Clone Wars 1x03 - Shadow of Malevolence
Another outstanding episode!
My favorite of the series so far. To me, this episode captured the "Star Wars feel" better than the previous episodes (which, again, I still very much liked).
If there's any nit I have, it's this, and it's a small one: while the occasional lifting of dialogue from the live-action films can be a nice homage, there seemed to be quite a few of those lines tonight. (I think this is the first we've heard "I have a bad feeling about this" coming from someone other than the good guys.) It doesn't need to be done quite as much as they were doing tonight. Of course, this entire episode seems to be an homage to the Rebels' attack on the Death Star in ANH, so it was probably to be expected here. Also, it seems odd to me that Anakin wouldn't have told his squad the route they were taking (or was it just Plo who wasn't aware?). But again, even that wasn't a big deal.
I have to say I'm absolutely baffled that anyone could criticize the quality of animation in this series. The character animation is always fantastic, and many of the outer space sequences, including the battles, were almost on par with the CGI in the live-action films. The shots of the Malevolence in hyperspace and Anakin's squadron flying through the ray-infested nebula were particularly beautiful.
Hmm, wonder where Dooku keeps getting his intelligence? ;P Palpy/Sidious wasn't seen in this episode, but his manipulative hand is still very much in evidence.
Grievous is still as sadistic and cowardly as ever - he takes perverse delight in attacking/killing those who can't fight back, but when his opponent's actually giving him a run for his money, he... well, runs. Since we know Obi-Wan's task force doesn't destroy Malevolence (given the title of the next episode), I wonder how Grievous did eventually escape.
Still liking Ahsoka and her interactions with Anakin. After years of Obi-Wan snarkily putting Anakin in his place, you can tell Anakin's taking intense glee in finally being able to do that to someone else. ;) But Ahsoka can usually counter just as well, which makes this teasing more light-hearted and less mutually abrasive than the Anakin/Obi-Wan dynamic in much of AotC.
Anakin's a little more... at ease in this episode than in the previous one, I think. He's infinitely more comfortable and happy flying than playing good-little-Jedi to the Council, and that's what he gets to spend the bulk of this episode doing. :) Actually, he's very much the Anakin we saw in the beginning of RotS. He can still trade bits of banter with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, but in the moments where he's not doing that - the scene with the Kaminoan, him staring broodingly into space at the end - you can still see the emotional toll the war is taking on him. (I'm very curious to see how the show will handle him with Padme - where he's not Anakin the Jedi or teacher or general, but just Anakin.) It apparently doesn't get any easier for him to lose the troops under his command. He refuses to consider the possibility that any of his men will die on this mission, firmly and grimly declaring to Master Plo, "we won't lose anybody." :( There was just enough attention given to Matchstick that you do feel a pang at his death; I like how the series is taking the care to highlight each of the clones as individuals. Aside from making their inevitable assimilation under the Empire more poignant, it makes it easier to understand the feeling of personal loss Anakin has with each one that dies.
I let out a mini-cheer at the reference to Naboo being nearby (as did Anakin too - internally - I'm sure, heh): that's undoubtedly how Padme comes to be involved next episode. While part of me's definitely gleefully anticipating new canon shippiness (eee!), I'm also very much looking forward to seeing my girl kick butt again, and seeing how she and Ahsoka get along - and just how much Ahsoka notices from her Master's interactions with the Senator. ;) In all seriousness, if Obi-Wan has suspicions ("I thought you might say that"), there's no way Ahsoka - who spends much more time with Anakin - isn't going to notice something.
And something tells me Padme's already going to be well on her way to escaping once Anakin and Obi-Wan show up. ;)
I'm really starting to get spoiled with having new SW every week - 20 minutes just isn't enough!
My favorite of the series so far. To me, this episode captured the "Star Wars feel" better than the previous episodes (which, again, I still very much liked).
If there's any nit I have, it's this, and it's a small one: while the occasional lifting of dialogue from the live-action films can be a nice homage, there seemed to be quite a few of those lines tonight. (I think this is the first we've heard "I have a bad feeling about this" coming from someone other than the good guys.) It doesn't need to be done quite as much as they were doing tonight. Of course, this entire episode seems to be an homage to the Rebels' attack on the Death Star in ANH, so it was probably to be expected here. Also, it seems odd to me that Anakin wouldn't have told his squad the route they were taking (or was it just Plo who wasn't aware?). But again, even that wasn't a big deal.
I have to say I'm absolutely baffled that anyone could criticize the quality of animation in this series. The character animation is always fantastic, and many of the outer space sequences, including the battles, were almost on par with the CGI in the live-action films. The shots of the Malevolence in hyperspace and Anakin's squadron flying through the ray-infested nebula were particularly beautiful.
Hmm, wonder where Dooku keeps getting his intelligence? ;P Palpy/Sidious wasn't seen in this episode, but his manipulative hand is still very much in evidence.
Grievous is still as sadistic and cowardly as ever - he takes perverse delight in attacking/killing those who can't fight back, but when his opponent's actually giving him a run for his money, he... well, runs. Since we know Obi-Wan's task force doesn't destroy Malevolence (given the title of the next episode), I wonder how Grievous did eventually escape.
Still liking Ahsoka and her interactions with Anakin. After years of Obi-Wan snarkily putting Anakin in his place, you can tell Anakin's taking intense glee in finally being able to do that to someone else. ;) But Ahsoka can usually counter just as well, which makes this teasing more light-hearted and less mutually abrasive than the Anakin/Obi-Wan dynamic in much of AotC.
Anakin's a little more... at ease in this episode than in the previous one, I think. He's infinitely more comfortable and happy flying than playing good-little-Jedi to the Council, and that's what he gets to spend the bulk of this episode doing. :) Actually, he's very much the Anakin we saw in the beginning of RotS. He can still trade bits of banter with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, but in the moments where he's not doing that - the scene with the Kaminoan, him staring broodingly into space at the end - you can still see the emotional toll the war is taking on him. (I'm very curious to see how the show will handle him with Padme - where he's not Anakin the Jedi or teacher or general, but just Anakin.) It apparently doesn't get any easier for him to lose the troops under his command. He refuses to consider the possibility that any of his men will die on this mission, firmly and grimly declaring to Master Plo, "we won't lose anybody." :( There was just enough attention given to Matchstick that you do feel a pang at his death; I like how the series is taking the care to highlight each of the clones as individuals. Aside from making their inevitable assimilation under the Empire more poignant, it makes it easier to understand the feeling of personal loss Anakin has with each one that dies.
I let out a mini-cheer at the reference to Naboo being nearby (as did Anakin too - internally - I'm sure, heh): that's undoubtedly how Padme comes to be involved next episode. While part of me's definitely gleefully anticipating new canon shippiness (eee!), I'm also very much looking forward to seeing my girl kick butt again, and seeing how she and Ahsoka get along - and just how much Ahsoka notices from her Master's interactions with the Senator. ;) In all seriousness, if Obi-Wan has suspicions ("I thought you might say that"), there's no way Ahsoka - who spends much more time with Anakin - isn't going to notice something.
And something tells me Padme's already going to be well on her way to escaping once Anakin and Obi-Wan show up. ;)
I'm really starting to get spoiled with having new SW every week - 20 minutes just isn't enough!