Since 1987, I've been a hardcore "Star Wars" fan. Despite their flaws, I loved the prequels, but shortly after the release of "Revenge of the Sith" my interest in the Expanded Universe dropped. When 2008's "The Clone Wars" animated pilot for the TV series to follow, hit theaters, I skipped it after hearing friends rake it over the coals. Until now, I haven't seen an episode of the series (not to be confused with the above average, Clone Wars microseries that bridged the gap between the theatrical releases of Ep. II and III) and after sitting through the first four painful episodes of it, I doubt I'll be watching any more.

I understand the series is meant for kids, but that doesn't mean the stories have to be utter nonsense. The writing of the prequel films was not great compared to the original trilogy, but the writing for this series is simply atrocious. First and foremost, is the decision to give Anakin Skywalker his own padawan, Ahsoka Tano. After the Jar Jar Binks fiasco, it's quite clear this character is someone for the kids to connect to; an absurd notion considering this is "Star Wars" and you have Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda running around as well. Giving Anakin this responsibility makes no sense if this series is viewed as a bridge between the final two prequels, as Anakin is still viewed as reckless and irresponsible come "Revenge of the Sith."

Secondly, is the fact that this series may be another example of Lucas' revisionist history. The original "Clone Wars" microseries was entertaining and the quality was around the level of the prequel films. Those two DVDs have since fallen out of print and no word has been released on whether they will ever see the light of day again. If my memory serves me correctly, a character killed in that series, Asaaj Ventriss, is back as a major villain this series, which leads me to believe, Lucas expects viewers to forget the microseries ever existed.

Coming back to the writing, the initial four stories, for the most part are incredibly generic and lack the charm of the films. One key moment does standout as feeling like the "Star Wars" I love and that occurs in the first episode. Yoda speaks to the group of clones he is commanding and reveals to them, that he views them as more than just clones. It's a nice moment and if this interaction continues through the series, it makes Order 66 even more heartbreaking in "Revenge of the Sith" in terms of Yoda's reaction to it. However, this small moment doesn't make up for the remainder of the episode and the three ho-hum ones to follow. It's quite simply an unlikable series that wasted my time.

Interestingly, "The Clone Wars" is top notch in every other aspect. I greatly enjoyed the animation style, which is a great departure from that of the original microseries and the voice acting is top notch. Tom Kane is absolutely wonderful as Yoda, and Matt Lanter erases the stilted speech patterns of Hayden Christensen's, Anakin Skywalker. The sound design is also what you would expect from a "Star Wars" production.

Unfortunately, given the high profile franchise it represents, the sub-par quality of storytelling just doesn't cut it and if this is the future of "Star Wars", then it pains me to say, I don't care anymore. Lucas can choose to milk the license for all its worth, as it is his right, but I surely won't be pumping any of my money into it. That leads me to my final point and that's the nature of this release. "The Clone Wars" has 22 episodes in its initial season, but only four episodes are on this disc. If this is the method Warner intends to release the show, then fans are looking at $90+ for the entire season. Absolutely inexcusable.

It's 2009 and this is a "Star Wars release", yet Warner/Lucasfilm has decided to take several steps backwards in terms of the video presentation on this release. While the colors are vibrant and animation is top notch, the DVD presentation is 1.85:1 Non-Anamorphic Widescreen. Even more frustrating, the show has been cropped from its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. I understand the show is broadcast cropped, but the DVD should be the correct time to release the episodes in their original format. I didn't notice any technical problems with the transfer though and feel the series would be visually stunning in an unmodified format. .

The Audio

As expected, the English Dolby 5.1 track is up the standards one would expect of a Star Wars title. Sound design is handled well with trademark effects coming across clear and crisp. Surrounds are used as intended and showcase the top-notch efforts. Dolby 5.1 tracks in French, Spanish and Portuguese are included as are English subtitles for the hearing impaired.

The Extras

None.

Despite being top notch in most aspects of production, the lack of effort in terms of storytelling and dialogue doesn't make this worthy of carrying the "Star Wars" name. I realize there are a lot of fans of this series, and while I have heard some later episodes are actually quite good, the series failed to spark my interest in the first four episodes, and that is not the hallmark of a good series. Add to that a quick cash grab DVD release that represents 1/6th of the entire first season, a heavily modified visual presentation, and no extras, and I can't find anything worth recommending about this series.

If you truly love the series already and feel like you must own the episodes, head over to iTunes; the complete first season is $40 and while still cropped, is anamorphic. For everyone else, don't waste your time. I still love the films as much as I did over twenty years ago as well as some of the early Expanded Universe novels, but this is just another further example of the series no longer being about telling a story, but more about earning a buck. Skip It.