(1) Ambush: Yoda and a trio of clone trooper are on Toydaria to sign a deal with the rulers so they will side with the Republic in the war. However, first they have to run the gauntlet of the Separatists' droid army and its leader, the dark side jedi Asajj Ventress.Possibly not the most engaging story to launch a new series on the back of, but it still gives Yoda a chance to kick some major ass as he takes out most of an armoured column single-handed. The story also begins to show the different personalities of the clones. The characters, aliens and the scenery all look fantastic, but I could live without the comedy stylings of the droid army. (3/5)
(2) Rising Malevolence: Jedi Master Plo Koon and his troops are left stranded in an escape pod after being struck by the Separatists' new secret weapon. Anakin, and his padawan Ahsoka, go to their rescue - against the orders of the Jedi Council.
I might be in a minority but I have no problem's with Ahsoka, Anakin's youthful sidekick, and let's be honest this animated Anakin has far more charisma than poor Hayden Christensen. A slight story, but the lack of indepth plotting is made up for in the interesting character interaction - and the wild and wonderful jedi powers that the good and bad guys get to wield. It was also interesting that technology that is suggested as being common place in the Original Trilogy - an ion cannon - is shown here as being new and cutting edge (3.5/5)
(3) Shadow of Malevolence: Anakin leads his Shadow Squadron in an attempt to intercept the Separatists' new destroyer, The Malevolence, before it can turn its ion cannon on its next target - a Republic medical station near the planet of Naboo.
Although the voice-over introductions to the episodes are more Starship Troopers than Star Wars, I really felt all the ingredients were falling into place with this story. The forced comedy was kept to a minimum while the space battles took centre stage. There was a genuine sense of excitement in this tale as the importance of the clones to the jedi is brought home time and again. And those stunning, manta-winged space whales that Shadow Squardon encountered during its short cut through the nebula were pure Golden Age sci-fi - remember: Flash Gordon was George Lucas' original inspiration for the whole Saga. (4/5)
(4) Destroy Malevolence: As the Republic pursue The Malevolence away from Naboo, General Grievous manages to capture Amidala and C3PO, meaning Anakin and Obi-Wan have to get on the enemy supership, rescue their friends and escape before The Malevolence jumps into hyperspace.
This series just gets stronger and stronger by the episode. While a lengthy sequence at the heart of this story was rather reminiscent of the dire robot factory sequence from Attack Of The Clones, this story offered a great balance of space battles and ground combat (as Anakin and Obi-Wan fought their way through the ship's corridors) that just said "Star Wars" to me. I couldn't have been happier! Another thing which struck me about this series, with this episode, is the awesome quality of the sound effects, always a strong point in the Star Wars Saga. (4.5/5)
(5) Rookies: The Separatists launch a stealth attack on an isolated Republic listening post as the first step towards an all-out invasion of Kamino, where the Republic's clones are grown. It is up to the surviving clones at the outpost, and two visiting officers, to fend off the Separatist's commando droids and battle droids and somehow alert the Republic to the impending invasion.
This was a magnificent episode, that really put the "war" into Star Wars. It was a down'n'dirty, "in the trenches" war story focusing on the front line grunts, their loyalty to the team mates and their resilience. It helped that the commando droids were really cool as well! (4.5/5)
To be continued...
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2 persons have something to say about this!:
I've started watching this show with my 7-year-old a little. He's a huge Star Wars fan. It's a little tough for me, because on the one hand, I love his enthusiasm and remember being 7 and loving Star Wars myself. On the other hand, I worry that the cartoon is occasionally more violent than his mother and I would prefer for him. And the whole concept of having Anakin as a starring hero really sours my stomach, both for the prequel trilogy and for this series. It's like someone pitching "The Amazing Adventures of Young Idi Amin." But Alex doesn't quite understand why I'm so reluctant, and it makes me feel like a too-strict grump.
You make a very valid point, Rob, that I hadn't considered before. I'm afraid where Star Wars is concerned (or, possibly, any of my hobbies) I'm more on a level with your seven-year-old and tend to view these things through rose-tinted glasses!
And, again, not being a parent myself I don't even register the violence in cartoons (unless it's very graphic, like a lot of anime I've watched over the years)
I guess the point could be made that Anakin was a hero and that makes his eventual fall that much more powerful. And, of course, at the end of the Original Trilogy he does redeem himself by defending his son and standing up to the Emporer!
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