Witches of the Mist, the conclusion to the three part Savage Opress storyline, at the moment stands as one of the most important episodes in the series to date. Regardless of quality, the story advances made in this episode will forever change the make up of the series.

Following the events in the previous two episodes, Dooku begins his training of Savage Opress. However, at the same time the effects of Savage’s previous attacks have not gone unnoticed by the Jedi, who dispatch Anakin and Obiwan to deal with the threat. As Savage is quickly being thrust into the forefront of the war Ventress begins to enact the final stages of her revenge.

As a finale to a three part arc Witches of the Mist succeeds. The majority of the plot points are brought to a relatively satisfying conclusion, and it delivers on the necessary action that the story demands. However, as mentioned earlier Mist is perhaps most significant in how it drives several key players for the series into completely new territory. It is not surprising at all to see that the main characters of this saga (Count Dooku, Assaj Ventress, Savage Opress, and Mother Talzin) all stand on different ground then they did where the story began. This in and of itself makes this episode a winner. The Clone Wars is a series where events are often frustratingly contained within an episode or arc. This is not the case with Mist as there is no simple way the series can continue to function as it once was after this episode has concluded.

Although the Jedi are included their roles are miniscule and in the end utterly unneeded. Once again Dooku, Savage, and Ventress steal the show. Savage continues to grow and involve as a memorable villain and again appears surprisingly layered. His training at the hands of Dooku stands as a stark parallel to Yoda’s teaching of Luke in the Empire Strikes Back and offers an interesting glimpse into both characters as well as Sith culture.

However, the moment fans had been waiting for since the arc began was the final three way showdown between Savage, Ventress, and Dooku. Brilliantly animated, orchestrated, and choreographed the sequence drips with tension and emotion more so then any battle since Anakin’s duel with Obiwan in Revenge of the Sith. It may actually stand as the single best action sequence the series has ever had.
The episode culminates in a haunting and emotional final sequence that not only hints at things to come, but drops perhaps one of the most unexpected and bold twists in the history of the franchise.

Also notable is the inclusion of Delta Squad from the fan favorite video game Republic Commando. Although their appearance bubbles down to little more than a cameo, their appearance is a healthy bit a fan service.

If it were not for the issues of pacing Witches of the Mist would stand as one of the top three episodes of the series. However, like the previous installments before it, Mist is just too large a story to contain in a twenty two minute episode. Like Monster, this installment manages to avoid feeling bloated except for one sequence at its midpoint that feels incredibly disjointed.

Score: -A

When Season 3 was first teased at this year’s Celebration V, one of the most hyped plotlines surrounded a villain named Savage Opress. This powerful and intimidating villain was stated by George Lucas himself to be an important player in the shape of the series. Despite his ridiculous name, the majority of the fan base was excited for the inclusion of this seemingly brutal new villain. Savage made his debut in this week’s episode Monster, did he live up to the hype?

Still seething from her betrayal at the hands of Count Dooku and her failed attempt at revenge, Ventress has once again turned towards the Nightsisters for assistance. Following the failed assassination attempt conducted by Ventress and her witch kin, Dooku has become increasingly paranoid about attempts on his life by the Jedi and his other enemies. With nowhere to turn, he is contacted by Mother Talzin, the leader of the Nightsisters, who offers him a solution, a male from the planet of Dathomir. Little does Dooku realize that his new found apprentice will be a pawn for Ventress and her new allies.

Once again Monster focuses on the villains of the series, with none of the usual heroes making an appearance. This stands in the episode’s favor as the majority of plot surrounds Ventress’s vigorous selection process for her new pawn. Monster is brutal, violent, and contains some of the darkest material the show has visited to date.

As suspected the star of this episode is Savage Opress, who is given a surprisingly detailed and empathetic introduction. Although a member of a clan of Zabrak warriors, Savage is shown as a caring and human character. This makes his manipulation by Ventress and his transformation by the Nightsisters, who prove to be the true monsters of the episode, all the more horrifying. When Savage has become the villain we have glimpsed for months he is a completely different being then the one we were introduced to. Surprisingly this works, Monster creates a villain with all the brutish complexity of Frankenstein’s monster.

