Showing posts with label The Clone Wars (TV). Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Clone Wars (TV). Show all posts

Clone Wars Episode 2: Rising Malevolence
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Originally aired October 3, 2008 on Cartoon Network.

In short: The Republic is out to find Grievous' new super weapon. Plo Koon and a bunch of Jedi are stranded in a life pod after a battle, waiting to see if someone will pick them up. Similar plots were done on other shows (Star Trek: Enterprise comes to mind) to varying degrees of success, and it's unfortunate we're seeing such a common device used so early in the series' run.

In this episode, we see a heck of a lot of action. We get to see Anakin talk down to his new sidekick, we get to see R2-D2 doing R2 things, we see big ships get destroyed, we get to see escape pods, and all sorts of stuff. There's little time for exposition, as it seems the series' writers assume you already know the major players and don't need to introduce them or even name them on screen more than once or twice.

Things move along nicely, as there's a slight panic about a super weapon, there's some resentment of Anakin for going on a rescue mission, and there's more than a little tension in the voices of the two main Jedi heroes. Plo Koon, unfortunately, sounds almost like an old, bored super hero. He's very mellow, and can apparently be out in the vacuum of space for a brief period of time. Further, his dialogue propels the notion that by and large, the Jedi are very dull. A more alien voice saying fewer words could be interesting in a variety of ways, but it turns out after years of speculation, Plo Koon sounds just like any other Jedi might sound. Oh well.

This particular installment seemed more robust than the first, but it's still feeling a little light overall. Thankfully, we have two more weeks (at least) following this storyline and the super weapon: the galaxy's most dangerous ion cannon.

Appearing: 2-1B (or similar medic droid), R2-D2, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Commander Wollfe, Yularen, Clones, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, Count Dooku, General Grievous, Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Battle Droids.

Pros: Mostly great voice acting, good sets, decent story, better pacing-- there's a lot of cuts between the Twilight and a ship wreckage, plus the Malevolence. Cutting away to something else makes everything better.

Cons: The Battle Droids have some very creepy scenes with the life pods, but due to the goofy nature of the characters the threat seems removed despite characters being in very real danger. The concept is a wonderfully eerie one, but the execution didn't work. Also, Plo Koon can breathe in space? Who does he think he is, Batman? Aside from clones, we're seeing few new characters-- this could be a problem.

Posted byAdam16bit at 9:00 AM 0 comments  

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Clone Wars Episode 1: Ambush

Originally aired October 3, 2008 on Cartoon Network.

In short: Yoda goes to meet the king of the Toydarians (Watto's people) on a moon to join the Republic, but-- oh yes-- Count Dooku sends Asajj Ventress to issue a challenge to Yoda, which Yoda accepts, over the fate of the Toydarians. Of course, the Toydarians didn't have too much say either way but they seem to like the Jedi. It plays out like a mix of a fable, a few episodes of Transformers (which had similar plots), and a PBS kids show in how Yoda treats the clones. Very touchy-feely, and the Clones are put off by this-- which is probably the right thing to do as to not lose older kids.

The pacing was pretty slow, but I think the real problem is that it wasn't so much slow as it was repetitive-- you're on a single planet for a full episode without much variety. If this were a Star Trek, at least you'd cut back to the bridge of the Enterprise, or perhaps multiple away teams could go through different things. Also, Yoda and some clones vs. anything-- it's not only obvious who will win, but it's so uneven that it's a wonder the Clone Wars lasted more than a few weeks. The Jedi are superheroes, and they're fighting the worst droid army in the history of ever-- how come the war took so long to win?

At 23 minutes (minus commercials) I can see why George Lucas insisted the previous series be about 3-4 minutes an episode. Honestly, this story was so light on plot that it could have easily been done in that short amount of time

Appearing: Yoda, Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Lt. Thire (clone), more Clones, Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids, Destroyer Droids

Pros: Neat scenery (which Yoda actually comments on), good voice work, good designs.

Cons: No wacky and vaguely culturally insensitive accent for the Toydarians, been-there-done-that plot, entire show takes place on a single planet with very little cutting away to make up for it.

Posted byAdam16bit at 8:55 AM 0 comments  

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The Clone Wars Box Office
Sunday, August 17, 2008

If the Force is with anyone this weekend, it's certainly lacking with The Clone Wars. Maybe because the DVD is already expected in the Fall, but the CG-animated picture came in third this weekend with a somewhat pathetic estimated gross of $15 million. Click through to read all about it at Box Office Mojo.

