The Clone Wars: It’s good
Against my better judgment, I watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network.
Let me preface this by saying I’m one of those old guys who loved Star Wars in the 70’s and 80’s, but was disenchanted by the most recent trilogy.
I avoided the Clone Wars movie and intended to ignore the series, but tuned in for lack of anything else to do on a Friday night. That’s when it got weird.
I liked it.
Warning: Minor spoilers follow. Nothing major, but stop reading now if you don’t want to know.
In the season premiere “Ambush,” Yoda must prove his worth to Toydarian king (yes, like Watto) who doesn’t know if he should align his people with the Jedi or the separatists.
The simple story included some grating dialog from the Battle Droids (it is a kids’ show, after all), but a scene between Yoda and three clones in a cave that made it worthwhile.
This has been said before, but I’m going to repeat it. Here was the Yoda of The Empire Strikes Back. Wise, compassionate, encouraging and calm. He addressed the three troopers by name, gave them individual pep talks and showed them how they have everything they need to accomplish their goals. They simply need to trust themselves.
And even though Frank Oz does not supply Yoda’s voice in the series, you’d never know it. The replacement’s Yoda is absolutely dead on.
The second episode, “Rising Malevolence,” was just as good. Plo Koon, who had a minor role in the newest trilogy, was featured, and it was fun to learn some more about him. He also treated a trio of clones very well. All of this affection and cooperation makes the execution of Order 66 that much more difficult.
Anakin has a Padawan, which is interesting. General Grevious is a bit over-the-top in a “Disney Villain” kind of way, but I’m willing to let that go.
When each episode ends, the fun doesn’t. You can watch a brief commentary clip of each, get a full rundown of the plot, characters and trivia and even listen to a podcast that supports the story. For instance, the podcast following “Rising Malevolence” depicted a parallel story line that wasn’t in the TV show.
I’m just as shocked as you, but consider me a fan of The Clone Wars. Yes, it’s for kids. But it’s also fun. Go into it expecting a Saturday morning cartoon set in Lucas’ universe, and you’ll enjoy it, too.
Check it out Friday nights on Cartoon Network and tell me if I’m wrong.
Related:
It’s interesting in the two episodes to see the clones treated as individuals. I think the word “clone” has connotations of being exactly the same, but I forget that each of the clones has different experiences even though their DNA is identical. It’s the old nature vs. nurture argument.
Dave: I completely agree. When they first removed their helmets, I was surprised to see they had different hair styles, etc. Some were grey, some were bald, some and peculiar styles. Definitely a new notion of what I grew up calling “Stormtroopers.”