Video: “Star Wars,” the animated series
posted at 9:41 am on May 29, 2007 by Allahpundit
Produced by Uncle George himself, it’s the very first animated venture by Lucasfilm Studios. Fanatics are predictably in raptures but the animation looks too “soft” and cutesy poo somehow for my taste. It’s like the “Muppet Babies” version of Star Wars.
Update: Looks like Lucas had the YouTube versions pulled. You can watch the trailer at the official Star Wars website.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
I think it looks better than, you know, the actual Attack of the Clones.
But, hey, that’s just me.
nailinmyeye on May 29, 2007 at 9:48 AM
They did something like this on Cartoon Network a few years back.
Yeah, it is a little cutesy for such a subject, but I think animators are running out of ideas these days…
Personally, I wish they’d all use the animation style of Voltron or Thundercats. But I’m a conservative, what do I know…
unamused on May 29, 2007 at 9:49 AM
It is good to know the double saber has not been lost down the shaft on Naboo!!
allie on May 29, 2007 at 10:05 AM
It looks like cut scenes from a video game produced 1-2 years ago…
Seixon on May 29, 2007 at 10:05 AM
Exactly.
Allahpundit on May 29, 2007 at 10:07 AM
unamused is correct. This show used to be on Cartoon Network, even though it was not in the standard half-hour format of many TV shows.
There are also the two cartoons, Star Wars: Droids, and Star Wars: Ewoks, that came out in the mid-80′s, not to mention the often derided but highly sought Star Wars Christmas Special, which features both animated and live action scenes.
CR UVa on May 29, 2007 at 10:07 AM
Uh, why are we watching a clone war movie about people who were killed in the real movies? I’d like to see what happened after anakin became darth vader up until the beginning of movie 4.
George – new content please. Recycling old crap still? Movies 1-3 sucked; face it. We don’t need to be reminded about how bad they were.
lorien1973 on May 29, 2007 at 10:13 AM
Amen Brother
I don’t want to see anything that happened b4 the hemlet went on…ever again.
liberrocky on May 29, 2007 at 10:14 AM
It’s not the same show as the one that was on the Cartoon Network. Follow the link in the post.
Allahpundit on May 29, 2007 at 10:16 AM
No Genndy Tartakovsky? Yeah, this will suck I think.
It’s bad when the 5 minute airing of Star Wars: Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network were miles better than Episodes 1-3.
Queasy on May 29, 2007 at 10:18 AM
I don’t know why trailers like this get me excited, but they do. There’s always the let down of the, you know, actual Lucas execution…
JohnW on May 29, 2007 at 10:20 AM
The live action Star Wars show will span time between Sith and New Hope and supposedly Lucas will not have a finger in telling the story thank goodness.
Taleena on May 29, 2007 at 10:22 AM
The animation looks pretty crappy. This had the potential to be soooo much better.
vcferlita on May 29, 2007 at 10:26 AM
So he’s doing “Star Wars: Tripping the Rift?”
JinxMcHue on May 29, 2007 at 10:31 AM
Here’s the Animated link
and the Live Action Link
Taleena on May 29, 2007 at 10:32 AM
Well, that video got my kids off to a good start this morning.
CliffHanger on May 29, 2007 at 10:40 AM
Much disappointment, I have.
vcferlita on May 29, 2007 at 10:42 AM
“And would have gotten way with it too, if it weren’t for these nosey kids and their Wookie!”
Tony737 on May 29, 2007 at 10:42 AM
I agree it looks cutesy-poo. I wonder if it’s from a fear of treading into the Uncanny Valley?
I’m pretty tired of the Anakin Skywalker character, myself. How about a New Hope-era show? Or even better: One after ROTJ?
eforhan on May 29, 2007 at 10:43 AM
Oh, good. I wonder if we’ll be treated to further exploration of Vader’s mommy issues?
Slublog on May 29, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Yeah, but it seems to be the same story, that Ventress chick going after Anakin, with lines I could swear were in the first season of that cartoon. The art style is the same, notwithstanding it’s CGI now.
Alex K on May 29, 2007 at 10:51 AM
How bout something between Episodes I and II? Ten years of non-war, non-Empire peace, but with all the real action happening. I mean, when Episode II begins Palpatine is already a quasi-dictator and Anakin is already quasi-evil, so I figure that’s where we have to go if we want to see how it happened.
Also-was there ever anything that really went between Eps IV and V or V and VI?
Alex K on May 29, 2007 at 10:53 AM
What do you expect when you get the cartoon version of a puppet?
James on May 29, 2007 at 10:56 AM
Actually, the in-game video cutscenes of Jedi knight Jedi Acadamy is better looking than this animation. The live action stuff from Dark Forces Jedi knight was ultra cheesy but still memorably fun. Not sure which video game you guys are referring to. As a Star Wars Fan, I’m interested. It looks like it’s geared for an older audience, which is good. I’m not wild about the look but it’s tolerable.
austinnelly on May 29, 2007 at 10:59 AM
This will be great…you guys are geek posers
tomas on May 29, 2007 at 11:06 AM
If you go to YouTube and search “Cops” or “Star Wars” you’ll see a great video somebody did about Storm Troops on an Empire TV show just like “Cops”. It’s hilarious.