The brutal selection process makes up the majority of this episode, but was highlighted by expertly choreographed and animated action sequences. Often inventive and always engaging this sequence stands as one of the most fun of the season.
As the middle act of a trilogy of episodes, Monster acts a transition episode and once again suffers from issues of pacing. Monster works fluidly throughout the course of the plot until one horribly executed sequence towards the episode’s climax. The scene is handled so quickly and given so little thought that what could have been an effective step in Savage’s story just stands as a horribly awkward and disjointed scene.

Despite this one flaw, Monster stands as one of the single best episodes of the entire series and carefully lays the ground work for an explosive conclusion to one of the series’ best story arcs.

Score: -A

The Clone Wars for its near three year run now has been a series of heroism. Even if recently that line has begun to blur, the clones, Jedi, and most importantly Anakin himself have stood as true heroes in the conflict that has consumed the galaxy. However, Clone Wars has really developed into a series that thrives off its villains. Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, or Assaj Ventress, the dark side has always been a scene stealer. Nightsistsers took a turn for the better in giving us our first villain centric episode, and a step away from the clumsy politics driven installments that were prevalent in the beginning of the season.

Nigthsisters picks up in the middle of a massive space battle, led by Dooku’s prized assassin Assaj Ventress. The Republic is on the run, and it appears that the Seperatists may pull off a surprise victory. However, the prowess of Ventress has drawn the attention of Darth Sidious. Worried that his apprentice may be growing too powerful, Sidious orders the death of Dooku’s apprentice, setting off a chain of events that could shape the face of the war.

The shift of focus in Nightsisters is its most apparent attribute. Although we are given glimpses of Obiwan and Anakin in the first act, the villains are the centerpiece here and for that reason alone this episode becomes a must watch.
As the title suggests Nightsisters introduces the Dathomir witches to the Star Wars G canon for the first time. Long time villains of the expanded universe, the inclusion of the Nightsisters is a welcome addition to the series. Although both Dathomir and the clan themselves have undergone some changes since their initial appearance in the Star Wars comic line, little damage appears to have been done to the overall continuity. Even a brief glimpse at Ventress’s origins stays relatively close to the already established backstory.

Earlier in the season, Ventress stole the show in the supposedly clone centric episode Arc Troopers. It seems only appropriate that here Ventress’s spotlight is stolen by her master Dooku. Although her ever present malice and violence is at its peak here, her motives and actions in Nightsisters are all too familiar. This cannot be said for the Count, who is more fascinating in this single episode then through the entirety of his roles in the Star Wars prequels. Early in the episode when Sidious orders Dooku to murder his assassin, a surprisingly human display of compassion breaks through and makes the dynamic between the two all the more powerful. The bearded Sith shines yet again at the episodes climax in a spectacularly choreographed lightsaber duel that outshines many of those in the live action films. Dooku fights with a strange finesse and elegance that is only hinted at in the films.

Despite all that works, Nightsisters has one major flaw and that is one of pacing. As seen in Assassin and to a lesser degree Arc Troopers, there is quiet simply too much going on this episode for its own good. When sitting back and examining the episode as a whole it is sometimes surprising at simply how much story has progressed within the space of twenty two minutes. While a fast paced storyline works, Nightsisters often feels clunky. The story that the writers and directors of this outing are trying to tell is just too grand in scope for the time frame they are given. Although writer Katie Lucas, daughter of the big man himself, does a stellar job at setting pieces into place for the following two outings not everything can be salvaged.

The animation and score continue to improve at an amazing rate. Characters are more vibrant and expressive now than they ever have been, and the action sequences are often breathtaking.

Overall, Nightsisters is a welcome change to the series. Exciting, colorful, and with heavy doses of dark side this stands as one of the better episodes of the series. Let’s just fix those pacing issues.

