Author: jawajames

San Diego-based Jawa.
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Battlestar Galactica: The Plan comes together… or falls apart…

Yesterday marked the release of the direct-to-DVD Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, directed by Edward James Olmos. Remember when the Cylons had a plan? Now you can see the events of BSG (especially seasons one and two), from the Cylon point of view. Here’s what the reviewers are saying:

  • Wired says not to put too much hope in this mediocre coda, which would more aptly be titled A Tale of Two Cavils.
  • Geeks of Doom loves the inner struggles among the Cylons, but feels that the flow is a bit off. However, they totally agree with Olmos’ proclamation that after seeing “The Plan”, you’ll want to re-watch BSG again to see how it all fits in. They also have a giveaway contest for “The Plan” DVDs.
  • Ellen Gray at philly.com likes when the Cylons try to be human… but wishes there was more of that.
  • Alan Sepinwall of the NJ Star-Ledger likes Dean Stockwell’s and Grace Park’s performances, but overall says, “As one small bit of bonus material tied to a classic series, it’s fun, but it doesn’t really stand on its own.”
  • FilmThreat calls it “a mess” that ends up with epic fail, but also closure for Boxy.
  • The Salt Lake Tribune gives it a brief C+, saying that diehard fans will enjoy it, and that’s about it.

Hyping “The Plan”, PopStar gets a few questions with Dean Stockwell about playing against himself and his views on a Quantum Leap reunion. UGO has a contest where you can win dinner with Admiral Adama, Edward James Olmos.

Overall, most reviews feel like “The Plan” is more like a series of deleted scenes than a coherent story.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan is released today on DVD and Blu-Ray. Several reviewers note that it is unrated and contains sex and nudity, which will most likely be cut for the Syfy broadcast of it next year.

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The Clone Wars: Intel reports on ‘Senate Spy’

Here’s the latest reviews and reports on ‘Senate Spy’, last week’s episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Tonight, Cartoon Network shows a re-run of ‘Children of the Force’ (only after 4 episodes?). And be sure to check out Club Jade’s own review, this week provided by guest reviewer and Hitchcock fan, Stooge.

  • IGN gives it a 7.7 / 10, liking the show of Padme’s strong will but disappointed at her need to be rescued – again.
  • TheForce.net calls it good but not one of the best, praising Padme’s strength, especially turning Anakin’s lines back at him, but is critical of the confusing political setup of this explosion-free episode.
  • BigShinyRobot gushes over the Notorious homage and praises the solidness of storytelling.
  • SWCloneWarsReviews gives it a 2 out of 5 – more promise than actually delivered, and some plot contrivances that were more puzzling than believable.

Meanwhile over at starwars.com, Pete Vilmur provides an introductory interview with Cary Silver, series producer of The Clone Wars.

As for tonight’s repeat of ‘Children of the Force’, SWUniverse has a list of little nods and winks to watch for.

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Reviews for The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes

Republic Heroes

Now that the new video game Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Republic Heroes is out, reviews are starting to come in like Holofeed dispatches from the front, and it is looking more like a casualty report than a string of victories.

  • TheForce.net points out that it’s really for kids and not for gamers, and gives it 3.5 out of 5 stars, highlighting the co-op play.
  • TeamXbox gives it a 4.8 out of 10, likes the many levels and characters, but finds the game, especially the graphics and gameplay, unpolished.
  • BigShinyRobot warns that this game will blow fans’ minds — if they are under 12. Otherwise, the frustrating game controls negate the good graphics and sound to give a final review of 5.5 out of 10.
  • Gamespot likes how the game accurately looks, sounds, and feels like a lost episode of The Clone Wars, but in the end, the game “messes up nearly every single aspect of the familiar Lego formula, turning what should have been a quick-paced romp with cartoon Jedi into a dreary mess of clunky controls and confusing level design” – 3.5 out of 10.
  • Danny Willis, blogging for the San Jose Mercury News, hated it, and suggests that the game was ” personally designed by anti-gaming zealot and famed lunatic Jack Thompson.”

And if you’d rather read about the trivia of the game’s development, GameInformer has tons of things you didn’t know about the making of Republic Heroes.

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Clone Wars goes Notorious with ‘Senate Spy’ tonight!

Let's play The Sims!

Tonight’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode may not be battle heavy, but will show the war from a different point of view: politics, espionage, and romance (?) as Padme goes undercover to investigate a senator who’s also an old love interest. Catherine Taber shares with starwars.com on Padmé’s allegiances to the Republic and to her husband, and on her Alfred Hitchcock homework from Dave Filoni.

