Blu-ray Review Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Lost Missions Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Lost Missions Blu-ray Review

The sixth season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars had intended to be twenty-two episodes long, but only thirteen episodes were completed, and they’re contained in this sixth season set subtitled “The Lost Missions.” A series of four extended story arcs lasting from two to four episodes each involve many of the familiar characters and conflicting situations from the Star Wars franchise particularly the prequel episodes I-III that varied enormously in quality from the episodes in the original saga (later labeled parts IV-VI). Regardless, these CGI animated half hours frequently seem movie-like in scope and substance though obviously geared for younger audiences, and fans of the franchise will easily be sucked into their storytelling motifs and want to follow it to its conclusion.

Studio: Disney

Distributed By: N/A

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1

Audio: English 5.1 DD, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD, Other

Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Rating: TV-PG

Run Time: 4 Hr. 47 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

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Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: ABC

Release Date: 11/11/2014

MSRP: $45.99

The Production Rating: 4/5

In terms of its timeline, the events of these episodes take place between the second and third Star Wars films where Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) have secretly married but carry on their own separate missions where he’s a general and she’s a senator, where the Republic and the Separatists are engaged in continuing conflicts with the Republic’s strings being constantly pulled behind the scenes by the treacherous Chancellor Palpatine (Ian Abercrombie and Tim Curry who switch off doing the voice during the season), and where the Council suspects treason within their ranks but haven’t made terrific inroads yet into revealing its traitors. Along the way, we meet up with old friends and/or enemies like Yoda (Tom Kane), R2D2, Count Dooku (Corey Burton), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Mace Windu (Terrence 'T.C.' Carson), and even the voice of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) whose vital force leads Yoda into important discoveries during the climactic story arc of the season.The other arcs are equally as involving. In the opening quartet of episodes (the most moving of the season), one of the Clone Troopers Fives (Dee Bradley Baker) after witnessing the malfunctioning and death of his brother clone Tup vows to get some answers leading to another discovery of treachery in the Republic’s ranks with inhibitor chips discovered having been planted in all of the clones allowing them to be manipulated by an unknown source at will. The green-eyed monster jealousy rears its ugly head in the next arc where Padmé’s former friend Rush Clovis (Robin Atkin Downes) uncovers malfeasance within the Banking Clan (another Separatist treachery) and becomes a pawn of the enemy trying to bring down the Republic through their lack of finances to continue the war. Least of the arcs for the season involves, yes, Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best) in an annoying two-episode story that seems to interrupt the momentum from the rest of the season.Presented in widescreen and with an aggressive soundtrack pitched toward the rafters, these episodes are quite cinematic in intent and execution, and while the budget doesn’t allow for the most elaborate animation in every episode, the battle scenes are quite spectacular for television productions, and the voice cast makes every effort to mimic (as does the animation) the live action versions of these iconic characters.Here are the thirteen episodes presented on two discs in this Blu-ray set:1 - The Unknown2 - Conspiracy3 - Fugitive4 - Orders5 - An Old Friend6 - The Rise of Clovis7 - Crisis at the Heart8 - The Disappeared, Part I9 - The Disappeared, Part II10 - The Lost One11 - Voices12 - Destiny13 - Sacrifice

Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA

The transfers are framed at 2.35:1 and are presented in 1080p resolution using the AVC codec. Sharpness is outstanding throughout, and color depth and reproduction is beautiful and consistent. The black levels of space are inky black easily blending into the letterbox bars of the presentation. There is no evidence of banding or any other anomalies associated with CGI animation. Each episode has been divided into 5 chapters.

Audio Rating: 4.5/5

The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mix is aggressively present in all available channels with thundering bass to give tremendous rumble to the LFE channel and split effects that provide the kind of immersive movie-like experience one takes for granted in theatrical sci-fi presentations but which he rarely gets in television productions. Dialogue has been well recorded and is mostly found in the center channel though there is an occasional bit of directionalized dialogue. The music also adds enormous presence to all of the scenes being offered in both the fronts and rears. A half point has been deduced from the score for the lack of a lossless high definition mix. Otherwise, this is reference quality work.

Special Features Rating: 2.5/5

The Clone Wars (16:02, HD): the crew at Lucasfilm (including executive producer Dave Filoni) looks back on the eight years of work they had put forth on the six seasons of the Emmy Award-winning series.Story Reels: the Utopar Arc (1:31:21, HD): a four-episode story arc left unfinished and offered here in rough CGI animation. The viewer may watch the entire arc in a single sitting or watch these as individual episodes. Promo Trailers (HD): Star Wars: Rebels, Big Hero 6, Maleficent.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Star Wars fans will certainly rush to add this sixth season of episodes to their collections. The Clone Wars brings the series to a fitting end, and the Blu-ray presentation is certainly worthy of all of these artists’ best efforts. Recommended!

Reviewed By: Matt Hough

Support HTF when you buy this title:

Matt, thanks for the review. I have the DVD version pre-ordered on Amazon and can't wait to see the final episodes. Me and my kids thoroughly enjoyed the Clone Wars series.

Darby

I hated seeing the show go but these last episodes are just as good as what came before.

The first four eps and the last four eps of this season should be considered *essential viewing* for any serious Star Wars fan.

I would certainly agree with that. They were my favorite episodes in this set.

Great review, Matt!

Cannot wait for mine to arrive!