A 3-D animated Star Wars installment that seems to take place after Episode 2, and before that other animated Clone Wars series which is in turn before Episode 3. I mention this detail because certain niggling plot details seem a bit inconsistent with this. Anyway, as a whole it's not too bad. It has a good plot, a couple of twists, falls in line with the general overall Sith plot that culminates with Epiusode 3, and is entertaining.

Now for mthose niggling little details. First, we did not see the usual scroll in front, instead getting a radio-announcer voice explaining everything; didn't appeal to me and sounded pretty cheap. Second, in that other clone wars inspired animated short-series (done by the same people), it starts with Anakin still as a Padawan then getting his full Jedi test and title; the plot then goes from there pretty continuously on into the final lead-in to Episode 3. The detail? In this new Clone Wars movie, taking place BEFORE that other one (by necessity, since that other one is a direct Episode lead-in), Anakin is not only a full out Jedi but taking on a Padawan. Also, he's addressed as a General, which he never was even in Episode 3 (only Obi Wan was). On the plus side, some of the voices for certain characters from the movies are done by the original actors.

Then the droid jokes. They worked in Episodes 1 and so on when they were in context; like the "Rodger Rodger" thing because the other droid the first one said this two happened to be named Rodger. But here a droid says "Rodger Rodger" to anyone, regardless of their actual name. Then there's the galaxy's dumbest droid, who gets confused by coordinate numbers... but droids have computer brains which compute such things quite easily. It's like they tried to emulate some of the old gags without really understanding why they were placed where they were in the first place.

Oh, and the music? Even though it's inspired by original Star Wars movie you can tell that John Williams himself never touched this version; the pacing and beat are off. Pretty good in and of itself but I'm not buying the soundtrack.

Definitely strictly Matinee fare.