Star Wars: The Clone Wars

In the war between the Jedi and Count Dooku, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi hope to cement an alliance with Jabba the Hutt by rescuing Jabba’s kidnapped son—they suspect the evil Dooku is behind the kidnapping, but are unaware of the double game the Count is playing. Directed by Dave Filoni and written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy (from a story by George Lucas), this first Star Wars animated feature isn’t terrible—exactly. The animation is about par for a 1996 videogame, but the action is diverting enough for small children, and if some of the convoluted story goes over their heads, at least the juvenile banter between Anakin and his tomboy “padawan” is right on their level. But really, why is this Saturday morning rugrat bait playing in theaters for adults to stumble across?