Star Wars the Clone Wars "Padawan Lost" TV Review



I got a bad feeling about this...

Want to watch this episode?  Head over to Starwars.com or follow this link. http://starwars.com/video/view/001250.html.  Episodes are put on the website the Monday after they air on TV, and are taken down two weeks later.

Season 3 has finally reached it's end, and to kick off its two-part finale we get "Padawan Lost," an episode that excellently sets the scene for the final episode, "Wookie Hunt."  The show starts off with the classic Clone Wars set up; the heroes are off fighting some battle, when all of the sudden things take an unexpected turn, and then we get our story.  In this case it's Ahsoka, Anakin, Plo Koon, and their respectively squads of clone troopers attacking a Separatist outpost on the jungle world of Felucia.  However, just as it seems like things are going as planned, Ahsoka gets captured by a Trandoshan (read: lizard people) band of rogues and stranded on a distant planet to be hunted for sport.  Thus she's forced to survive with the help of other Jedi younglings who are in the same predicament.
     The Clone Wars has gone dark places before, but the hunt marks brand new territory.  We've seen people die on the show several times, heck, almost in every episode, but in each instance it was in the name of war, honor, and all of that.  Now we see them getting shot in the name of....fun.  Pretty heavy stuff.  Obviously this sets the Trandoshans up to be quite the abominable antagonists, with their animalistic chants and rallies.  All of that is set up perfectly with the sub-plot of young Dar, who's about to go through his first Jedi hunt.
     Meanwhile, watching the Jedi fight for survival can be very tense, leading to some awesome action sequences.  The Trandoshans' clumsy but powerful fighting style combined with the Jedi's dexterity to form great choreography.  One gripe that I do have is the lack of proper hunting action.  Stealth, tracking, and invisible-predator moments are notably absent, which is a real bummer, as the Trandoshans looked like they could have fit the part easily.  Anybody who has watched any of the Jurassic Park movies will know what I mean.  Unfortunately the lizards resort to flying around in their hover craft while shooting up everything they see with a gatling gun.  Hardly hunt worthy material.
     In terms of visual effects, this episode really stood out.  While the planet that the hunts take place on is a jungle planet just like Felucia, it managed to avoid feeling just more of the same by adding a great sense of claustrophobia.  Whereas Felucia has beautiful foiliage that probably inspired Avatar, the planet Wasskah is composed of prickly vines that twist and bend in an unsettlingly way.  I also noticed that for the first time in my memory the Clone Wars used insects and dust effects to add to the choking atmosphere.
Conclusion:  While proper hunting is nowhere to be found, "Padawan Lost" was still a fun and, in several instances, very dark.  It's bitter ending leaves the audience wondering what will happen next in the final episode of this epic season, "Wookie Hunt."
Rating:  9/10 "Awesome"
Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  The ending in many ways reminded me of that of The Empire Strikes Back.  Kalifa's death added a lot to the sense of danger and despair, and reminded the viewers that there's still a whole lot of trouble to be had before this thing is over.

Tron Legacy Movie Review



I want one

     Tron Legacy stars Sam Flynn, the son of the legendary Kevin Flynn who disappeared twenty odd years ago working on the revolutionary computer system called the Grid.  Following a friend's advice Sam visits his father's old arcade shop and accidently enters his father's world.  However, instead of finding the technological utopia that his father promised, Sam discovers a world in the tyrannical grip of Clu, a digital copy of his father working towards the perfection of the system.  Thus begins Sam's journey to find his father and escape the Grid.

     This movie is a sequel to a 1982 film called Tron.  Fortunately for those who haven't seen it (myself included), Legacy does a pretty good job at introducing you to the world and filling in the back story.  It's also good that the protagonist is just as new to the world of Tron as the audience is, as it keeps the feeling that your missing out on something down to a minimum.

     While Legacy has some interesting characters and plot points, obviously the biggest draw will be it's spectacular special effects that compliment awesome action scenes.  The entire world of the Grid is composed of neon lights the line everything from the streets to the suits that the people wear, which includes the futuristic weapons called "Light Discs."  Said light discs are used in combat frequently, and they look awesome, shooting around the room and causing satisfying shatter effects when making contact with their target.  Also cool are the Light Cycles, sleek motorcycles that emit streams of energy behind them that can shatter any enemies that drive into to.  All of this cybernetic awesomeness is complimented by a sweet techno track that subtly adds to the atmosphere.  And I'm not even a fan of techno.