Tony737 on May 29, 2007 at 11:09 AM
What the heck is Gizmo doing in this mix?
*bright light, bright light*
Readymade on May 29, 2007 at 11:11 AM
I was shocked regarding the Lars Homestead domestic squabble!
allie on May 29, 2007 at 11:27 AM
George Lucas makes exciting 3 minute-long trailers. Too bad he can’t stretch those out to make a good 90 minute movie.
ScottMcC on May 29, 2007 at 11:27 AM
Someone (not looking at you, Lucas!) needs to make the Timothy Zahn trilogy sequels into movies. Stat!
Stormy70 on May 29, 2007 at 11:37 AM
That wouldn’t be a bad idea, to start. But in truth there are far better stories and far better writing on the internet than will ever be in the official SW books. Most of the books suck.
Personally, I think the trailer looked cool. I’d much rather them go way back or way forward, but this seems to be the era they want to play in. Eh.
Darksean on May 29, 2007 at 11:49 AM
Lucas did supervise the cartoon network series; so the lines are probably meant to cross. He has to justify the destruction of this franchise somehow, I’m sure.
lorien1973 on May 29, 2007 at 11:51 AM
Studies show that if a female Dark lord of the Sith is included in the storyline, it will result in an extra 2.22 dollars spent per viewer.
What a good idea.
benrand on May 29, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Looks good to me. All the wireframes are sitting right there, so the only thing that really needs to be animated are the human characters.
Which means more Star Wars for me, which is good.
Krydor on May 29, 2007 at 12:34 PM
Are we jumping the gun here? Wait for the final product to come out then rip it apart. sheesh.
I did like the animated series on the Cartoon Network, though. More like those serials from the old time Saturday Matinees.
geckomon on May 29, 2007 at 1:00 PM
Lucas died years ago, this guy is a cheap copy; like the guy they got to replace Shatner after the Wrath of Khan.
- The Cat
MirCat on May 29, 2007 at 1:01 PM
I really enjoyed the Wraith Squadron books. I think they would make a good live action T.V. series.
Rose on May 29, 2007 at 1:18 PM
I’m really quite pleased that the models are more simplistic, it means that the artists can focus on producing episodes more quickly and efficiently. Many people forget that TV shows don’t have movie sized budgets to work with. I do believe that name recognition will help propel this series not to mention the great visuals that were shown in the teaser. However, nice eye candy alone won’t carry the series if it’s devoid of a serious storyline. If Lucas and the writers come up with some cheezy, preteen story lines filled with hokey one liners then the series might crash and burn. As a visual artist myself I know that artists only make up half of the pie, in the end its up to the writers, directors and actors to make sure the audience is left completely fulfilled and satisfied.
Pestilence on May 29, 2007 at 1:43 PM
I’m 3/4 of the way through the New Jedi Order books…I’d love to see them in a animated cartoon. I think Thrawn is too analytical.
I don’t know why…but I’d like to see a face to face conversations with Obi-Wan and Palpatine, be it animated of live action. I think a cool tense foreboding conversation about Anakin and the Galaxy would be cool.
tomas on May 29, 2007 at 1:47 PM
I guess George never saw Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children or Macross Zero. Lucas needs to step it up…..
liquidflorian on May 29, 2007 at 2:34 PM
Video no-worky.
Iblis on May 29, 2007 at 3:39 PM
The time constraints of digital scene rendering will be the hard factor determining image quality, for both an animated and “live action” series.
I would have preferred that any new SW production focus on the post-ROTJ timeframe, what would have been episodes 7-9. Han and Leia marrying, Luke leading the Rogue Squadron, and beginning to formulate how to revive the Jedi Academy.
I could imagine one show devoted to filling in the links between episodes 3 and 4, but really it can all be inferred fairly easily. Leia goes off to Alderaan with her adopted parents, Luke gets dumped on Tatooine with his uncle. Palpatine destroys the existing government, dissolves the republic and assumes his role as emperor, with Vader as his attack dog. Obi-wan hides on Tatooine waiting for Luke to grow up. (Lots of potential problems at that point, but oh well)
Freelancer on May 29, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Two movies out of six that were good. God, please make it stop! And I agree–the rendering looks too “cutsie.” Not that I would ever watch another installment of Star Wars again. Put a fork in it, Lucas…it’s been done for a LOOOONG time.
robblefarian on May 29, 2007 at 5:03 PM
The Cartoon Network one was pretty awesome. This looks like it’ll have great production value–hopefully enough to make me forget about the Antz animation.
Nonfactor on May 29, 2007 at 5:18 PM
The History Channel has an interesting look at Star Wars and how it was taken from the Greek mythologies.
Tony737 on May 29, 2007 at 8:06 PM