Clone Wars Season Two Review
Apr. 10th, 2004 08:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lazypadawan(Note: This will also be posted on my humble little web site, Rebelheart)
As this too-short second season of Clone Wars ends, I am reminded of the words of Oliver Twist in the factory porridge line: “More, please?”
Waiting for an episode of Clone Wars was like waiting to get on a roller coaster. You wait for hours to get on a ride that ends in 30 seconds. It goes by so fast, you hardly have time to take it in. And you can’t wait to get back on it again. Like the first season, it’s very, very cool and lots of fun.
Since it is the Clone *Wars*, there is a tremendous amount of action. Space battles, epic ground battles, chases, and lightsaber duels occur in pretty much every episode. Yoda kicks more butt, Mace wipes out a droid army with nothing but the Force as his ally, Padmé mixes it up with some invisible droids, and Anakin doggedly pursues his latest nemesis, Asajj Ventriss. Then there is the auspicious debut of Eppy III’s new baddie and destined superstar, General Grievous.
There’s humor as well. The “no, General/yes, General” exchange between Obi-Wan and the ARC trooper in Chapter 11 as well as Artoo and Threepio's role in Chapters 15 and 16 come to mind. There’s Yoda’s questionable but funny use of the mind trick on Captain Typho. If I were Padmé, I wouldn’t be happy my chief of security was weak-minded!
Again, there are movie references galore, particularly to the classic trilogy. Some are subtle, such as the droid rising out of the snow on Ilum like the probe droid in TESB. Others immediately bring a nostalgic smile, such as when Anakin mutters, “I have you now” while trying to shoot down Ventriss’s ship. “I have a bad feeling about this” is uttered twice.
The funniest in-joke was the scaredy and doomed padawan who not only resembles Shaggy from Scooby Doo, his name really is “Shaa’Gi.”
Despite the shorthand of each episode, the creators manage to keep everyone in character. They capture Anakin’s single-minded determination and proclivity to bend the rules, Padmé’s compassion and inability to stay on the sidelines, and Obi-Wan’s frustration with and concern for his headstrong padawan. In fact, it was nice seeing Padmé make an all-too-rare appearance in the expanded universe. She’s sweet, clever, and as sassy as her daughter in this one, though I don’t think her hubby would be too thrilled she used his droid as bait.
Because it is a cartoon, there is a bit more exaggeration than you would see in the movies. Mace must have munched on some Power Bars judging by his Matrix-style bolt-dodging and Force-induced destruction of 90,000 droids as well as their Giant Masher (an interesting Weapon of Mass Destruction). He’s like Superman. Anakin and Ventriss duel swinging on vines and flying through the air. General Grievous wields three lightsabers like a cross between a buzz saw and a champion Texas twirler. Padmé’s snowsuit fits in naughty crevices. Anakin’s clothes miraculously tear off mid-duel, exposing some very buff pectorals and deltoids. But it’s all good. Especially the latter.
There are some neat little moments. The youngster who watches the battle on Dantooine was interesting because for the first time, we get the perspective of someone who is not a combatant. The part where he gives Mace a drink of water reminded me of those old Mean Joe Green Coca Cola ads from the late ‘70s. I expected Mace to toss him his Jedi robe. Barriss Offee creating her lightsaber Ilum was cool too. It was a rare spiritual moment for the prequel era Jedi, which might be part of the point. They’ve become so focused on being warriors, generals, and lackeys for the Republic, they are no longer properly focused on the Force. That dark side problem may be part of it as well.
But the real fireworks are in the final two episodes. Chapter 19 ends the intense duel between Anakin and Ventriss, which feels almost like a coming attraction for Episode III. As Anakin’s anger grows, the less of a Jedi he becomes. At the end, most of his Jedi robes have been stripped away and he is forced to use one of Ventriss’s red sabers against her (levitated by his mechanical hand!). After defeating her (she lives on to annoy Obi-Wan in the comics), Anakin lets out a very un-Jedi like primal scream as Yavin’s gas giant bathes him in red light. This is intercut with rough sketches of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon. It’s a very cool, almost anime-like scene and it’s effect is quite intense. Chapter 20 introduces us to General Grievous, who is one bad mo-fo. Call him Gruffy the Jedi Slayer. His fight scene against six Jedi, including Ki Adi Mundi, proves that he may be the Order’s second-worst nightmare after Darth Vader.
The use of the films’ sound effects and music lend themselves to the series’ authenticity. The artwork is fantastic. The voice work done for Yoda and Obi-Wan are amazing. I thought whoever did the voice for Anakin improved from the last season. He doesn’t quiiiite sound like Hayden, but a fair enough approximation of the cinematic counterpart. The girl who voices Padmé is a tad higher-pitched than Natalie is, but does a decent job nonetheless.
If there are any complaints, it’s the way the series wrapped up without really wrapping up. This was probably done so that they’re covered if they do more cartoons or in case that they don’t. Also, it leaves room for books and comics to fill in the gaps later.
It’s obvious Clone Wars was a labor of love for Genndy Tartakovsky and Paul Ruddish. These guys definitely get it. Thanks to them, Star Wars animation has come of age. Not only can I not wait to get this series on DVD, I would love to see future Clone Wars episodes or even a classic trilogy era series. Maybe even a half-hour or full-hour special. To quote something I saw on a message board, Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network are a good match. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
As this too-short second season of Clone Wars ends, I am reminded of the words of Oliver Twist in the factory porridge line: “More, please?”