     With all of the shiny spectacles happening on screen it's important not to forget the story, which fortunately proves to be just as strong as the visual effects.  The world of the Grid has a pretty interesting backstory, and it's pretty rewarding to see it connect with the main plotline.  I also liked how Kevin Flynn had created the Grid in the pursuit of perfection, and how that drive for prefection resulting in the tyranny of Clu, a nice moral conflict that gives some dimension to the villain.  Unfortunately, there are a few places where the story falls short.  First of all, the dialougue can be a bit cheesey, which I guess is a rule by now for all Disney movies that don't involve Jack Sparrow.  Second, the movie's namesake, Tron, proves to be nothing more than a secondary character.  The film tries to give him some depth with his story of fall and redemption, but it just feels detached from the main storyline.  Maybe if I watched the first movie his character would have a bit more emotional depth for more, but as it is, he feels almost tacked on, which is a shame considering that it's "his" movie.

Conclusion:  Despite not having seen the original I still enjoyed Tron Legacy very much.  It was a fun rollercoaster of special effects that was complimented by a solid story and cool characters.  The ending left room for a sequel, and considering how good this one was, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Rating:  8/10 "Great"

Favorite Moment:  The Light Cycle battle was awesome.  Like, really really awesome.  Pixalated explosions and sweet action.  What more could you want?

Star Wars the Clone Wars "Citadel Rescue" T.V. Review



Droid Surfing

Want to watch this episode?  Head over to Starwars.com or follow this link. http://starwars.com/video/view/001238.html.  Episodes are put on the website the Monday after they air on TV, and are taken down two weeks later.

     While the Clone Wars series has quite the treasure trove of great stories, one thing that the series has struggled with is giving those stories a strong ending.  Half of the time the ending either comes too quickly, is anticlimactic, or a combination of the two.  However, the Citadel manages to hit it big with it's conclusion, "Citadel Rescue," which not only did continue the trend of raising the stakes as seen in "Counterattack," but also set the stage for further Anakin/Tarkin team ups.

     The story continues with the team making their way to a landing site where Republic ships and evacuate them safely.  The final push was done remarkably well with the sense of impending doom as the droids closed in.  I was also surprised to be a bit sad to see the reprogrammed battle droids destroyed, making a final stand against the Separatists in defense of our heroes.  Sure, they're goofy, with their cries of "all for one and one for all!", but it still would have been cool for them to survive the trip and continue serving as R2's personal army.  Just imagine all of the pranks on C-3PO that now will never be...

Spoilers Being Here: 

     One scene that I really liked is when Osi Sobeck prepares to throw Tarkin in the lava, only to by stabbed in the back by Ahsoka.  It was a doubly dark move, both for killing a guy and saving the future destroyer of Alderaan.  It was also a nice touch when Tarkin remarks that Anakin trained her well, bringing to light the fact that he was the one who taught her such impulsive behavior.

Spoilers End Here...ish

    Like I said, the ending was done almost perfectly.  Anakin's handshake with Tarkin seemed to seal their fates, with the lightest hint of "Imperial March" decorating the scene.  Hopefully we'll see them work together again soon.  My only nitpick about their relationship is that the episode never took the opportunity to confirm Tarkin's suspicions that the Jedi's moral code was hampering the war effort.  It would have been nice to see the Jedi stumble here, and watch how both Anakin and Tarkin react.

Conclusion:  When this story arc first started I assumed that it would be nothing more than fun but mindless action sequences.  Fortunately this episode, and in part the previous, gave this story line relevence both in the Clone Wars series and Star Wars as a whole.

Rating: 9/10

Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  I always assumed that Even Piell would survive to the end, so it was kind of a shock to watch him die.  While we didn't really know him before hand, there was still some emotion in the scene in which he gives Ahsoka the information that he's been keeping, followed by a visually striking scene in which his body is ceremoniously lower into the lava.

Star Wars the Clone Wars "Counterattack" TV Review

Somebody's in trouble...

