There’s just something about “Star Wars” that brings out the geek in people. When I recently attended an advanced screening of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” I kept seeing a blue light flashing out of the corner of my eye. Turning to look, I was surprised to see the source – a $119 light saber (available from Toys R Us. It was so cool I had to check it out). But the biggest surprise was yet to come. The person wielding the “toy” was a man, probably in his mid-40s, dressed as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Ah, yes, I was with my people.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is an animated feature that builds upon a few passing comments made by Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in “Episode IV: A New Hope.” He asks Obi-Wan if he fought in the Clone Wars; and in her holographic message to the same Jedi master, she says “Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars.” What exactly were the Clone Wars? A period of civil war that erupted between the Republic and the Separatists, led by the mysterious Darth Sidious, that affected a myriad beings in a galaxy far, far away. The actual wars would have taken place between “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” and “A New Hope.” As director Dave Filoni explained about his new film: “We may be dealing with a small window of time, but the scope of war – particularly a galactic war – is pretty expansive. There’s a lot going on – heroes, villains, intrigue, (and) adventure. It’s all part of the story we know, but it’s always been in the background until now.” Just to clear up any confusion, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is not a continuation of “Star Wars: Clone Wars,” the Genndy Tartakovsky animated micro-series that ran from 2004-05 on Cartoon Network. This is a new entity, written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching and Scott Murphy, and directed by Filoni, of “Avatar: The Airbender” fame.

“The Clone Wars” centers on a kidnapping plot: Jabba the Hutt’s infant son has been taken and Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan are dispatched on a rescue mission. The Separatist bad guy Count Dooku, of course, is behind the plot, with the intention of creating animosity between the Republic and the Hutt Clan, thereby disrupting the Republic’s access to trade routes. The film contains mostly familiar characters – Yoda, C-3PO, R2D2, Chancellor Palpatine, Mace Windu, Queen Amidala, the Jawas, the Clone troopers, and more. There are, however, a few new faces, particularly Ahsoka Tano and Asajj Ventress. The former is a teen-aged Togruta girl assigned by Yoda to serve as Anakin’s Padawan. Initially, he is less than thrilled to be saddled with this resourceful, enthusiastic, headstrong and confident tactician, but she grows on him. (By the way, a Togruta has reddish skin and what look like striped white horns that hang down like hair. If you are familiar with the universe, Shaak Ti, who was in “Episode II: Attack of the Clones,” is one.) And the latter character is Count Dooku’s bald and statuesque assassin who wields twin light sabers. She is very sinister and a very welcome addition to the universe.

As the backdrop of the film is a war, you can expect to see almost non-stop fighting – light saber and otherwise. One particular sequence that I loved had our heroes ascending a cliff to a monastery summit while trying to avoid being shot or hit by falling droids or machinery. At one point, Anakin hops on a flying “motorcycle” and begins kicking some serious droid ass. This and other sequences really demonstrate how much more the creators can accomplish by using animation. Speaking of animation, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” has a distinctive look, as the creators were inspired by Japanese manga, anime and Gerry Anderson’s “Thunderbirds.” As Filoni said: “The look is more stylized. It’s not concerned with photorealism; it’s more concerned with establishing its own visual reality, kind of in the same way a painter might use different techniques to create different looks. We’re using CGI as a tool to create a stylized reality.”

Even though older, hardcore fans will be drawn to the new incarnation, it’s important to note that it is intended for all ages, which means you still find some of the cringe-inducing dialogue for which Lucas has been criticized. The silliest exchanges come out of the mouths of the battle droids. I guess, we should be thankful that Jar Jar Binks is nowhere in sight. The only other flaw is the campy addition of Ziro the Hutt, whose body is painted with day-glo and whose voice sounds oddly like Truman Capote. Those aside, “Clone Wars” is a fine addition to the already established universe.

Trying to keep costs low, the film has only three “celebrity” voices – Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee and Anthony Daniels. Anakin is voiced by Matt Lanter, a TV actor who was in five episodes of “Heroes.” Voicing Obi-Wan again is James Arnold Taylor. I say again, because he lent his vocal talents to the OTHER “Star Wars: Clone Wars.” Believe it or not, Frank Oz isn’t around to give Yoda his voice, and that was a serious problem for me, but Tom Kane, also from the other “Clone Wars” isn’t all that bad. In fact, none of the vocal talents are so different that it’s jarring. And in Taylor’s case, he did a brilliant interpretation of Obi-Wan, another voice I was afraid to hear. What can I say? I love Ewan McGregor.

“Star Wars: The Clone Wars” is being shown in the cinema, undoubtedly to whet everyone’s appetite for the kick off of the TV series that will debut this fall on the Cartoon Network. According to one news source, the 22 episodes of the first season are in the bag, and animators have already started on season two. Lucas intends to produce 100 episodes in all. For this long-time fan, everything worked, and I honestly cannot wait to see what’s next. The feeling must have been mutual, because those who attended the advance preview with me erupted into applause. Oh, and an FYI: stay after the credits for a cute, very brief, Jawas moment.

Dave Filoni (director) / Henry Gilroy, George Lucas, Steven Melching, Scott Murphy (screenplay)
CAST: Matt Lanter … Anakin Skywalker (voice)
Ashley Eckstein … Ahsoka Tano (voice)
James Arnold Taylor … Obi-Wan Kenobi / 4-A7 / Medical Droid (voice)
Nika Futterman … Asajj Ventress / Tee-C-Seventy (voice)
Ian Abercrombie … Chancellor Palpatine / Darth Sidious (voice)
Corey Burton … General Loathsom / Ziro the Hutt / Kronos-327 (voice)
Catherine Taber … Padmé Amidala (voice)