help convince Disney to release more Star Wars sets (Rebels Season One). The Clone Wars Legacy lives on through comics, novels and more. May the Force Be With You. Always.
By GERVAISE BRANCH-ALLEN