Want to watch this episode?  Head over to Starwars.com or follow this link. http://starwars.com/video/view/001234.html.  Episodes are put on the website the Monday after they air on TV, and are taken down two weeks later.
     As a follow up to "The Citadel," "Counterattack" doesn't do much special.  All of the things that were great about the first episode are pretty much true with it's sequel, with only a few differences.  Just like last time, the plot is pretty straightforward; having rescued Master Even Piell, Obi-Wan and Anakin split up with their respective squads as they try to escape the surface of the planet.
     Just like the previous episode, "Counterattack" has several fun nods to the original Star Wars films.  The biggest one is, of course, the addition of Captain Tarkin to the escape team.  It was great to see the future Grand Moff of the Death Star join Anakin's group, leading to some interesting character development between the two, perfectly setting the stage for their alliance in A New Hope.  I liked how Tarkin got Anakin agreeing with him that the Jedi's peace-keeping methods were slowing the war effort, and how that mutual agreement managed to spawn their respect for one another.  It was also funny to watch Tarkin snub Ahsoka just because she was young.
     In terms of action scenes, this episode managed to deliver, although the majority of them weren't up to par with the shootouts in "The Citadel."  That said, one thing this episode did better than "The Citadel" was ratch up both the tension and the sense of peril.  To this end were three deaths, each bringing something new to raise the stakes.  For those sensitive to spoilers, I recommend that you skip to the end of my review.  The first death involved a clone trooper getting sliced in half - it was cleverly played, and managed to be grisly without actually showing it happen.  The second was carried out by Osi Sobeck, the warden of the Citadel, as he mercilessly executes one of the clones.  While his character was a bit annoying at times, this scene fortunately made up for that.  The final death is the one that I want to talk the most about.  You know how I complained about the lack of tension in the previous episode do to the overuse of "redshirts?"  This episode managed to break that crutch by killing off Echo, a clone trooper that we've gotten to know over the series, most notably from one of the best Season One episodes, "Rookies."  His death did seem a bit contrived, but in the end the effect was the same.  Everbody is vulnerable.
Conclusion:  In many ways "Counterattack" could be dismissed as just more of the same, but it managed to stand out for it's increase in tension, and the awesome inclusion of the soon to be Grand Moff Tarkin.
Rating: 8/10 "Great"
Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  With some reservations, I'm going to have to choose Echo's death.  There was a good sense of tragedy with his charred helmet lying on the ground and the background music, but it did feel a bit cheap, considering how he blindly ran for the ship even as he saw the turret fire coming towards him.  It's also a bit sad that Fives is now the sole survivor of the Domino Squad.  My heart's out for ya, buddy.

Trailer Tuesday #6 Clone Wars Gets a Hairy Visitor, + Spider-man and the Oscars

What's that?  Today isn't a Tuesday?  Well, it is in.... Narnia....   Actually, the real reason is that there wasn't a Clone Wars episode to review from last Friday, so you get to celebrate Trailer Tuesday early!  Yay!  Speaking of the Clone Wars, you'll never guess who's making an appearance in the upcoming season finale.  For maximum excitement, please scroll down slowly.

Wait for it...

Wait for it...


Wait for it...




Wait for it...




AND......

ROOOOOWWRRR!!!!

Yep, our favorite walking carpet is making a return to the galaxy far, far away.  See him in action in the following two previews.





As an added bonus, here's a behind the scenes video with the developers of the show working with the guy who originally played Chewbacca in the films.  They even got him to do the voice!  Awesome.



Yep, pretty awesome.  While the next thing isn't a trailer, I just thought that it looked cool.  Apparently they're rebooting the Spider-man movies with a fresh cast and storyline.  Here's an intriguing photo that I found of Spidey's brand new suit, which looks pretty sweet.



Spidey's back!

     If you look closely the suit has a more gritty feel to it than the old one.  I also like how the gloves seem to spiral out of the arms of the suit, with the red and blue.

     Well, not all things are awesome in the world.  I never watched the Oscars last night, but apparently the film that won "Best Picture" decidedly didn't start with an "Ince" and end with an "ption."  Yep, Inception, the greatest movie ever, lost the grand prize to some puny little film called "The King's Speech."  Shocking, I know.

     However, to ease the pain, here's a not-so-serious look at the nominies, courtesy of our friendly neighborhood howitshouldhaveended.com.  Enjoy!

True Grit Movie Review



Wanted:  This Awesome Movie

     Calling True Grit a western immediately leads one to assume that it will be riddled with gun fights and cut-throat outlaws, and while True Grit has those things, the focus of the film is instead on developing its characters.  The movie begins with fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross entering a western town seeking revenge against the man who killed her father, outlaw Tom Chaney.  She enlists the help of Rooster Cogburn, a notorious mercenary, and Texas Ranger LaBoeuf to help her track down her father's murderer and bring him to justice.

