#TOMKAN

[adamwatchesmovies]

Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003)

Even though it disappointed repeatedly, the Star Wars prequel trilogy was worth it for 2007's animated micro-series Star Wars: Clone Wars. If you want to see a young Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan in awesome action sequences with character development and sights even the best special effects would struggle to bring to life, this offers it in spades. Stylish, action-packed, and teeming with memorable moments, this is the Star Wars you’ve been dreaming of.

From Genndy Tartakovsky - creator of Samurai Jack, Dexter's Laboratory, and the animated segment of Priest (the only good part). Clone Wars is an animated anthology series that bridges the gap between Episodes II & III. Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Mat Lucas), Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), Mace Windu (T.C. Carson), and Grandmaster Yoda (Tom Kane) battle the armies and minions of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. As armadas of ships, legions of droids, and underwater militia clash, special op covert missions, fiendish monsters, ominous visions, and terrifying villains shape the future of the universe.

If you haven't heard of this series or dismissed it as a kid’s cartoon, you have no idea what you’re missing. This is no mere children’s entertainment, it’s Star Wars going back to its roots with a series of short adventures that tie together to make a gigantic story. There’s no way real-life actors or stuntmen/women would dare to pull off the moves we see here. They'd wind up digitally rendering people on digitally rendered background and at point... why not simply animate it all? This is the kind of story that shows what animation is best suited for. Atmosphere is generated through Tartakovsky's simplified color pallets and character designs. Nothing stands out as artificial, because it's entirely artificial. If you thought General Grievous was a pretty cool character in Revenge of the Sith, you haven’t seen anything yet, at best he’s a mere shadow of what you will witness here.

When it first aired, I fell in love with Clone Wars because of the cool villains and visual carnage. These depictions of Count Dooku, Darth Sidious, and the new foes introduced are instant favorites. The battles are varied and dynamic. This time, I was struck by the character arcs, particularly Anakin Skywalker's because of how much is done with the visuals. This is a confidently directed piece by someone who understands the power of silence. It’s so much more impressive to see a group of Clone Troopers take down an opponent by communicating with only hand signals than it is with them shouting orders at each other. Instead of actors, it's the animators doing the storytelling through the characters’ body movement. Anything extraneous has been trimmed out and tossed away to deliver a lean and satisfying epic.

This is a “movie” that no one will be able to agree upon because inevitably, the question of “What was the best part” will come up and everyone will have a different opinion. Will it be Mace Windu standing alone against impossible odds? The first encounter with General Grievous? The space battle whose uneven odds are tipped in the underdog's favor thanks to superior strategy? How about Kit Fisto in a prolonged underwater war, Anakin in a mission that would test his strength like none other before, or that part where Count Dooku and… well I don’t want to spoil it.

I do have some criticisms, and I know they’ll sound unfair. Technically, this is not a movie, but I’m judging it as if it was. It’s because it’s that good. Other television shows would struggle to stand next to it because it accomplishes so much in so little time. Star Wars: Clone Wars is only 2 hours long but it packs in as much as my favorite series’ do in an entire season-spanning arc. (On DVD, December 4, 2015)

[bkoneproductions]

Just a little tease of the space - it’s raw right now but just wait for May 20 and beyond! BrooklynONE productions comes home to industry city! The Tom Kane theatre! Make sure to help us out by donating today! Link in bio!! #linkinbio👆 . . . . ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #brooklynone #fridaynightfun #ic #industrycity #instagramlive #interviews #itslit #madetomeasure #moretocome #mydream #picturesofnewyork #placestogo #productions #rehearsal #screen #seeyourcity #theshowmustgoon #timeoutnewyork #williamshakespeare #bkONE #brooklynONE #industrycity #tomkane https://instagr.am/p/CrtiVVNOwsG/

[la-flem-le-dimanche]

TOM KAN - ENTER THE VOID INTRO

[stevesauve2007]

Watching on #disneyplus season 3 #starwarsclonewarsseason3 #star wars starring #mattlanter #tomkane https://www.instagram.com/p/CkzUsNijA8S/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[deadline100]

[tomhodges]

A piece used for an exclusive kids print at Stan Lee’s Los Angeles Comic Con. Tom Kane was kind enough to sign them for the kids! #starwars #yoda #theclonewars #tomkane #art #hodgesart #copicmarkers

[mayonnaiseandbread]

#14x11 or #11x14!? #YODA does not judge! ● #georgelucas #frankoz #tomkane #andersonjunior #quicksketch #starwars #jedi #wisdom #inks #nextlevel #ears #face #speedballart #returnofthejedi #littlegreenguy #sketch https://www.instagram.com/p/BxA8hwSB2wQ/?igshid=1k3esjvdeltpo

[burak0z]

