Liam Neeson is reprising his role as Qui-Gon Jinn on the Cartoon Network’s January 18 and February 11 episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Neeson (and Qui-Gon for that matter) has not appeared in any Star Wars films or cartoons since “The Phantom Menace,” and his return is a surprising boon to the series. He will be appearing in spectral form to offer guidance to Obi-Wan Kenobi during a three-part story arc focusing on Anakin Skywalker’s role as the Chosen One to bring balance to the Force.
Neeson tells EW he wanted to return to Star Wars because he felt that “these characters resonate…even after all these years.” He adds, “Growing up, my heroes were cowboys; they were strong and mysterious, and it seemed like they always rode off into the sunset. For kids today, Star Wars has that same kind of magic. I really wanted to be a part of that.”
Before all of the “George Lucas raped my childhood” anti-prequel backlash hits, I want to say that of the three sequels, Phantom Menace is my favorite. It FEELS like Star Wars, where the other two never really do. I loved Qui-Gon, and felt that Neeson’s performance was actually filled with a great deal of depth given Lucas’ neutering of his performance through poor directing. I’m not a big fan of the Clone Wars cartoon (I loved Genndy Tartakovsky’s hand drawn Clone Wars cartoons, but never got aboard the CGI stuff), but I’ll be watching this story arc just for the moments with Jedi Master Jinn. Anyone else be tuning in who might not otherwise?
I need help. Does anyone know anything about Obi Wan Bob, the mysery man, that is shown in the Star Wars Lego Character Encyclopedia. I have never seen this Lego mini figure in any Lego sets.
Didn’t the voice of Qui-Gon appear in episode II when Anakin is attacking the Sand People village?
HALF CORRECT!!! Qui-Gon Ginn was in episode 21 of the Cel-Animated Star Wars: Clone Wars, during a flash back with a young Anakin. However he is not voiced by Laim Neeson, but a voice actor named Fred Tatasciore. Best know for being 8 in the movie 9 (the one produced by Tim Burton, not the one direct by rob Marshall) …God, I’m such a loser
Sean, You aren’t THAT much of a loser. If you had been, you would have spelled Qui-Gon Jinn correctly! :) I like reading your post imagining it was read by the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons. “Best Reply… EVER!”
Thank you, in all seriousness, for pointing out my error. I was basing that on information from another source, since, as I admitted, I’ve watched so little of the CGI cartoon. My bad :)
I agree with Ryan. How can he appear to Obi-Wan in the Clone Wars? I dont mean to sound all super-nerd here but Yoda says at the end of Revenge that an old friend has “returned” from the “netherworld of the Force” implying he had just learned and returned recently. Not years before during the Clone Wars. I dont get it. Lucas better explain this really well. It better not be some stupid explanation either that Lucas threw togetherr just for ratings. Dumb!
Yoda’s statement doesn’t imply Qui Gonn hasn’t done it before. As Kimball points out, we know in ep. II Qui Gonn made his presence known through the force when Anakin is murdering the Tuskens.
Obi Wan appeared to Luke multiple times, so why can’t Qui Gonn? Force spirits don’t appear all of the time so it’s possible Obi Wan hadn’t heard from Qui Gonn in a while when Yoda reveals he’s been communing with his spirit in ep. III.
It wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened. Hell, according to The Empire Strikes Back, Qui Gon wasn’t even Obi Wan’s master — it was Yoda. George Lucas ruined the mystique of Star Wars a long time ago, and turned it into something of a circus — still fun enough, I guess, but it’s no longer a special thing to me anymore, not like it used to be anyway.
Yoda was ONE of Obi-Wan’s masters. There is no inconsistency here. As we see in the prequels, Jedi of the Old Republic were taught very young and Yoda is seen teaching a class of younglings.
Obi-wan had to go through this stage too.
I think nostalgia has a lot to do with the hatred of the prequels. I grew up with the new trilogy, and I enjoyed all three. Still don’t think they’re as good as the originals, but they’re closer than they’re given credit for.
What you said is what I have been saying since the prequel hate began. I grew up with the originals and I like the prequels as well. Are the prequels better? No. However, they aren’t bad either.
There are story issues that exist with the prequels that never existed in the originals, and because the prequels are filmed pretty much entirely in green screen, instead of in sets — like the original — it changed the entire look and ‘feel’ of the movies. I think those were two huge issues that exist with the prequels that set them far back from the originals.
They’re still fun enough, but there was an entire aura around the originals and the entire franchise before the prequels come out that no longer exists anymore, IMO. Some of that is explained by what I wrote above (worse story, the choice to use green screens instead of sets, etc.), but I think a lot of the lost ‘aura’ is because the prequels answered too many questions — some of them contradicting things that were already known — which takes away a lot of the mystery.
I guess that aspect of the loss of what Star Wars used to mean is the price one pays for more movies, series and episodes of that franchise. At the very least, though, I wish — when it came to the movies — George put the time into the stories and tried to keep the same look and feel as the originals.
I liked Phantom Menace as well but I would still say that Revenge of the Sith was my favorite of the prequels. With that said Liam Neeson’s character had a pivotal role in the Star Wars saga because it was he who learned how to communicate as a spirit in the afterlife and that set the stage for Obi-Wan in Empire and ROTJ.
It will be interesting to see how this ties into the Clone Wars story because Obi-Wan didn’t learn of Qui-gon’s ability to spiritually communicate until Yoda informed him of it at the end of Revenge of the Sith.
RB