OF SUBMERSIBLES, SLAVERS AND SITH LORDS! "THE CLONE WARS" SEASON FOUR

Towards his destiny...Anakin Skywalker in Season Four of THE CLONE WARS.

A new extended trailer for Season Four of THE CLONE WARS debuted today and it was fabulous -
The Clone Wars Season 4 "Battle Lines" Trailer - YouTube - full of incredible imagery and action/adventure. Plus more of the baddies we want to see (alongside lots more new ones), and not necessarily fighting against the Republic, more Obi-Wan, more Mon Calamari, more new worlds and creatures, and, most importantly, a lot to come on the Dark Side of the Force and its relationship to Anakin Skywalker, as we finally get to see his anger come out of its bottle regarding slavers-perhaps one more scheme pre-EPISODE III designed by Darth Sidious to get Anakin closer to the Sith.

We'll find out more from September 16th in the US, and probably October in the UK.

Here's some more great images from the trailer...

Sidious launches a new scheme of terror alongside Count Dooku.

New look Clone Troopers in action.

New laser whip wielding baddies for the Jedi to deal with... 

Ahsoka and Artoo-always ready to help!

More great space vistas.

Ventress and the Nightsisters fight back.

More explosive action for the Clone Troopers.

Ahsoka mans the speeder bike turret! Dig those glasses once more!

Always the best man to have on your side: Obi-Wan Kenobi

Jedi mission: liberate the Togrutan slaves.

Fight! Grievous versus Ventress!

Time for another Anakin/Ahsoka explosion!

Those Death Watch warriors rear their heads once again.

A world under siege from the Death Watch.

CLASSIC IMAGE: LOVER'S PARADISE!

Senator in hiding Padme Amidala gets to spend a little quality time in the Naboo countryside with her Jedi protector Anakin Skywalker, in a "love haiku" scene filmed in the romantic and beautiful climes of Italy. In this image, actors Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen get ready to be photographed for their 2002 published VANITY FAIR cover shoot taken by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz.

For more detailed info on the EPISODE II location filming in Italy, Tunisia and Spain, check out our current AFICIONADO issue now available- THE BEST OF ISSUES 1-4.

To get it, head over here: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

CLASSIC IMAGE: BAD DREAMS

On Coruscant, Padme Amidala tries to console worried husband Anakin about the dark and terrible dream he has just ordealed concerning her and their upcoming babies future...a prediction that the young Jedi is determined will not become a reality!

CLASSIC IMAGE: CONVERGENCE OF GOOD AND EVIL!

On the steps of an abandoned, rain soaked Massassi temple, on the faraway world of Yavin IV, Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker is taunted by the evil Sith wannabe Asajj Ventress in this great image from the second half of the CLONE WARS animated premiere series of 2003.

HOMESTEAD GENERATIONS: BLU-RAY COVER ART

Artist Lucamara's front sleeve work for the upcoming STAR WARS six film Blu-ray box set has been met with a mixed reaction, but here's the full piece of art previously posted at the DEVIANTART site.

CLASSIC IMAGE: ESCAPE MOVES!

As Yoda and his arriving Clone Trooper forces make their much welcome appearance and provide cover fire, the core Jedi survivors of the Geonosian arena battle, plus the brave Padme Amidala, make their way to the escape transports in this fantastic and exhilarating action sequence, backed up with fine re-use of John Williams stirring EPISODE I music, for ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

CLASSIC IMAGE: FORCE-FUL TRIO!

Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi work out their next move whilst trapped in the Force powerful dominion of Mortis in ALTAR OF MORTIS, the second part of writer Christian Taylor's popular Mortis Trilogy fantasy, from the recent THE CLONE WARS Season Three, now officially announced for release by LUCASFILM/WARNER BROTHERS on DVD and high definition Blu-ray this October.

Here's the info: StarWars.com | The Clone Wars Season 3 on Blu-Ray and DVD This October

CLASSIC IMAGE: CHAMBER OF HELL!

In a dark and smokey medical chamber of horrors buried deep within the hidden realms of Coruscant, the damaged, deformed and brutalised body of Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, is worked on by a group of droid surgeons and technicians, to be re-imagined as an evil new form of artificial life support systems and heavy metal armour of the blackest, bleakest kind. A rampaging, hate fuelled force for evil will soon emerge, in this classic image from EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH...

CLASSIC IMAGE: HOMESTEAD ARRIVAL

Their gleaming Naboo craft parked in the not too distant Tatooine landscape (filmed once more on location in Tunisia), Anakin Skywalker, accompanied by Padme Amidala and the trusty Artoo Detoo, arrives at the wilderness boundaries of the Lars Homestead, desperate to find out news of his mother, Shmi.

A picturesque moment, leading to fateful tragedy, from EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: THE KILLING BLOW!

As the re-emerged Anakin Skywalker saves his son from the Dark Force energy blasts of Emperor Palpatine, his former Master's energy bolts surround and bombard the once Dark Lord of the Sith servant-with one particular blast hitting a fateful spot, reaching into Vader's helmet and destroying a fragment of his brain...

Despite many STAR WARS fans thinking that the animated bolts hitting Vader's head and exo-skeleton were an addition put on during the SPECIAL EDITIONS re-vamps they were actually on the original 1983 version of RETURN OF THE JEDI all along, but subtly animated in quick as a flash moments- so as not to disturb younger audiences- which you have to pause your VCRs/DVDs to fully see (intriguingly the X-ray image shows a metal neck and shoulders making Vader even more cybernetic than would be seen in EPISODE III in 2005). The bolts were a last minute inclusion to the film asked of ILM's animators by George Lucas during the final stages of its 1983 post-production. A clever and original decision from the Saga's creator.

With thanks to Chris Baker for the image.

For more on the making of JEDI, check out our special issue here: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

CLASSIC IMAGE: DROID IN COMMAND

The ever faithful Artoo Detoo stays by Master Anakin Skywalker's side quite literally in his Jedi Starfighter as they pierce the defences of General Grievous's Invisible Hand cruiser and skid across its landing bay in the opening scenes of EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.

CARTOON NETWORK UK'S "SECRETS REVEALED" CONTINUE...

UK fans of THE CLONE WARS missing their fix of Season Three on SKY MOVIES PREMIERE can now enjoy that entertaining season in repeats on CARTOON NETWORK UK, weekdays 10am and 5pm, as well as on the VIRGIN MEDIA digital platform where selected season two episodes are now being shown as part of their popular TV CHOICE ON DEMAND service.

The Saga is definitely continuing.....

SCENES WE WANT ON BLU-RAY 2: ANAKIN'S JEALOUSY

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's subtle but deadly turning of Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side of the Force was originally even more multi-layered than what was eventually seen in REVENGE OF THE SITH. Darth Sidious's use of jealousy, like Iago's deliberate and vicious fracturing of Othello and Desdemona's tragic love in William Shakespeare's classic play, was expected to be one of the main dramatic elements to have been seen in EPISODE III. Indeed, a similar sub plot was filmed in which Anakin, meeting Palpatine on the landing pad outside the senate building, is told by his respected father figure leader that Obi-Wan's decisions are being influenced by a "female senator" (whom an anxious Anakin realises is Padme Amidala). An earlier scripted element of jealousy by Anakin was cut from a prior scene in the film just before Padme tells him that she is pregnant. Sadly, though this Palpatine/Anakin scene can be found in script form in J.W. Rinzler's ART OF EPISODE III book, the actual shot scene, which also featured a brief "Hello" cameo from Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, never made it to the finished movie, though I'm sure we'd all like it to appear on the Blu-ray!

AFICIONADO REVIEW: "CLONE WARS GAMBIT - SIEGE"

Anakin and Obi-Wan's secret mission on Lanteeb has been shot to hell. They're injured and exhausted, on the run, and its looks like time is running out to stop the development of the Separtist's deadly new biological weapon. Can a small village of enslaved miners help the Jedi stage a miraculous fight back against their enemies?

Check our our review of the second and final part of Karen MIller's CLONE WARS GAMBIT novel SIEGE (released in the UK from 26th May in paperback from ARROW books) here: CLONE WARS GAMBIT: SIEGE

CLASSIC IMAGE: LOVE AND MARRIAGE!

This lovely and familiar looking couple tied the knot long before William and Kate. Though I think our modern reality Royals will have a lot better time of marriage than Padme and Anakin ever did! Still, Naboo was a lovely place to get secretly wed!

CLASSIC IMAGE: "THE BOY'S DANGEROUS"

On Coruscant, before their return to Naboo and partaking in its liberation, Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi has a frank and argumentative discussion with his Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, about whether it is wise to look after and oversee the destiny of young Anakin Skywalker, a boy whose future is clouded with uncertainty and possible danger...

ILM CLASSIC IMAGE: BALANCE TO THE FORCE!

Here's a few great effects reference storyboards (presumably from Joe Johnston, though David Carson and Nilo-Rodis Jamero also worked in that area for the film), circa December 1982, that we weren't able to incorporate for space reasons in our MAKING OF RETURN OF THE JEDI issue of a few years back, showing some of the previously filmed classic scenes of Luke's conflict against Darth Vader when he discovers the truth about his daughter and uses the knowledge against his son, plus the all-time classic emotional moment where Vader, back to the good side as Anakin Skywalker (of which we're all now cheering him on), throws the Emperor down the shaft (referred to in the boards as "The Pit of Death"!).

Classic material, and we look forward to seeing more storyboard goodies and incredibly rare and unseen pre and post production art of all kinds when J.W. Rinzler's MAKING OF book comes out in 2013.

Meanwhile, in the long two year wait for the official book, head over to our back issues area and find out how to get out pretty exhaustive, and reader acclaimed, MAKING OF RETURN OF THE JEDI issue: BACK ISSUE PDF CATALOG

CLASSIC ART: TOONAMI JEDI!

Here's a great piece of UK bus stop/terminal promotional art for the superb animated CLONE WARS series from 2005, shown on CARTOON NETWORK, and brought to life by Genndy Tartakovsky and his talented team of writers and animators.

Somebody PLEASE release this fantastic micro-series and its epic EPISODE III related sequel onto Blu-ray!

OLD FRIENDS, NEW ENEMIES. "THE CLONE WARS" SEASON FOUR

A young Admiral Ackbar, joined with Ahsoka, leads his underwater forces into battle. 

Anakin captured by Dooku!

Padme (in her EPISODE ONE Naboo battle outfit) to the rescue?

Dooku wants revenge on Naboo and the Senator.

The battle re-joined. Anakin versus Dooku part three.

The attack on Naboo continues as the Gungans and Captain Tarpals (?) takes on Grievous... 

And it looks like the General may get his butt kicked!

A mighty space battle above Naboo.

Another dangerous mission to come for our Clone Trooper heroes...

And Rex takes on a dangerous new opponent.

CLASSIC IMAGE: RE-UNITED IN A TIME OF CRISIS

Within her triple-protected apartment on Coruscant, ex-Queen now senator, Padme Amidala, flanked by her aides Captain Typho and Handmaiden, Dorme, is re-united with her old friend, and new protector, Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi, and his "grown-up" Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker, in this intriguing green screen scene filmed at the FOX STUDIOS in 2000 for EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.