Tag: reviews

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 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’”

Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip
That started from a Mando port aboard this upright ship.
The clones were a mighty fighting men, the Jedi brave as bros.
Five passengers set sail that day
For a half hour show, a half hour show.

We interrupt this theme song parody for some reviews of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode, ‘Voyage of Temptation’. Song will continue after these important messages:

• IGN gives it a 9.1, with high marks for developing Obi-wan’s character as someone who chose one path, but felt some remorse, and the horror of the spider droids.
• Big Shiny Robot liked Obi-wan’s backstory, and how it fit with Attack of the Clones, and was pleased with the super battle droid boarding action.
• Prequel Appreciation Society called ‘Voyage’ amusing and entertaining, and likes Anakin’s prodding into Obi/Satine, and ponders on what is and isn’t out of character for Obi-wan Kenobi.
• TheForce.net ventures to say that TCW is handling love better than the prequels. Although really, all we see is love through the bitterness of remorse. Also examined are the role of the villain Merrik, and nods to the films.
• MTV Movies Blog points out how Anakin’s action fit into a larger pattern of falling toward the dark side.
• Pendragon’s Post hails this episode as being The Clone Wars in top form, surpassing the movies in its ability to have dialogue and characters in a love story.
• Television Zombies gives it 3.5 of 5 sabers, liking the action, but finding it a bit cheesy and pushing the boundaries of a kid’s show.

Continue reading “All aboard the ‘Voyage of Temptation’”

Yoda once told Luke Skywalker that you have to unlearn what you have learned. Certainly true in order to enjoy last week’s episode of The Clone Wars, ‘The Mandalore Plot’. Even knowing it was coming from Karen Traviss’ departure from the EU last summer, the modern history of the Mandalorian people took an abrupt revision. My first viewing of the episode left me focusing more on picking out what had been kept and tossed from previous continuity than on the actual story. But after letting it all go, I watched it again to see what was actually there. Continue reading “The Clone Wars review: ‘The Mandalorian Plot’”