Score: B+

Portraying an all too familiar pattern, this episode of the Clone Wars once again represents a dip in quality. Despite following a stellar episode, Pursuit of Peace fails to achieve the political and emotional heights that it aims for.

After the terrorist attack on Coruscant, the Senate once again finds itself in a deadlock. The bill surrounding the expansion of the clone army still stands as an issue of hot debate, with Padme and her small band of political allies taking center stage. As she struggles to find support from the senate, Padme becomes the target of some rather unsavory individuals and comes face to face with just how dangerous politics can be.

Although the premise for Pursuit of Peace sounds promising, it fails to fully reach its potential. While the political issues surrounding the nature of the conflict are interesting and realistic, many of the other elements in this episode feel bizarrely off kilter. Padme is as frustrating as ever, her unshakeable idealism and peace loving ways become annoyingly unhuman and even irritating to watch. However, her interactions with the other senators are well handled and do offer some memorable moments.

Plot wise the oddest decision is the inclusion of the two mercenaries that target Padme and her supporters. While the episode would be devoid of any action if the two had not appeared, this may have actually been preferrable to the sloppy and poorly animated sequences we were given. Both villains are uncompelling, incompetent, and feel out of place. Perhaps most frustrating of all is an incredibly slow paced and unnecessary chase sequence that dominates the second act. Devoid of tension or good set peices, the chase drags even more then the politically charged scenes.

The dialogue in Pursuit of Peace also experiences a dip in quality. Bail Organa still stands as one of the more awkwardly handled characters in this series, and Padme's speech at the end feels too cliched to be effective.

Despite this, there is one very effective scene at the episodes end surrounding Palpatine. Its the best we've seen of this character during the course of the series, and the consistently stellar animation does much to heigthen the mood of this disturbing closer.

Overall, despite featuring some well handled political intrigue and a fantastic ending, Pursuit of Peace feels disingenous and cluttered. Further proof that this season must find its legs soon, or risk losing the fanbase it so readily one back last year.

Score C

Despite issues surrounding the handling of political issues in the past, The Clone Wars took an incredible leap in the right direction in its stellar episode Heroes on Both Sides. Deliviring stellar animation, great character moments, and a story that actually makes a relavant statement about the nature of the Clone Wars, this episode easily stands as one of the best in the series.

Following recent losses in the Outer Rim seiges, the Republic finds itself in need of further clone troops to support the war effort. However, the already bankrupt system needs more funds in order for such troops to be created. This quickly becomes a point for debate, especially amongst the Trade Federation, Banking Clan, and Techno union who are dealing under the table with Separatist forces. Opposed to the entire idea of further troop development is the ever idealistic Padme Amidala. In a bid to escape from the increasingly volatile situation in the Senate, she along with Ahsoka make a covert trip to vist a friend of hers on the Separatist council. Meanwhile, Dooku has taken his own measures to make sure that the war between the two factions continues.

One of the most complex stories so far, the script for Heroes on Both Sides is surprisingly strong. Devoid of the bland and silly dialogue that often hampers this series, this surprisingly strong politically centered episode provides moments of incredibly poignancy and character. Padme's idealism feels genuine instead of annoyingly naive, and Ahsoka's lack of political understanding also creates for an interesting scenario. Raised in a society already at war, Ahsoka, like many of the younger viewers of the show, does not fully understand the political realities behind the conflict. Her character growth over the course of this outing is well written and suits both the character and the series.

The politics in this episode are also handled well. In the past when The Clone Wars has attempted to use politics as the basis for an episode it has often fallen on its face. This time Heroes on Both Sides creates an intriguing economic issue that is littered with good character moments. Most importantly is the fact that the series finally realizes that the Confederacy is not simply an army of machines, but a political system with people and citizens of its own. Add in an effective and violent final act that plays on current fears of domestic terrorism and you have a well detailed and fleshed out plot.

This episode is also noteworthy for its impressive visual design. The scenes of a post attack Coruscant are shockingly realistic and create the feel for a war time atmosphere. Most breathtaking are views of the Separatist world Raxus, which is the most artistic planet design to date.