Newsarama puts up the conclusion of their Dave Filoni interview about season 2 and making the show. In brief: More independent episodes, a broader view of the war, more clone-centric episodes, no Yoda-centric episodes, Corey Burton does awesome villain voices, etc.

The show is proving its success with posts of double-digit gains in kid demographics from this time last year, according to tvbythenumbers.com. The younglings, especially boys, are watching.

Meanwhile, Forcecast.net has a roundtable discussion on last week’s ‘Children of the Force.’

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Taking a peek at ‘Senate Spy’, Friday on Clone Wars

...Puppets.The episode guide teaser page for this week’s The Clone Wars episode: ‘Senate Spy’ is up. Is there a Separatist conspiracy in the Senate? Padmé, at the request of the Jedi Council, goes undercover to find out.

Also, the next act of the ongoing The Clone Wars webcomic “Act on Instinct” is up. Cad Bane and Aurra Sing capture a Jedi seer.

CartoonNetwork.com launches a new The Clone Wars game online, Star Wars: The Clone Wars Game Creator as part of their overall site re-design, allowing players to customize their own game levels and pick a character and ship to use in them, and have other players rate it. Read more about it at starwars.com or just go ahead and play it online.

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The Clone Wars reviews: how did ‘Children’ behave?

Google Force (beta)

Looking back at last week’s episode of The Clone Wars, ‘Children of the Force’ get graded:

  • 3.5 / 5 stars from CloneWarsFan, saying, “it tested the limits of how much you can pack into a single episode” and found the Force-sensitive kids a bit too adorable.
  • BigShinyRobot was impressed with the episode, calling it “an incredible piece of televised animated cinema.”
  • MTV Movies Blog enjoys Cad Bane as a change from Dooku and Asajj but doesn’t think that war is a place for adorable babies.
  • TheForce.Net called it the “best Season Two episode so far” and rightly calls out Anakin’s inaction on Ahsoka’s revenge motive.
  • IGN gives it 8.4 out of 10, and pointed out the loss of longer battle scenes in order to everything going on.

Meanwhile, Pete Vilmur talks to Ian Abercrombie on starwars.com about voicing Palpatine and Darth Sidious.

And check back later today for our own review!

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The Clone Wars kids around with ‘Children of the Force’

After last week’s season premiere two-parter, we are back to single half-hour episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars – this week’s episode is “Children of the Force”. With a major story arc underway involving the list of every Force-sensitive child in the galaxy now in Cad Bane’s hands (and presumably, soon in Darth Sidious’ hands), the danger level has been ratcheted up.

Getting ready for this week’s episode “Children of the Force”, starwars.com has their placeholder episode guide and an interview with Ian Abercrombie, the voice of Darth Sidious on The Clone Wars, and who was at the first screening of Star Wars at Graumann’s Chinese Theater in May 1977. Examiner.com gives us a peek with the clip above where Darth Sidious details his plans.

Still catching up from last week? Check out Dave Filoni’s video commentary on “Holocron Heist” (Jocasta Nu and her impostor’s fighting style) and “Cargo of Doom” (Depicting the torture and death of Balla Ropal). Despite this season’s darker themes, the voice stars of the show reflect on how The Clone Wars is great for family discussions by giving lessons on life and morality in this video.

Dave Filoni gives dose.ca a big interview on Season Two, getting hired at Lucasfilm and not getting sick of Star Wars.

and for those wanting a little more The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes fun, starwars.com has a quick video on how to hijack and control a super battle droid. an online Clone Weapons Training game. The video game came out on Tuesday for pretty much every platform.

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Los Angeles goes Star Wars this weekend!

The Los Angeles area goes all Star Wars this weekend with the US premiere of Star Wars: In Concert tonight in Anaheim (and also Friday night), and then prepares for the LA concert on October 7th and 8th. The LA Times busts some headline rhymes with Yoda with Coda, and compares Star Wars and classical music as eating broccoli… or eating broccoli with cheese on top. But one little nugget in there: Updated The Phantom Menace footage, with puppet Yoda replaced by all digital Yoda.

Then as reported earlier, Saturday is Star Wars Night at Dodger Stadium and Geekdad reminds you to keep your lightsabers at home.

Looks like the City of Angels will be feeling the Force this weekend!

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Gearing up for the second season of The Clone Wars

Here’s some of the top picks out of the media build-up for Friday’s premiere of the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (8 PM EST/PST on Cartoon Network – 1 hour):

Some of the reports coming from The Clone Wars press event held at LucasFilm Animation:

Meanwhile, Geekdad at Wired talks up what the new season means in his household, and mentions that Seth Green will be doing the voice of Cad Bane’s droid, Todo 360.

And of course, StarWars.com gets busy: