STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
An entertaining animated adventure for older children and adults.
Should You Watch It?
This animated Star Wars adventure is fast-paced, entertaining, and beautifully drawn. It gives older children and adults plenty of heroic action, including Jedi characters helping others and standing against a sinister scheme.
The tradeoff is significant action violence. Battle scenes are plentiful, sometimes repetitive, and stretch on a little too long. The film also contains one obscenity and continues the franchise’s pantheistic Force mythology, though it downplays that angle compared with the live-action films.
If your family includes older children who can handle frequent cartoon battle violence and a discernment-level spiritual worldview, this is worth seeing. Younger children may be better served by another choice.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESA clone battalion of the Republic, led by Obi-wan Kenobi and Annakin Skywalker, faces a regiment of droids from the Separatist army. During the battle, Master Yoda assigns Ahsoka, a young female Jedi student, to train under Annakin.
After the battle, Yoda sends Annakin, Obi-wan, and Ahsoka to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped infant son. Their mission could win the Republic permission to move warships through the Outer Rim—but mysterious forces are working against them.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means a solid, enjoyable film with clear weaknesses. THE CLONE WARS moves quickly, offers lots of action, and is beautifully drawn. Its animated presentation gives the Star Wars adventure a vivid, energetic style.
The weaknesses are familiar ones. Annakin Skywalker comes across as too petulant, which is not an attractive character trait. The early battle scenes are somewhat repetitious, and the movie runs a bit too long. Still, it delivers an entertaining adventure for its intended audience.
The Worldview
THE CLONE WARS contains a strong pagan worldview. The mystical Jedi use special powers to move objects, leap and jump great distances, and sense the presence of other mystical soldiers. The film includes a pantheistic reference to “the will of the Force,” reflecting the franchise’s theology.
The movie does, however, downplay the pantheistic and relativistic angle found in the live-action versions. Its heroic Jedi characters provide positive moral elements, and C3PO refers to the Creator when he exclaims, “Thank the Maker!” That reference offers a point of contact with a biblical view, even though the film’s main spiritual framework remains centered on the Force.
The film’s deeper concern is how power is used: some characters use extraordinary abilities to protect others, while villains rely on kidnapping, deceit, and framing heroes. Scripture presents God—not an impersonal Force—as the Creator: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong pagan worldview where mystical soldiers have special occult powers to move objects, leap and jump great distances, and sense the presence of other mystical soldiers, including one pantheistic reference to “the will of the Force,” mitigated by some positive moral elements, including one line where a character thanks “the Maker”; one “d” obscenity; plenty of cartoon action violence includes human soldiers battle droid armies, armies of artillery battle one another, laser gun battles, characters fight with STAR WARS light sabers, explosions during battles, etc.; no sex but an effeminate alien male speaks with a lisp; no human nudity, but giant slug creatures have no clothes; no alcohol; no smoking; and, kidnapping, deceit, villains try to frame heroes.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The Jedi use extraordinary powers to fight for what they believe is right. How should Christians think about power, courage, and responsibility?
Micah 6:8 · Philippians 2:3–4The villains use kidnapping, deceit, and false accusations. Why does God care about truth, and how can we practice it?
Proverbs 12:22 · Ephesians 4:25C3PO says, “Thank the Maker!” How is the biblical Creator different from the pantheistic Force?
Genesis 1:1 · Acts 17:24–25The film’s battle scenes are frequent and intense. How can your family recognize the difference between enjoying fictional action and letting violence shape your heart?
Psalm 101:3 · Philippians 4:8The Final Word
THE CLONE WARS is a fast-paced, beautifully drawn animated adventure with plenty of heroic action. Its one obscenity, frequent battle violence, and pantheistic worldview call for discernment, especially with younger children. For older children and adults who can handle those elements, it is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.