Posted byAdam16bit at 6:18 PM 0 comments  

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Review: Star Wars The Clone Wars (Theatrical Pilot)
Saturday, August 16, 2008

Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Episode: Pilot/Feature
Airdate: August 15, 2008

While my reaction to this film is positive-- as it generally is with any new form of Star Wars fiction, as my expectations are pretty low-- other people I know and read are all over the place. If the reports are true, this film is a $10 million afterthought built on the inertia provided by the as-of-yet unaired television show. As such, the movie isn't so much a movie but the pilot for the 2008-2010 Star Wars marketing engine, a way to put out a reminder that Star Wars is indeed very much alive and available at a toy store and on a TV screen near you.

It's a little unfair to compare this to the 2003-2005 Clone Wars series because the creative limitations imposed on the show turned out to be a creative boon like no other. Reduced to 3 minutes, Star Wars is always good. Don't believe me? Think back to 1998, when you first saw the Episode I teaser. Pretty awesome, wasn't it? Cartoon Network's series was jam-packed full of goodness simply because there was no other option. In three minutes, you don't have time for a lot of dialogue and you certainly aren't going to squander it on words like "trade route negotiations" or a character introduction that lasts longer than 14 seconds. Oh, and in 2003? A lot of people hated the show. It's amazing what time can do.

As far as the new film is concerned, the format really does dictate the plot, and word has it that the movie was 3 or 4 episodes of the show rejiggered to make a 95-minute movie. That can screw things up when the directors intended for the story to be told in 22-minute chunks with commercial breaks, and the resulting picture does very much feel like a series which has been edited for the big screen. Asking someone to sit between Ahsoka and Anakin bickering this frequently for the full length of the movie may be a bit much, but on a half-hour series it's something you have to bring back to remind people of their relationship from week to week. So, like so many things, a little more editing would have changed the feel of the film quite a bit. For example, Padme wasn't introduced until about the final 30 minutes. On television, this would make sense-- having her appear to say "hi!" for a scene early on wouldn't make a whole lot of sense when her action would appear two episodes later. The directors would have been well-served to edit her in earlier on, bringing her into the story so her abrupt appearance at the end would have at least been a little less jarring. Even in Attack of the Clones, George Lucas was smart enough to at least refer to Count Dooku a few times prior to his introduction at the end of the film.

While the plot has seen much abuse, I have a hard time bagging on it. Not because I'm simple, but because I've digested a lot of the Star Wars stories beyond the movies. I've read the entire Marvel and Dark Horse Comics run. I've seen every episode of Droids and Ewoks and even the holiday special. I've even read a few novels and played a few games. I'm not saying this to brag, but to bring home the point: most of this stuff is OK at best. On top of that, this new movie takes place between two movies, more specifically, between the first and second halves of Episode 21 of the orignial Clone Wars series, which means the entire CG opus has to take place in a 9-month time frame in which most major characters cannot be killed or altered in any significant way. It's not like Obi-Wan is going to fall to the dark side, or Anakin is going to hook up with some other girl.

Much like the prequels, The Clone Wars is for a more limited audience. The movie's story brings little new to the table, but it's fun to watch and there's a few neat things to see if you're a Star Wars fan. The movie isn't going to advance animation as an art form and is unlikely to be anyone's favorite Star Wars film, but I certainly enjoyed it more than Episode I and its brisk pacing made for a fun night at the movies. I'm sure I'll be watching the weekly series alone when it airs, but I also watched all of Transformers Animated and can appreciate a decent, if silly at times, cartoon like The Clone Wars.

INTRODUCTIONS
New characters include Ahsoka Tano, Ziro the Hutt, Rotta the Hutt, a bunch of unnamed dead bounty hunters, Clones Rex and Fox, General Loathsom (no really), a few new droids, and surprisingly little else. Most new Star Wars movies have many more new characters, in part (I assume) to sell a few more toys.

HIGH POINTS
- The star cruiser Twighlight that Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rotta used to go back to Tatooine was a great little boxy design, the likes of which I would prefer to see more of.
- The voice acting was largely great, especially Matt Manter's Anakin Skywalker.
- R2-KT, a pink redecorated R2-D2, had her first appearance. The character has some significance to fans, but I'll let you research that on your own.

QUESTIONABLE POINTS
- Ziro the Hutt seems to simultaneously be the camp/cult hit from the film and the next Jar Jar Binks. I have just as many people asking when they can buy a talking one as I do people demanding his head on a platter.
- Obi-Wan and General Loathsom's negotiations of surrender could have come out of an argument between Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and Buggs Bunny. Granted, with the Warner characters, it may have been funnier.

