From the first notes of the re-orchestrated "Star Wars" anthem it is obvious there is something just not right with "Star Wars: The Clone Wars." The animated story, that fills in the action between the "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," is at times visually stunning. But that is no more than the dazzle that tries to hide the dark side of questionable animation decisions, annoying new characters and cheesy voice performances.

Heaven help anyone who stumbles into a screening of this movie and is not a master of "Star Wars" lore. After a quick narration, that sounds like it was left over from some '30s gangster movie, the film goes high speed into a battle between the Jedi-led Clone troopers and the battle droid army under the guidance of Count Dooku (voiced by Christopher Lee). This battle gives way to a kidnapping plot involving the son of giant slug leader Jabba the Hutt.

The only time the movie slows is to introduce a couple of new characters. It doesn't help one of the new characters in the "Star War' universe, a young student named Ahsoka Tano (voiced by Ashley Eckstein), is the most annoying addition since Jar Jar Binks back in "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace." Her youthful enthusiasm and stupid knack for getting in trouble make the film appear to be more aimed at tweens than the general "Star Wars" fan population.

The computer-generated animation works with the action scenes. That's because it can be used to create legions of droids, ships and weapons. But the animation style fails miserably when it comes to the humanoid characters. The faces of characters like Obi-Wan (voiced by James Arnold Taylor), Anakin (voiced by Matt Lanter) all look like Greek relief sculptures. Rigid lines never allow the faces to move enough to show any real emotion. The stiff movement of the characters is almost like puppets without the strings.

And then there are the voices. Only a handful of stars from the live-action movies voice their characters. The efforts to match the other voices is spotty at best. And then there is the strange voice of Ziro the Hutt. Corey Burton's voice work sounds like a bad impersonation of Truman Capote.

Finally, the decision to set this film between the second and third movies in the "Star Wars" franchise kills any drama. Fans know exactly what the result of the Clone Wars will be. And they also know what will happen to Anakin and the rest of the familiar cast. The result is a movie that is just filler.

The "Star Wars" franchise is one of the most creative and entertaining ever in the moviemaking galaxy. But in the case of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," the Force is not strong with this one.