Star Wars: Clones Wars Cartoon: It was only three minutes. It didn't have sound effects added. But the crowd thrust it light sabers into the air with applauds when it was over.

The Clone Wars had begun...

Comedy Central, at Comic-Con 2003, unveiled the first of 20 or so 3 minute animated shorts that will tie together Episode II and Episode III. Half will air in November 2003, the other half in February 2004.

Done by the same team that creates Samurai Jack, the animation is exquisite and the voices are spot on. In the first episode, Yoda describes in V.O. how planet after planet is falling to Count Dooku and that the Jedi Knights must battle to stop their infection of the universe . The pseudo-anime style of Sumrai Jack is evident, even though the characters are drawn to resemble their actor counterparts--one scene has Mace Windu somersault through the air before slicing some being - too big to fit on screen - in half. As modern day Samurai of sorts, the ties between Jedi and their Japanese predecessors is not missed.

Clone Wars appears to have more humor than its 3D counterpart...Obi-Wan's robe flies off during a fight and entangles C3PO, Yoda and Obi-Wan glare at each other after an impassioned tiff over letting Anakin battle. Padme, without the restrictions of gravity - or physics - has her hair, and costuming, even more grandiose.

And is that the Imperial March over the Storm Troopers goose-stepping along a catwalk?

Dont't forget to also check out: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones was released May 16th, 2002 and stars Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Pernilla August. The film is directed by George Lucas.