Waiting for an episode of Clone Wars was like waiting to get on a roller coaster. You wait for hours to get on a ride that ends in 30 seconds. It goes by so fast, you hardly have time to take it in. And you can’t wait to get back on it again. Like the first season, it’s very, very cool and lots of fun.
Since it is the Clone *Wars*, there is a tremendous amount of action. Space battles, epic ground battles, chases, and lightsaber duels occur in pretty much every episode. Yoda kicks more butt, Mace wipes out a droid army with nothing but the Force as his ally, Padmé mixes it up with some invisible droids, and Anakin doggedly pursues his latest nemesis, Asajj Ventriss. Then there is the auspicious debut of Eppy III’s new baddie and destined superstar, General Grievous.
There’s humor as well. The “no, General/yes, General” exchange between Obi-Wan and the ARC trooper in Chapter 11 as well as Artoo and Threepio's role in Chapters 15 and 16 come to mind. There’s Yoda’s questionable but funny use of the mind trick on Captain Typho. If I were Padmé, I wouldn’t be happy my chief of security was weak-minded!
Again, there are movie references galore, particularly to the classic trilogy. Some are subtle, such as the droid rising out of the snow on Ilum like the probe droid in TESB. Others immediately bring a nostalgic smile, such as when Anakin mutters, “I have you now” while trying to shoot down Ventriss’s ship. “I have a bad feeling about this” is uttered twice.
The funniest in-joke was the scaredy and doomed padawan who not only resembles Shaggy from Scooby Doo, his name really is “Shaa’Gi.”
Despite the shorthand of each episode, the creators manage to keep everyone in character. They capture Anakin’s single-minded determination and proclivity to bend the rules, Padmé’s compassion and inability to stay on the sidelines, and Obi-Wan’s frustration with and concern for his headstrong padawan. In fact, it was nice seeing Padmé make an all-too-rare appearance in the expanded universe. She’s sweet, clever, and as sassy as her daughter in this one, though I don’t think her hubby would be too thrilled she used his droid as bait.
Because it is a cartoon, there is a bit more exaggeration than you would see in the movies. Mace must have munched on some Power Bars judging by his Matrix-style bolt-dodging and Force-induced destruction of 90,000 droids as well as their Giant Masher (an interesting Weapon of Mass Destruction). He’s like Superman. Anakin and Ventriss duel swinging on vines and flying through the air. General Grievous wields three lightsabers like a cross between a buzz saw and a champion Texas twirler. Padmé’s snowsuit fits in naughty crevices. Anakin’s clothes miraculously tear off mid-duel, exposing some very buff pectorals and deltoids. But it’s all good. Especially the latter.
There are some neat little moments. The youngster who watches the battle on Dantooine was interesting because for the first time, we get the perspective of someone who is not a combatant. The part where he gives Mace a drink of water reminded me of those old Mean Joe Green Coca Cola ads from the late ‘70s. I expected Mace to toss him his Jedi robe. Barriss Offee creating her lightsaber Ilum was cool too. It was a rare spiritual moment for the prequel era Jedi, which might be part of the point. They’ve become so focused on being warriors, generals, and lackeys for the Republic, they are no longer properly focused on the Force. That dark side problem may be part of it as well.
But the real fireworks are in the final two episodes. Chapter 19 ends the intense duel between Anakin and Ventriss, which feels almost like a coming attraction for Episode III. As Anakin’s anger grows, the less of a Jedi he becomes. At the end, most of his Jedi robes have been stripped away and he is forced to use one of Ventriss’s red sabers against her (levitated by his mechanical hand!). After defeating her (she lives on to annoy Obi-Wan in the comics), Anakin lets out a very un-Jedi like primal scream as Yavin’s gas giant bathes him in red light. This is intercut with rough sketches of Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon. It’s a very cool, almost anime-like scene and it’s effect is quite intense. Chapter 20 introduces us to General Grievous, who is one bad mo-fo. Call him Gruffy the Jedi Slayer. His fight scene against six Jedi, including Ki Adi Mundi, proves that he may be the Order’s second-worst nightmare after Darth Vader.
The use of the films’ sound effects and music lend themselves to the series’ authenticity. The artwork is fantastic. The voice work done for Yoda and Obi-Wan are amazing. I thought whoever did the voice for Anakin improved from the last season. He doesn’t quiiiite sound like Hayden, but a fair enough approximation of the cinematic counterpart. The girl who voices Padmé is a tad higher-pitched than Natalie is, but does a decent job nonetheless.
If there are any complaints, it’s the way the series wrapped up without really wrapping up. This was probably done so that they’re covered if they do more cartoons or in case that they don’t. Also, it leaves room for books and comics to fill in the gaps later.
It’s obvious Clone Wars was a labor of love for Genndy Tartakovsky and Paul Ruddish. These guys definitely get it. Thanks to them, Star Wars animation has come of age. Not only can I not wait to get this series on DVD, I would love to see future Clone Wars episodes or even a classic trilogy era series. Maybe even a half-hour or full-hour special. To quote something I saw on a message board, Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network are a good match. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
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no subject
Date: 2004-04-10 11:32 am (UTC)I've been dying to see it ever since it was announced - not only for the characters I like, but the animation? Drool. If it comes out on DVD, I might actually have a chance to see it. This is great news.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-10 04:00 pm (UTC)You know, you can watch the episodes at both starwars.com and at CartoonNetwork.com.
no subject
Date: 2004-04-10 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-10 04:01 pm (UTC)