Tonight’s ‘Witches of the Mist‘ brings the Savage Opress/Nightsisters arc — if not the characters — to a close.
Be sure not to miss Wired’s new interview with Dave Filoni!
Liam Neeson to voice Qui-Gon on The Clone Wars
Liam Neeson returns to the GFFA to voice Qui-Gon Jinn on upcoming episodes of The Clone Wars. The Jedi Master will appear in visions to Obi-Wan.
Neeson tells EW he wanted to return to Star Wars because he felt that “these characters resonate…even after all these years.” He adds, “Growing up, my heroes were cowboys; they were strong and mysterious, and it seemed like they always rode off into the sunset. For kids today, Star Wars has that same kind of magic. I really wanted to be a part of that.”
The episodes featuring Qui-Gon will air Jan. 28 and Feb. 11.
UPDATE 1/22: Dave Filoni has posted a note on Facebook about this development:
I understand that Qui-Gon’s appearance in The Clone Wars has many implications, and that some of you are asking “how can this be ” especially in light of the scene between Obi Wan and Yoda at the end of Revenge of the Sith where they speak about Qui-Gon. These upcoming episodes, more than any other to date, will spark curiosity and discussion. I only ask that you be patient and watch them. I look forward to hearing from you after they air. For now trust me when I say Christian Taylor (writer) and I, along with George Lucas, are very aware of the continuity surrounding Qui-Gon Jinn. George in particular, is especially conscious of it.
Savage Oppress debuts in tonight’s ‘Monster’
Tonight’s ‘Monster‘ introduces poster boy Savage Oppress. Writer Katie Lucas continues her out-and-about with StarWars.com and Big Shiny Robot. To further whet your appetite, Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive clip.
And looking ahead, Dave Filoni told the ForceCast earlier this week that The Force Unleashed’s Sam Witwer and Adrienne Wilkinson will be voicing characters in The Clone Wars this season – though they won’t be playing their characters from the game.
The Clone Wars review: ‘Nightsisters’
Let’s face it – Jedi are sort of boring. When people think of iconic Star Wars figures, they think of Chewbacca, Darth Vader, Han Solo, R2-D2… almost anyone other than those stuffed-shirt lightsider types. Yes, folks love Yoda, but that’s mostly because he (a) is green, (b) talks funny, and (c) isn’t tall enough to ride on Star Tours. Yoda is popular specifically because he’s so un-Jedi-like. The Sith, however, have never been boring. They wear cool clothes, have a passion for their work, and carry a license to kill. What, I ask you, is the downside to being a Sith? Is there any? Continue reading “The Clone Wars review: ‘Nightsisters’”
Savage Oppress arc begins on The Clone Wars
Tonight’s ‘Nightsisters’ is the first of the Katie Lucas-penned Savage Oppress trilogy. (The character is voiced by Clancy Brown, who was interviewed by TV Guide.)
Check out another clip from the episode – and comments from Dave Filoni – at Big Shiny Robot.
And don’t forget that the show has a new time slot: 8:30pm.
UPDATE: An interview with Katie on CNN.
The Clone Wars review: ‘Pursuit of Peace’
‘Pursuit of Peace’ was the year’s final broadcast episode of The Clone Wars, and if this season started off with a bang, it ended more with a yawn. Padmé Amidala races to prevent a war appropriations bill from being passed else it destroy the Republic through bankruptcy, with her and Senators Bail Organa and Onaconda Farr getting roughed up in the process. If only senators like Amidala, target of countless assassination plots, ever learned to travel with a security team, half of the plot and all of the action could have been avoided. Continue reading “The Clone Wars review: ‘Pursuit of Peace’”
Clone Wars S3 gets even darker in new trailer
Entertainment Weekly is the first online with the latest Clone Wars trailer – the one that debuted at the Savage Oppress screenings. Dying for detail? Chris and Austin at EUC break it down. Continue reading “Clone Wars S3 gets even darker in new trailer”
Report: Clone Wars screening in Atlanta (No spoilers)
I just got in from The Clone Wars screening held in lovely downtown Atlanta. Now Commander Cody (or was it Captain Rex?) said I’m not supposed to share anything with you, so I’ll keep it general.
First off, big thanks to the Georgia 501st and Rebel Legion for providing the atmosphere. There’s nothing quite like seeing clone troopers standing outside Atlantic Station surrounded by Christmas lights. It was a great way to kick off the night; not to mention the rather large pile of toys donated to Toys for Tots. (Alas, no celebrities for our screening, but the gang stepped up for us.)
As for the show itself? Wow. See it on the big screen in digital. That’s a sweet way to watch this show. Vivid colors. Tons of detail.
Now, I am not a huge fan of The Clone Wars. I watch it. I like some episodes better than others. But these episodes? These episodes were the first ones to make me go, “This ROCKS!” I would like Katie Lucas to write more episodes. She really captures Star Wars. And I sense a smidge of Carrie Fisher influence in her writing. If you haven’t been watching the series, I’d recommend these as a great way to jump in.
My only negative would be that parents of small kids should probably screen this one before letting them watch. It’s dark. Not really much beyond what you’d see in Revenge of the Sith, but I wouldn’t let little ones watch that, either. So precautions should be considered.
But for adults? Watch it. You’ll enjoy it.
Also, big thanks to Lucasfilm and Cartoon Network for the free popcorn and drink. Plus, the swag of a poster and a t-shirt? Nice.
Oh. And Club Jade? There are several times when some of our inside jokes make an appearance. Luci and I managed to control ourselves, though.
Savage Oppress makes big-screen debut In L.A., Chicago
The Savage Oppress episodes of Clone Wars have started screening this week (Dallas, Boston, and D.C. tonight) and the reports have been rolling in.
If you haven’t been on Twitter the past few nights, you can check out Bonnie’s photos of the Los Angeles screening on Flickr. And now, onward:
- IGN’s Eric Goldman says that for action-oriented fans, “these are the episodes you’ve been looking for,” and that the storyline is “exactly the kick in the pants this season has needed.”
- Newsarama’s Lucas Siegel says that Savage “injects not just some straight action but also some of the … intrigue into the mix. ”
- Amy of Geek with Curves says that “series is truly meant for the big screen; it was stunning.”
- NJOE’s Darth Potentia gives a fairly detailed run-through, saying “Katie Lucas… crafted a tight story, which showed action, emotion, and humor.”
- RedEye’s Elliott Serrano attended the Chicago screening (with Katie the Star Wars Girl!) and while he wasn’t a fan of the series originally, he’s now a convert, saying “the story line was fast-paced with lots of action and humor to break up the exposition, just like classic Star Wars.” (And he’s giving away Savage Opress t-shirts.)
There are spoilers out there if you know where to look – or if you’re an Insider subscriber – but for the most part these reviews are keeping the big secret… So far.
Clone Wars, Robot Chicken up for Annie Awards
The Clone Wars received four Annie Award nominations: Best Animated Television Production (for the episode ‘Arc Troopers,’) writing and voice acting (Nika Futterman as Asajj Ventress and Corey Burton as Baron Papanoida.)
Meanwhile, Robot Chicken Star Wars III gained character animation nods for Savelon Forrest and Elizabeth Havetine.
The two even face off in the category Writing in a Television Production: Daniel Arkin for Clone Wars ‘Heroes on Both Sides’ and Geoff Johns, Matthew Beans, Zeb Wells, Hugh Sterbakov, Matthew Senreich, Breckin Meyer, Seth Green, Mike Fasolo, Douglas Goldstein, Tom Root, Dan Milano, Kevin Shinick & Hugh Davidson (phew) for Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III