#9 10/9 #elijahwood #jenniferconnelly #crispinglover #johncreilly #martinlandau #fredtatasciore #tomkane #timburton #shaneackers9 #timurbekmambetov #bluray #bluraycollection #bluraycollectors #bluraydisc #bluraydisc #animation #animated #nine https://www.instagram.com/burakrises/p/BuTH78rl_-f/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ng4p6fzu0459

[mrstardust2-blog]

#NowIsGood #AhoraYSiempre #DakotaFanning #JeremyIrvine #OliviaWilliams #PaddyConsidine #KayaScodelario #JuliaFord #JosefAltin #JoeCole #EdgarCanham #FranzDrameh #RakieAyola #TomKane #OlParker

[thesmithsrock]

Got these Signed at #LAComicCon last weekend.. #PowerPuffGirls #Funko #PopVinyl #FunkoPop #Autographs #HIM #Bubbles #Blossom #Buttercup #EGDaily #TaraStrong #CathyCavadini #TomKane #VoiceActor #Comikaze

[adamwatchesmovies]

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2008)

Looking back, I don’t know about these Marvel animated movies. When they were first released, I thought they were fun. Since, either my standards for superhero films have gone up, or I've been sent to an alternate universe where they were never that great. I wouldn't call Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow a bad movie, but its appeal is limited to children - young children.

The Avengers brought peace to Earth's nations and for a while, everything was good. The heroes settled down and started building families of their own. Then, the android Ultron (voiced by Tom Kane) wiped them all out. 12 years later, a new group of Avengers is poised to take up their legacy: the son of Captain America and Black Widow, James (Noah C. Crawford), Thor’s Daughter Torunn (Brenna O’Brien), Giant-Man and Wasp’s son Pym (Aidan Drummond) and Black Panther’s heir Azari (Dempsey M. Pappion). Together these young heroes may have what it takes to save the world.

Having younger heroes that look up to their parents and struggle to fill their shoes is a setup ripe with drama. There are times where Heroes of Tomorrow dips its toe in this. A good example is Torunn, whose father isn't dead but is gone to rule Asgard. “Has my father abandoned me? Am I even his daughter? Wouldn’t he have helped the world if he was out there?” There’s only so much the film can do with its 8 characters within the 78-minute running time but there’s some meat there.

The overall lack of characterization wouldn’t be so bad if these new characters didn’t feel like much of the same. Of course, Kid America is going to have a shield, and not only that, but he’ll become the leader of the team. What could the son of Giant-Man and Wasp do, duplicate BOTH of his parents’ powers? The film mixes things up a little by having Black Panther’s son wield Storm’s powers (the X-Men characters is never shown, but you know she’s the mother) but what kind of curse did Hawkeye bring upon himself and his family that they're all doomed to wield nothing but arrows against killer robots? Magneto’s kids don’t have the same abilities as he does. This often feels like less of a "new generation" and more of a "everyone drank a youth potion".

My observations about the characters, even the plot – which is ok, but a little bit been-there-done-that – are the kind most young viewers would not make. If you have children who want desperately to see the big Marvel movies, but won’t appreciate them, will get frightened by the action or just aren’t mature enough to see these pictures, consider this as an alternative. Once they grow out of it, replace The Next Avengers with the real deal.

I struggle to categorize Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow as good or bad. It’s ok. The animation is of TV quality, the plot is adequate, it makes a few interesting choices with its premise, but it’s nothing to write home about. I can’t recommend it for adults, but if my kids wanted to see it, I’d pop it in the machine in a heartbeat. (On Blu-ray, August 15, 2016)

[bkoneproductions]

A needed sign to know your moving in the right direction. Thanks Tom. We love you and miss you everyday. #iykyk . . . . . #giveback #giving #givingtuesday #goodcause #help #ic #motivation #bkone #nonprofitorganization #stage #summershakespeare #support #bklyn #theatre #bkone #inthenameofkane #tomkane https://instagr.am/p/Ck8aSn0rZc7/

[ihaskidgloves]

Here they come just in time... the #PowerpuffGirls! My #childhood is MADE. They did "Love Makes the World Go 'Round!" . . . . . #nickelodeon #lacomiccon17 #voiceactors #egdaily #tarastrong #tomkane #cathycavadini

[stevesauve2007]

Watching #starwarstheclonewars #season1 #disney 2008 starring #tomkane #mattlanter https://www.instagram.com/p/CfWORHnA9RQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kylenewman76]

Was just live on The Star Wars Show w @davidwcollins #TomKane @starwarscelebration You can catch the WHOLE convention on the starwars.com live feed including our stage show SMUGGLER'S REVENGE tomorrow 7pmET/4pmPT

[gianfootography]

Amazing cast! I miss #StarWarsWeekends & #CloneWars. @jatactor @heruniverse @cattaber @deebradleybaker @mattlanter & #TomKane #SWW2014 @StarWars @waltdisneyworld — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2pQkzVc