Q. What's up with the forthcoming "Star Wars" movie? It looks pretty goofy. Is it going to tarnish the reputation of the series?

A. Some folks would say the series' reputation was irreparably tarnished by episodes I, II and III. Personally, I had problems with "The Phantom Menace" but enjoyed "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." So I'm willing to give creator George Lucas the benefit of the doubt.

Whether the new movie — "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" — will be any good is hard to say. I've been in this business long enough to know that it's virtually impossible to predict the quality of a film. For that reason, I do my best to go into every screening without preconceptions.

I can, however, explain the concept of "Clone Wars," which is scheduled to open on Friday. It's a computer-animated take on the "Star Wars" universe that's set between the events in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." It focuses on the adventures of Jedi warriors Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker as they try to maintain order while the Clone Wars rage. Also featured is Anakin's apprentice, Ahsoka Tano.

Some of the actors who appeared in the live-action films — Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels — provide the voices for the cartoon, but Hayden Christensen (Anakin), Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan) and Natalie Portman (Padme Amidala) are missing in action. The film is directed by Dave Filoni, who helmed several episodes of "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

Pessimists might view "Clone Wars" as a feature-length advertisement because it is leading up to an animated television series that will debut on the Cartoon Network this fall. I'm taking a wait-and-see approach because, as mentioned earlier, it never pays to guess.