Also worthy of note is that this episode stands out as being the first to feature new character desings for Anakin, Obiwan, and Ahsoka. Refitted with outfits more fitting maturing characters, its a clever reminder by the crew that we are moving towards an inevitable endgame.

Perhaps the only down points on Heroes on Both Sides are two jarringly awkward moments surrounding the terrorist side plot. There is a scene where Grievous adresses his droid servants as if they were real soldiers. The nature of this scene and the way it is executed feel incredibly out of place and awkward. Later, the suicide droids attack a facility of maitenance workers before completing their mission. While overall an effective scene, it is bizarre to see that all of the workers have the same character model. This has never been an issue before in the series. Even the clones have distinct characteristics and details that make them individuals. This makes this design oversight seem incredibly lazy and disappointing.

Overall, Heroes on Both Sides delivers one of the best episodes of the entire series with stellar animation and an impressive script.


Score: -A

Despite the mixed opinions regarding the Star Wars prequel trilogy, there is one fact that is stands undisputed among fans: Darth Maul is awesome. Which is why the announcement that the Star Wars animated series The Clone Wars would explore this character and his close relative Savage Opress became one of the most talked about announcements of the summer.

Following a string of less then stellar episodes, Lucasfilm plans to return with a bang January 7th with the premiere of the first installment in a multi-part examining the character. However, certain lucky fans will have the pleasure of viewing these episodes early. On December 8th, Lucasfilm will hold free screenings of the arc throughout the country. Check Star Wars.com for the details.

Supply Lines may be the most surprisingly good episode of The Clone Wars in months. When it was initially announced that this episode would focus on the infamous Jar Jar Binks, it was assumed the worst, that Clone Wars, despite an improved second season, would return to its inept an awkward roots. However, this is hardly the case.

The concept behind Supply Lines is simple, but at the same time politically complex for a show whose target audience is around ten years old. Acting as a prequel to the first season of the series, the episode follows Jedi Master Di and his team of clones as they struggle to hold off an ever advancing droid army on the Twi'lek homeworld Ryltoh. With millions of innocent lives held behind enemy lines, the Jedi call upon senator Bail Organa to help deliver supplies through the Seperatist blockade. However, to do so he must convince the King of Toydaria, a neutral planet, to assist in the effort. Even worse he is paired with a certain Gungan Senator from Naboo.

The plot for Supply Lines is mixed, but ultimatley effective. Di and the Twi'lek's plight on Ryloth is effective and appopriatley emotional. There is an actual sense of tension, due partially the spectacular action sequences (something the season one Ryloth trilogy was missing). The other plotline for this episode is obviously the weaker, but even it manages to work. The political ins and outs of the Clone Wars have always been an oddly captivating part of the expanded universe and Supply Lines gives an interesting look. The plight presented to the characters is realistic and allows for some great tension and even some effective comedic peices. Despite this, the transitions between both plot points are often jarring and feel unnatural.

Jar Jar is oddly tolerable in this episode. He rarely speaks, and even when it does it is oddly intelligent and lacking in the usual stupidity. However, there is one cringe worthy sequence in the third act that nearly drags the episode down with it.

Bail Organa is surprisingly stone faced throughout Supply Lines, and he stands out amongst dozens of other well animated characters. His voice acting is also surprisingly flat. Since Bail is such a central character to this episode, his lackluster production values make him frustrating to see on screen.

Despite the flaws, the entire episode is saved by a fantastic and emotionally stirring conclusion, which delivers one of the most powerful and tragic endings to the series.

Score: -B

While the first episode of last night's season opener acted as a prequel to the fan favorite Rookies, Arc Troopers acts as a continuation to both episodes. Numerous characters, story arcs, and locales come back into play in this episode that nicely wraps out the trilogy made by the two previous episodes.

Arc Troopers picks up several months after the events in Rookies, telling the story of General Grievous's invasion of Kamino, and the Republic's attempts to defend it. Certain plot points, including Asajj Ventress's covert operations on Kamino, are brought back from previous episodes and reach their ultimate climax.