     The meat of True Grit isn't action packed shoot outs (of which there are only a few), but rather watching the characters grow off of each other.  As a young girl Mattie is initially dismissed by the older, more experienced men; Cogburn tries to set out without her and LaBoeuf goes as far as to beat her for slowing them down.  Thus it becomes really satisfying when you watch the characters bond as they are forced to struggle through the same challenges together.  It was also fun to watch the rivalry between Cogburn and LaBoeuf play out, yelling at each other one moment and saving each others lives the next.

     Unfortunately, there is a bit of a missed opportunity when it comes to Tom Chaney.  He comes off as a brutish and not too bright thug, with no irredeemable qualities whatsoever.  It could have been a nice moral dilemma for Mattie if she discovered that the murderer wasn't so bad after all, but this idea isn't even touched upon.  Chaney is the villain and deserves to die, and that's about all there is to it.

     One reason True Grit succeeds despite this is because it isn't afraid to have a sense of humor.  It's amazing how one moment the movie is gut-wrenching and the next moment crack a joke or three.  For a movie dealing with such serious subject matter it surprised me just how many times I laughed out loud throughout the duration.  It's also great to see how the movie shifts from serious to light-hearted and back again in a series of contrasts that make both moods equally poignant.  One moment we witness the grisly murder of a rancher and the next the tension is diffused with Cogburn remarking "the ground's too cold-if he wanted a proper burial he should have died in the summer."

Conclusion:  Those looking for an action packed joy ride should look elsewhere-you can count the number of shootouts in film on one hand.  While the slow pace may disappoint some, it definitely pays out in a big way by delivering some of the best characterization that I've seen since Inception.

Rating:  9/10 "Awesome"

Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  Watching Cogburn race through the wilderness to saze Mattie's life was an emotional ride, made even more so once he ditches the exhausted horse and runs forwarded on foot while carrying her.  This is the moment that defines their relationship.

Star Wars the Clone Wars "The Citadel" TV Review

Good Times...

Want to watch this episode?  Head over to Starwars.com or follow this link. http://starwars.com/video/view/001229.html.  Episodes are put on the website the Monday after they air on TV, and are taken down two weeks later.

     After the Mortis Trilogy which delved into the deeper aspects of the Star Wars saga, "The Citadel" takes the series back to its roots with a classic, action-oriented prison escape.  Jedi Master Even Piell is taken hostage by the Separatists, placed under close scrutiny of the Citadel, an impenetrable fortress specifically designed to hold Jedi.  It thus falls on Obi-Wan and Anakin to form a crack team of Jedi and Clone Troopers to infiltrate the Citadel and rescue Master Piell.
     "The Citadel" chooses a minimalistic approach to the story, focusing instead on action sequences.  The lack of a deep story line could have harmed this episode, but fortunately classic feeling that it envokes of the Original Trilogy, specifically the Death Star sequence of A New Hope, more than makes up for it.  The adventure begins with several nice touches as Anakin and his master develop a plan for breaking into the Citadel.  Anakin suggests that they carbon-freeze themselves to avoid detection by the droid's scanners, resulting in a nice scene that draws parallels to Han Solo's freezing in The Empire Strikes Back.  It was also fun to see R2-D2 take control of a squad of reprogrammed battle droids to help out with the mission.
     The Citadel itself felt like a classic villain lair from a batman cartoon, full of dangerous booby traps that the Jedi have to navigate around, setting the stage for some awesome action scenes.  That said, the feeling of danger is a bit lacking.  A couple "red-shirt" clones die along the way, but for the most part the team rescues Master Piell with relative ease.  I know that there's plenty of stuff thrown at them before hand, but for a prison that's specifically meant to hold Jedi, I was hoping for a more perilous experience.
     The episode does try to throw in some characterization, but it isn't much.  Ahsoka disobeys Anakin's orders and tags along with the rescue mission.  And that's over with before the episode's even half way through.  The warden of the Citadel does turn out to be a somewhat interesting villain, but he's got nothing on Hondo.  There is an exciting character reveal towards the end of the episode, which I won't spoil here, and while the episode ends soon after, I'm excited to see where they'll go with him for next week.
Conclusion:  "The Citadel" scales back the story and effectively delivers an action packed experience with several fun nods to the Original Trilogy.  The simple plot does show through at times, but it was still a great episode in which to enjoy the simple pleasures of classic Star Wars.
Rating:  8/10 "Great"
Favorite Moment (Spoilers):  It was cool to see the deadly Commando Droids make an appearance in this episode, and my favorite action sequence with them was when a giant magnet disarms the clones and Jedi, forcing them to fend off the attack with only their bare hands and the Force.  Oh, and seeing Skywalker dangle from the magnet by his robotic arm was also a plus.