As the Clone Wars sweep through the galaxy, the heroic Jedi Knights struggle to maintain order and restore peace. Anakin Skywalker and his new, headstrong Padawan learner, Ahsoka Tano, embark on a dangerous mission to rescue the kidnapped son of crime lord Jabba the Hutt. With the Republic's alliance with the Hutts hanging in the balance, renegade Count Dooku and his assassin Asajj Ventress will stop at nothing to ensure the Jedi fail in this animated theatrical chapter of the saga.
Information |
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Language |
English |
Country |
United States |
Premiere date |
August 15, 2008 |
Running time |
98 minutes |
Genre |
Animation
Sci-Fi Action |
Budget |
$8,500,000 |
Box Office |
$68,282,844 |
Crew |
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Directed by |
Dave Filoni |
Produced by |
Catherine Winder |
Written by |
Henry Gilroy Steven Melching Scott Murphy |
Music by |
Kevin Kiner |
Cinematography |
N/A (Animation) |
Edited by |
Jason W.A. Tucker |
Production Co. |
Lucasfilm Animation |
Distributed by |
Warner Bros. Pictures |
Top Cast |
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Official Trailer |
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Movie Collection |
Movie Order: #07 in Star Wars Collection
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The Plot
The Battle of Christophsis
The Clone Wars rage across the galaxy, with the Separatists controlling the majority of the hyperlanes, effectively stranding Republic forces in the Outer Rim. On the crystalline planet of Christophsis, a fierce battle ensues between the Republic's limited clone army and the Retail Caucus forces. Jedi Knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, alongside Captain Rex and Commander Cody, lead the clones in a steady advance, securing an early victory. However, the reprieve is short-lived as the Droid Army, under the command of General Loathsom, returns to renew the bloodshed. With communications down and reinforcements impossible to fly in, the fate of the remaining clone troopers rests solely on the Jedi.
A shuttle eventually breaks through the blockade, but instead of the expected reinforcements, it delivers a young Togruta Padawan named Ahsoka Tano. To the surprise of the Jedi, she insists she has been sent by Grand Master Yoda to serve as Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice. Although Anakin is initially reluctant to take on a student, the urgency of the battle forces them to cooperate. The Separatist forces begin advancing behind a massive, expanding energy shield that renders the Republic's heavy artillery useless. Tasked with disabling the shield generator, Anakin and Ahsoka infiltrate the enemy lines, relying on stealth, cunning, and improvisation to navigate the battlefield. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan buys them time by engaging General Loathsom in a false surrender negotiation. The plan succeeds; Anakin and Ahsoka destroy the generator, allowing the Republic artillery to decimate the droids and secure the planet.
A Dangerous Mission
Following the victory, Master Yoda arrives with urgent news: a mysterious group of renegades has kidnapped Rotta, the infant son of the powerful crime lord Jabba the Hutt. The Republic desperately needs access to the Hutt-controlled hyperspace lanes to move their fleets through the Outer Rim. Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and the clones are tasked with rescuing the Huttlet, while Obi-Wan travels to Tatooine to negotiate with Jabba, promising the safe return of his son in exchange for passage rights.
Anakin’s forces travel to the jungle planet of Teth, where the kidnappers have fortified themselves within a monastery perched atop one of the planet's massive natural stone pillars. Under heavy enemy fire, the Republic forces storm the vertical stronghold. Inside, Anakin and Ahsoka locate Rotta, who has fallen ill. However, they quickly realize the kidnapping is an elaborate trap engineered by Count Dooku. The Sith Lord intends to frame the Jedi for the abduction to permanently turn the Hutts against the Republic. Asajj Ventress, overseeing the operation, attempts to retrieve the Huttlet and kill the Jedi to seal the deception.
Escape from Teth
Trapped and surrounded, Anakin and Ahsoka bicker about proper procedure but slowly begin to earn each other's respect as they fight for survival. With the help of R2-D2, they manage to hijack a derelict spice freighter and escape the monastery, using onboard medicine to treat the sick Huttlet. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives with reinforcements just in time to relieve the beleaguered Captain Rex and his troops. Obi-Wan engages Asajj Ventress in a lightsaber duel and manages to defeat her, though she flees the battle before she can be captured.
Aboard the stolen freighter, Anakin and Ahsoka attempt to navigate to Tatooine, but they are shot down by Separatist fighters upon arrival. Crash-landing in the Dune Sea, they are forced to trek across the desert sands on foot. They are relentlessly pursued by Count Dooku, who intercepts them to finish the mission personally. Anakin devises a ruse to distract the Sith Lord; when Dooku corners him and demands the Huttlet, Anakin reveals that the pack he is carrying contains only rocks. Using this distraction, Ahsoka and R2-D2 smuggle Rotta toward Jabba’s palace.
The Conspiracy Revealed
While the Jedi fight on Tatooine, Senator Padmé Amidala learns of the mission and fears for Anakin’s safety. She decides to contact Jabba’s uncle, Ziro the Hutt, in the underworld of Coruscant, hoping he can facilitate negotiations. Ziro strangely refuses to cooperate and has Padmé detained. She soon discovers the truth: Ziro has conspired with Count Dooku to engineer the downfall of his nephew, intending to seize control of the Hutt clans for himself once Jabba turns on the Jedi. A chance call by C-3PO allows Padmé to summon the Coruscant Guard, who arrest Ziro and liberate the Senator.
Securing the Alliance
Back on Tatooine, Ahsoka is ambushed by three MagnaGuards near the palace entrance but narrowly defeats them to deliver Rotta to his father. Despite the safe return of his son, Jabba is furious, believing Dooku’s lies that the Jedi were responsible for the kidnapping. He threatens to execute Anakin and Ahsoka on the spot. Just as the situation seems dire, Padmé contacts the palace with holographic proof of Ziro’s treachery and Dooku’s involvement. Realizing he has been deceived, Jabba agrees to the treaty, granting the Republic safe passage through the Outer Rim.
Anakin and Ahsoka are triumphantly retrieved by Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Commander Cody. Elsewhere, Count Dooku reports his failure to Darth Sidious. The Sith Master is unconcerned, noting that while the specific plan failed, the tide of war has still turned in their favor, as the conflict will continue to spread chaos across the galaxy, proceeding exactly as he has foreseen.
