Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 1, episode 1: Ambush. Directed by Dave Bullock. Written by Steven Melching and Henry Gilroy.
As a child of the 70’s whose imagination was awakened by A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, only to have my heart stomped into the ground by The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith (and then shat upon by The Clone Wars), I was anticipating the premiere of George Lucas’ Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series with all the glee one might associate with a root canal or Christmas dinner with the in-laws.
Then I thought of a wise thing my father said to me years ago as we stood outside in teeming rain with no shelter in sight, “Once sponge is wet, can’t get any wetter.”
Or, from Ferris Bueller, “There’s a certain peace in being completely screwed. You know it can’t get any worse.”
With my expectations low, I tuned in. That’s when it got weird.
I liked it.
Warning: Spoilers follow. If you don’t want to know, stop reading now.
The Plot
The simplistic story is definitely for kids, but still fun. King Katuunko of the Toydarians (yes, like Watto) doesn’t know if he should align his people with the Jedi or the separatists. He meets with Asajj Ventress, a student of Sith Lord Dooku, on the planet Rugosa. Asajj suggests at Dooku’s prodding that Yoda should prove the Jedi’s worth to Katuunko by defending himself against their droids. Of course it’s a trap, and Yoda and the three clones he travelled with end up fighting for their lives.
In the end, Yoda and friends persevere, Katuunko chooses the protection of the Jedi and Asajj leaves in a huff.
High Points
Tom Kane’s portrayal of Yoda was dead on. If you had told me that Frank Oz was behind the little green Jedi, I’d have believed it.
This episode also portrayed the clones as individuals, with names, differing hair styles and personalities; a fun departure from the faceless Stormtroopers of episodes IV – VI.
Another high point was Asajj Ventress. I typically ignore the expanded universe characters, but Asajj is interesting. Partially trained as a Jedi, she’s now leaning towards the dark side. Having received some training from Dooku, she isn’t yet a Sith but still skilled with a lightsaber. She’s vicious and angry, but still young and ignorant. Yoda easily exploits her inexperience, which only fuels her rage.
Of course, the real star of Ambush is Yoda himself. He’s compassionate, contemplative and wise. In short – the Yoda we met in The Empire Strikes Back. There’s a great scene in which Yoda encourages his forlorn and wounded clones. Asking them to remove their helmets, he calls each one by name and shows them how to focus on their strengths. It’s a great scene, and reminds me of Luke and Yoda on Degobah.
Low Points
The Battle Droids make lots of silly puns, etc. that just drive me nuts. I know that their role is comic relief (and that the show is meant for 8-year-olds to begin with), but it’s still irksome.
Another problem is Yoda’s speech. He still talks “backwards” as it were, but the does it all the time. Every single sentence is backwards. I know this wasn’t so in the early movies.
Finally, and I know this is nit-picking, but CGI-Yoda’s ears don’t have the same jiggle as the puppet.
Conclusion
The Clone Wars is a fun exploration of the events that took place between Episodes III and IV. Go into it expecting a Saturday morning cartoon set in Lucas’ universe and you’ll enjoy it. If Ambush is representative of the whole series, Lucasfilm will have a hit on their hands.
