Written by The Drunken Master
Published on October 20th, 2003
Clone Wars Cartoon - Review of First 5 Episodes
I was lucky enough this past weekend to catch the first 5 episodes. Right away I'd like to tell you I love this series. Twenty 3 minute episodes, is another FULL HOUR of Star Wars, almost like another feature length Star Wars film! It's exciting, fun, well animated and as a Star Wars fan, a dream come true ? the more Star Wars adventures the better! In the back of my mind I wish and dream that there would be two more episodes left in the live action series instead of just one. In a way I wish Episode 2: Attack of the Clones was really Episode One, and I wish this animated series could be Episode 2, because I really think it's a better story then The Phantom Menace. Here's the episode breakdown (warning: SPOILERS ahead):
Episode One: The first image in the first episode of the animated Clone Wars is of Yoda riding a horse-like creature, with two legs instead of four. Yoda is leading the clone army into battle. His voice-over tells us about how the clone war has spread throughout the galaxy, and how the Jedi Knights have been asked to fight the Droid army along side the Clone troopers. Dooku has split the Jedis apart, giving each Jedi their very own mission. Obi-Wan is now a general, and must go to Muunilinst where the Banking Clan is building a massive amount of droid armies. Anakin has been asked to lead the starship assault against the droid army. However Obi-Wan isn't in favor of Anakin's promotion and he and Yoda protest Dooku's decision to graduate Anakin. Dooku shoots down the Jedi disagreement, furthering a split between Anakin and the Jedi counsel. Other highlights include Qui-Gon Jinn being referenced by Obi-Wan, the new Clone Starfighters are amazingly designed (fitting well into the Star Wars universe), and the final shot of the episode is to die for: a great homage to the final shot in The Empire Strikes Back.
Episode Two: The episode begins with Anakin's starship assault against the droid army. If you liked the starship battle at the end of Return of the Jedi, then you should love this bit. Then we cut to Obi-Wan's assault on Planet Muunilinst. Obi-Wan and the Clone Troopers mount a ground assault, while a special elite strike force (calling themselves Ark Troopers) crash land in the middle of the Muunilinst City, surrounded by a droid army. The Ark Troopers are super-cool, kind of like a Navy Seal version of Stormtroopers. They move and fight like Jango or Boba Fett, like a super elite army.
Episode Three: This is the best of the first five episodes. It's simply one 3-minute action scene with almost zero dialog. The entire episode is the Ark Trooper assault on the droids in downtown Muunilinst. The episode can be compared to the final battle scene in Saving Private Ryan, with a splash of John Woo, only with Clone Troopers and Battle Droids. This is a really fun and imaginative episode.
Episode Four: The 4th episode opens with a little more of Anakin's starfight battle. Then we cut back to the battle on Muunilinst. By now Muunilinst is about to fall to the Clone army. But Dooku has one more surprise ? a Bounty Hunter named Durge. Durge along with his droid army that look like about two dozen black IG-88's, fight back against the Clone Troopers. Durge's armies ride speeder bikes, and carry jousting sticks. They are able to hold back the clone army, killing many Clone Troopers; making this the most violent episode so far.
Episode Five: This episode set on planet Mon-Calimoury, and is dedicated solely to everyone's favorite Jedi Knight: Kit Fisto. This episode, like episode three is another 3-minute action scene, this time set entirely underwater. Highlights include floating Star Destroyers, Kit Fisto's light saber that works underwater, underwater Clone Troopers, and Kit Fisto's ability to use the force underwater to create giant water bubbles to destroy the Clone army. There's also a giant Droid cannon that destroys one or two of the Star Destroyer's; indicating the Droid army is coming close to building the another giant canon: The Death Star.
I also wanted to mention that the voice actors who play Obi-Wan and Anakin sound exactly like Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen.
Star Wars fans get ready for a new, fun and exciting Star Wars adventure, an animated series that fits well into the new American wave of animation, in the tradition of Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, and Samurai Jack.
Feedback welcome