LOW POINTS
- C-3PO's line of something to the effect of "This is not my kind of neighborhood!", meant as a gay joke or not, was surprising.
- R2-D2's beeps and whistles seem to be entirely taken from the existing films. Since that's his speech, making a few new sound effects (or perhaps going into the archives for unused stuff) would have made sense.
- The Battle Droid army's wacky one-liners grew tiring as they were a little close together. Much of Star Wars' humor pre-1999 is subtle, this is not.

MERCHANDISING POINTS
- The Clone Troopers having increasingly specialized hair, scars, armor, and other features must be a dream come true for Hasbro, the action figure manufacturer. It's going to be incredibly cheap to make dozens if not hundreds of "new" figures from the movie and subsequent series.
- Surprisingly few new vehicles were introduced, and the toy line focuses largely on existing items trotted back out for this new movie.
- Despite being a Wave 1 action figure, General Grievous does not appear in this movie.
- Like a TV show, few new characters seem to be introduced here compared to any given prequel or sequel.

Posted byAdam16bit at 10:16 AM 0 comments  

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Wal-Mart Exclusive Clone Wars 501st Trooper Out Early
Sunday, August 3, 2008

If you can't get enough of the hunt, you may be in luck this weekend. Wal-Mart stores here in California are already selling their exclusive Clone Wars 501st Legion Clone Trooper. We found them mixed in on the pegs with other figures for under $7 a pop, a great price-- unlike another retailer who upcharges for exclusives who shall remain nameless. More pics and impressions to come!

For those keeping track, Hasbro gave a release date of August 15, 2008.

Posted byAdam16bit at 2:21 PM 0 comments  

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Weekend Sales Round-Up: Star Wars Discounts

With The Clone Wars and The Legacy Collection, a lot of stores are running a lot of deals. Here's what you should look out for.

GENERAL
Numerous stores are actually in something of a price war-- the basic figure line started off around $7.99 and a lot of stores are now charging $6.99 or less. Your mileage may vary, but this sort of thing happened during Revenge of the Sith quite a bit.

BEST BUY
No Star Wars deals this week, but a Starship Troopers "Trilogy" DVD set includes an action figure, which may interest all one of the readers of this blog.

ENTERTAINMENT EARTH
Summer blow out sale, just under 90 items on some level of clearance. Includes Republic Elite Forces for $65, Titanium Cylon, Luke, and Darth Maul for $11.55, and other stuff.

KMART
Nothing this week.

TARGET
"Gigantic savings on Star Wars." $16.99 for Galactic Heroes scenes, basic vehicles. $24.99 for the Clone Wars Ultimate Lightsaber. $49.99 for the LEGO Torrent Starfighter. $24.99 for the Clone Trooper Voice Changer. $16.99 for the electronic roleplay blasters. $19.99 Leapster 2 Clone Wars Math game.

TOYS "R" US
Nothing this week.

WAL-MART
Nothing this week.

Posted byAdam16bit at 9:38 AM 0 comments  

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New Star Wars Galactic Heroes Scenes Out Early
Saturday, August 2, 2008

While Hasbro said they wouldn't be out until September at their panel, it appears their data was wrong-- things are coming out early! Fortunate fans can expect to see the following at retail right now (as we spotted them at a Target): Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, Escape from Mos Eisley, Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter, and the Geonosis Arena. (No sign yet of the Skiff or Dagobah sets.) Happy hunting!

Posted byAdam16bit at 10:30 PM 0 comments  

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Eyes On Target: The Clone Wars
Friday, July 18, 2008

Target stores, surprise surprise, are ignoring the big 7/26 street dates. I've seen Commander Fox dress-up kits, entirely full endcap displays, and tons of figures, vehicles, blasters, evolutions packs, and more. If you want stuff, and were going to wait until next weekend, don't-- start hunting now!

Posted byAdam16bit at 8:38 PM 0 comments  

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Hasbro The Clone Wars: Revealed!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

No, really! This isn't stuff you've already seen at retail! (OK, so a lot of it is-- but there's new stuff too!) It may even be vaguely spoilerish as it reveals new characters appearing in The Clone Wars, so click through to starwars.hasbro.com at your own peril. The whole site has been redesigned, and there's information on some new exclusives. Trust me, that part, you're going to want to see. (But again, beware spoilers.)

Posted byAdam16bit at 7:29 PM 0 comments  

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Price Increase Looming for Star Wars Figures
Saturday, July 12, 2008

If you weren't already aware, there's a price increase coming to most if not all stores for the upcoming Legacy and Clone Wars collections. Target stores, for example, will be upping the price to $7.99 each. It's entirely possible a price war may come up again like with Revenge of the Sith to drive prices down, but I'm not hopeful.

