TV DVD Review: "Star Wars: The Clone Wars": Season One

Rated: TV-PG for violence
Starring: Tom Kane, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, and Matt Lanter
Released: October 3, 2008 - March 20, 2009 (original TV premieres) / August 9, 2011 (DVD)

Synopsis: After the events of Attack of the Clones, the Jedi and the Senate are in a fierce war with the Separatists. Among the Jedi are Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano.  Alongside the Clone Troopers, they fight droids and other enemies in order to save cities from utter destruction...but, the Separatists will stop at nothing to put an end to the Jedi.  Who will emerge victorious?
As seen on Cartoon Network.

The Good: The animation in this first season is outstanding; sometimes, I felt like I was watching one of the live-action movies instead of a cartoon! The voice work was great; though none of the original cast--save for Anthony Daniels (C3PO)--appears, the voice actors pretty much sound just like them.  Having director's cuts of several episodes was fun, and the stories were engaging; even though you know that Anakin and Obi-Wan have to make it to Episode III, I still found myself glued to the screen the whole time.

The Bad: As good as this is, I do have one serious complaint: What's with the female characters' immodest dress? I get this franchise partly built itself on Leia's metal bikini and Padmé's various outfits, but, to have two main female humanoid characters dress in such a way was just unnecessary; it seemed to be nothing more than eye candy for young male viewers.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: None. 5/5
• Nudity: Two main female characters in midriff-baring outfits. 3/5
• Language: One or two h-words, and just as many misuses of God's name; though nothing by network TV standards, a bit surprising for a series like this. 4/5
• Violence: Pretty much akin to the movies, though a bit more frequent; droids, Clone Troopers, and other characters get killed quite frequently, though always bloodlessly. 2/5
• Drugs: Characters are seen drinking in one episode. 4/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Some of the villains could be a bit scary, and there is a scene or two of emotional intensity. 3/5

Conclusion: I was a bit hesitant about this series, but, I'm glad I checked it out.  A more serialized version of the movies, it was rather fun and epic.  While it did have some issues, I still say it's worth checking out for fans of the franchise.

Score: 4/5