Worth 1000’s latest Mate a Movie challenge is way too heavy on the Avatar riffs, but there are still some real gems like the two above.
Duking it out with ‘Duchess of Mandalore’
Last week on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Duchess Satine unraveled a plot to trick the Republic into occupying her planet while she and now-just-friends Obi-wan try to clear her for being framed for murder. Here’s the buzz around the galaxy about ‘Duchess of Mandalore’ -making political intrigue fans happy:
- TheForce.Net called it “really good”, and liked the political intrigue of Palpatine but saw the murder implication and Obi-Wan’s fight as implausible.
- IGN goes 7.8 / 10, also liking the intrigue, but wished for more near the end, especially after the intensity of the first two episodes in the Satine arc.
- Big Shiny Robot goes the other way, thinking the beginning to be boring, but enjoying the Hitchcockian suspense through the middle and end.
- MTV Movies Blog is mostly neutral, but points out that the murder charge plotline simply poofs at the end.
- Dauntless Media gives it an “A”, calling it the “most mature, allegorical story” so far as a cautionary tale about the abuse of power, but found the ineffective assassin to be the weak element.
- Pop Goes the Culture likes the visuals of Coruscant and the political lessons, but hits a little snag of the plot – in the middle of a giant war where troops are stretched to the thinnest, is the stability of one neutral planet really of key interest to the Senate?
- Prequel Appreciation Society snarks up a summary, and wishes the visually impressive episode was longer, because there was so much going on in the plot.
- Pendragon’s Post likes the reversal of the The Phantom Menace storyline to show a different philosophy but wishes that the Satine arc was a smoother in overall plot.
And don’t forget our own review on the episode!
The fandom minute: Defending TPM, subtext, politics, cake, and other things you do under the cover of night
Rebuttal. Big-time prequel fan Bryan Young has begun his response to the 90-minute Phantom Menace review that was going around a while back.
Presented without comment. Karen Miller, whose Star Wars books have been enthusiastically received by certain areas of fandom, wants folks to know that she’s not writing homoerotic subtext into her Clone Wars books. Okay then. (It seems the rant was inspired by this thread. Sigh.)
If we ever see an Essential Guide again… Suggestions for a book on GFFA politics. Dan Wallace is game!
Cakes! Clone Wars’ fame continues to spread with an impressive Republic Gunship and an adorable Jabba with Rotta. (via/via)
Joss Whedon looking for Comic-Con superfans for documentary
E! Online reports that Joss Whedon and Morgan Spurlock (director of Super Size Me) are teaming up to create a documentary about diehard fans as they gear up, geek out, and attend Comic-Con. Although if they are looking for fans to follow around, they’d better put out a casting call soon.
The Clone Wars review: ‘Duchess of Mandalore’
The three-episode Mandalore arc in Star Wars: The Clone Wars wrapped up with ‘Duchess of Mandalore’ as Satine and Obi-Wan fight to protect Mandalore in the Senate, and the Duchess in the streets of Coruscant. The plot to set the stage for a Death Watch coup on Mandalore is defeated, and once again, Satine and Obi-Wan see the world from different points of view, which strains their relationship, which at this point is, as she puts it, “friends and nothing more.” Continue reading “The Clone Wars review: ‘Duchess of Mandalore’”
Video: Lightsaber flashmob in Bristol
Between this and the escalation of dancing stormtroopers, I really hope someone organizes a flashmob at Celebration 5. (via)
Out this week: Knights of the Old Republic finale
The final issue of Knights of the Old Republic is heading to comic shops tomorrow. Don’t forget to check out writer John Jackson Miller’s blog, where he’s been answering reader questions all week.
Been meaning to try The Force Unleashed, iPhone users?
The fully-featured mobile version of The Force Unleashed is on sale in Apple’s App Store for 99 cents, down from the usual $6.99. Don’t know how it’ll last, so nab it while you can.
Video: Skullcrusher Mountain
I completely forgot it was Valentine’s Day, and thus forgot to find something appropriately horrific or hopelessly sappy. Please accept this heartwarming love song instead.
Math is hard? Not anymore: Barbie takes on engineering
There are bound to be tons of announcements out of Toy Fair this week (people seem awfully excited about Hasbro’s new AT-AT.) But what I personally find most interesting is a computer engineer Barbie. On the one hand, I was surprised that Mattel hasn’t gone there already, and that it took a “popular vote” to get her there. (The “girls vote” went to ‘news anchor.’) On the other hand… I’m not surprised at all. Not even that her laptop is pink. But a step is a step, right?
Wait a minute:
“Girls who discover their futures through Barbie will learn that they – just like engineers – are free to explore infinite possibilities, and that their dreams can go as far as their imaginations take them,” said Nora Lin, President, Society of Women Engineers. “As a computer engineer, Barbie will show girls that women can design products that have an important and positive impact on people’s everyday lives, such as inventing a technology to conserve home energy or programming a newborn monitoring device.”
Baby monitors. Not that there’s something wrong with baby monitors, but how does that even make the top ten of exciting things to do with computers? Aim for the stars, girls!