OK... another Clone Wars Review. Sorry, but it had to be done. I don't think any review I've seen yet has correctly represented this movie. {SPOILERS}

The Skinny:
Clone Wars is what it is. It's the beginning of a new style of animation that will be a television series this fall. Period. Really... that's it. If you were looking for more, you will be sadly disappointed.

The Originality :
In my opinion, the original trilogy was iconic and universal. It captured the imagination with its groundbreaking special effects and came along at a time when people wanted escapism. The prequel trilogy gave star wars fans something they had longed for... another movie to see in theaters. The Clone Wars was an attempt to give us that again, but it was not a movie. It was obvious that it was a television series, and I for one was not disappointed because I knew this to be the case. It wasn't a secret. The Cartoon Network micro-series was a flash of animation in unusual yet familiar style. It was a wild success due to its ability to hit quickly and move on. The Clone Wars movie didn't have either of those things going for it. It was new animation and had to carry the length of a full movie.

Should they have followed the same predictable formula? *(Like you don't know all star wars movies begin with piercing brass ensemble, scrolling words, and a pan to some planet.) Perhaps that would have made everyone happier, but do we really want more of the same? I for one appreciate that fact that this is an attempt to give me star wars on a weekly basis. I'm going to get many more hours of star wars right in my living room. If you are a fan of star wars, it's enough just to know that new star wars material is being created.

Rating:
The animation I give a 7 out of 10. The characters were stiff in non-action shots, but surprisingly good when they were in action. The ships, droids, and backgrounds were great. I got the "star wars" feeling from the landscapes and settings.
I give the story an 8 out of 10. The idea of Jabba being courted by both sides had me interested. They lose points for not showing us more Hutts or more jedi involved in some way. Anakin and Obi Wan are interesting, but I can't wait to see some Plo Koon.
Dialog gets a 6 out fo 10. Let's face it, dialog has never been a star wars strong point. However, "Stinky", "Sky Guy", "Snips", "Artooey???"... if I took a point off for everytime they used these, we'd be well into negative numbers.
I'm just taking off a single point for each. Ahsoka was an interesting character. She sorta blew up the idea I had of a padawan having respect for her master and her position. They could have very easily had her be a little more respectful and still gotten across the idea that she was like Skywalker and needed the sort of guidance that he could provide.
Add in a few nods to fans (Rodian bounty hunter, jawas, Admiral Yularen) which are always positives.
Subtract one major flaw: Ziro the Hutt. Perhaps the only thing that could knock Jar Jar off the top fo the list for most hated characters among rabid star wars fans. Seriously, have this character speak Huttese in that ridiculous voice and perhaps you have a decent character. Having him/her speak English (Basic) was not only wrong, but disturbingly bad.

But I digress, the movie/TV series is a welcome addition to the star wars universe. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.
OVERALL:
7 out of 10