Posted byAdam16bit at 5:25 PM 0 comments  

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Target Clone Wars Commander Fox Exclusive Figure
Friday, July 11, 2008

What do you need to know about the new Commander Fox action figure?

1. This Target Exclusive action figure is expected to hit on or shortly after July 26, 2008 as a $12.99 Target exclusive.
2. Several pictures can be seen here.
3. The figure is seemingly the first animated kitbash. The head is the helmet head from Obi-Wan Kenobi*. The body is that of Captain Rex. The deco is, of course, unique to this figure.

*- Obi-Wan Kenobi from The Clone Wars does not have a removable helmet. Rather, he has a human head and a helmet head which can be swapped. The neck post is the same size on Captain Rex which should allow for easy customizing.

Posted byAdam16bit at 12:51 AM 0 comments  

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Clone Watch: AT-TE & More!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

In today's toy run news, I spotted the AT-TE, electronic blasters, $20 vehicles, Galactic Heroes, and more at a Los Angeles-area Wal-Mart on retail shelves. What kind of broken street date finds are you seeing? Let us know!

Posted byAdam16bit at 7:56 PM 0 comments  

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Legacy/Clone Wars Galactic Heroes Available
Sunday, July 6, 2008

Broken street dates, ahoy! Popular electronics chain Fry's Electronics has the new white packaged figures like Jar Jar Binks & Destroyer Droid, Slave Leia & R2-D2, and Anakin Skywalker & Clone Trooper in at least some of its retail stores right now for a mere $7.99 a pop. Continued happy hunting to you!

Posted byAdam16bit at 5:53 PM 0 comments  

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The Clone Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Hits Early
Saturday, July 5, 2008

In my afternoon toy run, I spotted several Hasbro Clone Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet toys at retail. Is it possible the 7/26 date is going to be ignored? The item had several phrases, all of which were activated by tiny, almost invisible buttons on the side of the helmet. It's shaping up to be an excellent toy!

Posted byAdam16bit at 5:21 PM 0 comments  

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Toys "R" Us Launches Blog with News, Midnight Madness, and Non-News
Tuesday, July 1, 2008

In a move lots of people expected, Toys "R" Us posted a link to the few stores participating in the been there, done that "Midnight Madness" sale. In a move nobody saw coming, they posted it to a new blog which we figure will be abandoned in six to eight weeks. Click through for news on new LEGO exclusives, Hasbro exclusives they're claiming are new but are in fact available today, and a list of the stores doing the midnight thing.

Posted byAdam16bit at 11:08 PM 0 comments  

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More Tokyo Toy Show Coverage
Sunday, June 29, 2008

Site JapanStarWars.com has a lot of nifty new pictures up, including Hasbro's new Millennium Falcon, both USB hubs, and a Gentle Giant exclusive Spirit of Qui-Gon (or holographic Qui-Gon) mini bust too.

...and there's a Celebration Japan Blackhole Stormtrooper set of Chubby figures, but they're somewhat hard to see.

Posted byAdam16bit at 9:42 AM 0 comments  

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New The Clone Wars Action Figure Battle Packs

Previously unannounced Battle Packs have been revealed at the Jedi Insider, featuring Obi-Wan and Yoda specific Clone Trooper squads based on the new animated series. Each features a Jedi and four troopers. There is no specific information confirming these are (or aren't) exclusives, and the clones have unique, previously unseen squad markings.

Posted byAdam16bit at 9:39 AM 0 comments  

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Amazon Confirms New Action Figures?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008

It would seem so! Amazon.co.uk has posted a number of as-of-yet unannounced figures, and Rebelscum has the lowdown and the links. As these line up with numerous rumor lists and confirmations, it seems we've got a safe bet at what we'll be seeing between now and the Fall.

Posted byAdam16bit at 7:59 PM 0 comments  

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Wal-Mart to get Clone Wars Republic Gunship Vehicle

A packaged sample of what seems to be a repainted Republic Gunship for the Clone Wars line has shown up. It has a Wal-Mart exclusive sticker on it, which probably means pain and suffering for any who dare track it down. Check it out, yo.

Posted byAdam16bit at 7:52 PM 0 comments  

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A-Wing Revealed!
Thursday, June 19, 2008

Transformers super-site Fan2Fan went to the Tokyo Toy Show and shot loads of new exciting robots in disguise, but also revealed some new Hasbro items! Take a look at the new A-Wing Fighter-- it's just one of several items you gotta see when you click through.

Posted byAdam16bit at 7:54 PM 0 comments  

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