Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a 2008 3D military science fiction action adventure CGI animated series created by George Lucas, developed by Dave Filoni, and the voices of Tom Kane, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker, and Catherine Taber.  Set in the three years between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the series follows the war between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent systems.

Plot:  Despite the main plot focusing on the war between the Republic and the Separatists, there are a ton of interesting side stories that show different factions with different motivations, goals, and interests. This makes for a very deep and complex series and I like that. There are several developing arcs, but none as prominent as Anakin’s temptation to the Dark Side.  Really enjoyed both Ahsoka Tano’s and Asajji Ventress’ developing arcs.  One of my favorite storylines follows Darth Maul and Savage Oppress.  Season 2, Season 4, and Season 5 are my favorites with each season exploring a different aspect of the war, more character development for Anakin and Ahsoka, and tying up the storylines between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. (4 out of 5)

Characters:  There are tons and tons of great, well-written characters, the main being Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Anakin Skywalker, and his apprentice Ahsoka Tano.  I like the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, how they’re more brothers than student and mentor.  I like the little banter between the two.  I really like Ahsoka.  She’s like a younger version of Anakin or his little sister, but she’s got so much personality, so many great moments.

I like that the series takes the time to flesh out more of the obscure characters.  Padme Amidala actually gets to show her stuff, how she handles herself in a fight as well as in the political arena.  I love the relationship between Anakin and Padme, the ups and downs of their secret relationship.

There are several antagonists in the series, most whom which are being employed or manipulated by the mysterious Darth Sidious (who we all know is Palpatine in disguise).  Under him is Count Dooku who is pretty badass for an old man.  Dooku is the Separatists leader and a Sith lord under Sidious.  Next to him is General Grievous, this weird blend of organic and machine who commands the Droid Army.  I like Grievous.  He’s ruthless, he’s badass, but he’s kind of a coward too.  The characters are pretty awesome and are written extremely well, even some of the supporting characters. (5 out of 5)

Cast:  The voice performances are just the best in terms of quality and variation.  The main cast includes Matt Lanter (Anakin), Ashley Exkstein (Ahsoka), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan), Dee Bradley Baker (Clones), Tom Kane (Narrator), Nika Futterman (Ventress), Ian Abercrombie (Palpatine), Catherine Taber (Padme), Christopher Lee (Dooku), Sam Witwer (Maul), and Matthew Wood (Grievous).  Supporting performances include Tim Curry, Ahmed Best, Clancy Brown, Corey Burton, Terrence C. Carson, Jim Cummings, Olivia d’Abo, Anthony Daniels, Robin Atkin Downes, Dave Filoni, Brian George, Anna Graves, Jennifer Hale, Tom Kenny, Phil LaMarr, Daniel Logan, James C. Mathis III, Angelique Perrin, Meredith Salenger, Kath Soucie, Jason Spisak, Stephen Stanton, and Tasia Valenza.  Good performances all around. (5 out of 5)

Visuals:  The animation style is quite good and actually works for this series.  The character designs are awesome to see with a variety of character models and types. (4 out of 5)

Score:  The music is exceptionally well done.  There are all of those special Star Wars themes mixed with original music that feels well embedded to the franchise. (5 out of 5)

Writing:  The half-hour format gives a good way of storytelling, both shorter stories and longer arcs.  The dialogue is good and can be fun at times.  There’s a lot of witty banter that enjoyable to hear. Th series constantly shifts its dynamic.  While at times it can be light-hearted, there are time it can get pretty serious or really emotional. There are some strong suspenseful moments as well.  If you like a slow burn with plenty of political intrigue, this series has it.  If you like big battles with tons of action, this series has it too.  I like the themes the series approaches such as war, the criminal underworld, poverty, political corruption; just all aspects of the Clone Wars. For those who love the depth of Star Wars content, the series just has tons and tons of it.  The different aliens and worlds have different customs, dialects, foods and drinks, and even relationships.  Hell, even the droids have a culture.  Even the emphasis on the Force, both on the light side and dark side, gives it a presence all of its own. (4 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, Star Wars: The Clone Wars takes the franchise into a whole new level.  There are very few issues I have with the series and highly recommend it to fans of the series.  It has depth of story, well-written characters, tons of action, focuses on many different themes, has a great animation style, strong character developing arcs, and an awesome soundtrack. Star Wars: The Clone Wars gets 3 out of 5.