The Clone Wars Saga:
The Clone Wars films are finally ready for release.
Background: Many years ago, Smudger9 made the first Clone Wars tv to film edit. Ultimately, Smudger lost his work due to hard drive failure and was not able to complete the series. But by the release of his 3rd film, I had started work on my own edits. Becuase of this, my series began almost ten years ago, as a continution of Smudger’s, and as something I never intended to share. But after the lovely feedback for my Rebels films, I decided to release my complete animated tv-to-movie set.
Intention: My series aims to create a more serialised and cinematic, adult experience of the series. I’ve achieved this by focusing on the best received, and most impactful episodes in terms of character development and worldbuilding while using the more serialised arcs to create cohesion and momentum across the series.
Character Focus: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, Maul and Savage, Asajj Ventress, Mandalore, Barriss Offee, Yoda, Cad Bane, Boba Fett, Grievous, Palpatine, Tarkin, Rex, Echo, Fives,
Film 1: Army of the Republic (2 hours): Smudger9’s original film upscaled and restored with Topaz, featuring numerous nips and tweaks to improve what I saw as lingering dialogue and pacing issues. This film covers the Siege of Christophsis and the Rookies training arc, bringing them together for the Battle of Kamino. A fitting way to begin the saga, and introduce most of the key characters.
Film 2: A New Threat (2 hours 6 mins): Again, Smuder9’s work upscaled with additional edits. This time I’ve revised more aggressively. Originally this film featured “Cloak of Darkness” intercut with the first part of the Young Boba Fett arc, and “Lair of Grievous” leading into the “Malevolence” Trilogy. I find “Lair” and “Rising Malevolence” guilty of the atrocious dialogue and poor pacing that made early Clone Wars episodes feel like they were made for children. So I’ve trimmed both these segments considerably. This created more than enough space to restore “Lethal Trackdown”, the missing final episode of the Boba Fett arc, which many commented felt sorely missing from Smudger’s original.
Film 3: Legacies (2 hours 14 mins): Originally Smudger’s 3rd film “Children of the Force” took this slot in my collection. But I never liked the Ryloth arc, for the same reasons I don’t generally revisit anything from CW Season 1. So I eventually made my own film inspired by it. As it stands now, the edit starts with Ahsoka’s first mission as a general in “Storm of Ryloth”, the Cad Bane arc, with “Hostage Crisis” and “Holocron Heist” mixed together as Smudger did, and concluding with the Second Battle of Geonosis and “Brain Invaders”. This creates a strong focus on Anakin and Ahsoka’s growing bond and partnerhsip throughout the film.
Film 4: The Lost Jedi (2 hours 4 mins): In my version of film 2, Boba is captured. In my verison of film 3, Cad Bane is captured, and does not escape again. Ahsoka has also had her crucial early character growth by this point. So it seemed the perfect to time to revisit all three. This film covers the Rako Hardeen bounty hunter arc, and “Padawan Lost”. The film sees Anakin struggling with the potential loss of both his master and apprentice at the same time.
Film 5: Balance of the Force (1 hour 58 mins): This film mixes the Ventress Season 3 arc with the Mortis arc. The heroes are present in the opening battle with Ventress before receiving the mysterious signal that takes them to Mortis. By the time they escape, Ventress has taken on Savage Opress, and they become involved in her attempt to assassinate Dooku. This “dark side” arc is one of Clone Wars best and longest. Smudger’s final released film (his no5) covers this arc in a single film. The first cuts for my films 4-8 were completed two years before this dropped, and I have not seen reason to change my approach. By splitting the arc across multiple films, my aim was to create a more serialised narrative momentum, carrying viewers from film to film. This allowed for some of the best isolated arcs (like Mortis) to be used, without the series feeling so episodic and disconnected. A cliffhanger ending sets up the next film.
Film 6: Allegiance (2 hours 13 mins): Beginning with the massacre on Dathomir, this film continues it’s focus on Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress as he searches for his brother. Ventress has a full and powerful arc here, losing her home on Dathomir, becoming a bounty hunter, and ultimately, fighting with Obi-Wan against Maul in the climax. This film also features the Citidel arc, once again allowing the heroes to have a side story, before weaving into the primary narrative for the climax.
Film 7: Eminence (1 hour 58 mins): Maul and Savage are on the run as Obi-Wan pursues. This film uses a flashback structure to cover the key points of the Dutchess of Mandalore arc, establishing Mandalore and it’s place of neutrality in the war, introducing Death Watch, Satine, Bo-Katan and Pre Visla. While in the present, Maul joins with Death Watch and establishes his Shadow Collective. The flashbacks are structured in such a way to compliment the present day storyline, adding emotional depth and intrigue for a strong focus on Obi-Wan and Mandalore. The film climaxes with “The Lawless”.
Film 8: Destiny (2 hours 18 mins): Combines the “Wrong Jedi” and Yoda’s Journey arcs from Seasons 5 & 6. Effectively, this covers the two endings to the Clone Wars before it was revived for Season 6 and then again for Season 7.
It is a tragedy that the “Dark Disciple” and “Son of Dathomir” arcs were not animated and completed, as both feel essential to the complete picture of this show and my series. But thankfully we did get what follows…
Film 9: The Phantom Apprentice (2 hours 16 mins): Combines Ahsoka’s “Tales of the Jedi” arc with the end of the “Ahsoka’s Walkabout” arc with the “Siege of Mandalore” and some of Barriss “Tales of the Empire” arc. It’s an incredibly strong character piece for Ahsoka, and I’ve found, the ideal way to introduce viewers who’ve never seen the animated content to her before going into the newer Disney+ shows. I honestly think this is some of the best Star Wars content ever made, and watching this, followed directly by my 4 Rebels films is my personal favourite serialised Star Wars viewing experience (as well as the perfect lead-in to watching “Ahsoka” Season 1.