Arc Troopers tales a fast past and exciting story that does not shie away from delving into great character peices as well. The clones from Domino Squadron return for a powerful conclusion to their story arc. General Grievous also provides some of his personal best scenes in the series to date. However, the two true stars of this episode are 99 and Asajj Ventress. 99's emotional and relatable arc, which was first touched on during the previous episode, reaches its powerful climax, delivering one of the most memorable sequences in the entire series. Ventress is also a scene stealer. No longer the incompetent Dark Jedi seen in Season One, the bald headed force user has involved into a complex and disturbing villainess. Unfortunatley, one of her most powerful scenes from this episode was cut during post production due to interference on Cartoon Network's part.

While Clone Cadets was lacking in the level of action that is common in this series, Arc Troopers delivers, showing the most intense battle sense the season two standout Landing at Point Rain. The action is frantic, well animated, and includes dozens of memorable moments. The episode, surprisingly, also includes some of the best lightsaber combat in the series, showing both a duel between Grievous and Obiwan and Anakin and Ventress. The improved animation lends much to this episode allowing it to deliver on the high octane scenes that its premise demands.

The music, which was annoyingly flat earlier in the series, has also evolved into great orchestral pieces that help to flesh out some of the more emotional aspects of the story.

However, Arc Troopers is not perfect. One of the most frustrating aspects of the series since day one has been its run time. While numerous television series manage to juggle a half hour timeslot perfectly, The Clone Wars has always struggled. Arc Troopers begins and ends with almost break neck speed, and this becomes frustrating to watch at times. This constraint of time leads to sloppy dialogue and awkward scenes that could have been powerful given more time to evolve.

Despite this minor complaint, Arc Trooper stands out as one of the series best.

Score: -A

Delted Scene:

Here is the scene that was omitted from the final version of the episode.

Despite a frustrating five month wait, The Clone Wars has finally returned to television. With high expectations and a ever growing fanbase, this season has alot to live up to. Luckily, last night's two part season opener delivered.

When Season One first aired in 2008, fans were blown away by a particular episode (Rookies) surrounding a group of rookie clone troopers. Dark, compelling, and unique this episode became a fan favorite and a turning point for the series. The Season Three opener acts as both a prequel and a sequel to this classic installment, and both are equally strong episodes on their own.

The first out of the two was the prequel episode Clone Cadets. Picking up several months before the events seen in Rookies, the audience follows the tumultuous training and origin of the ill fated Domino Squadron.

The plot for Clone Cadets is enjoyable, but not wholey original. The story of teamwork and graduation into adulthood is one that has been seen numerous times in multiple military tales.

While it may not have been the most action packed episode in the series, Clone Cadets is noteworthy for being one of the most character driven. The story of Domino Squadron is interesting and compelling in its own right, but oddly its the side characters who are the most interesting here. The first being the bounty hunter Bric. Acting as a mentor for the clones, this ill tempered and surprising deep character is a welcome inclusion to the Star Wars mythos and easily becomes a scene stealer.

However, perhaps the most interesting character introduced in this episode is the malformed clone 99. Mishapen during a mistake in the cloning progress, 99 acts as a lowly janitor for the training station on Kamino. Despite this, he acts as an older brother and watchful eye for the trainees. 99's arc throughout this episode and the follow up, Arc Troopers, is surprisingly heavy and deep material for the series. Regardless of any original reluctance towards the idea of 99, he wins you over and is the true star of this episode.

The animation has also improved significantly from the previous seasons. Characters no longer stand stone faced and passive during dialogue, and environments are incredibly detailed. However, there are some points, especially during several fist fight sequences, that experience some noticeable difficulties.

The dialogue also occasionally slips into cliches and tropes typical of the story it tells.

Overall, Clone Cadets is a worthy addition to the series and a promising start to a new season.

Score: B+

Check out this interesting preview into the making of the Clone Wars and the upcoming third season.

With Season 3 only weeks away, Lucasfilm has given us this great behind the scenes look into the upcoming season. Enjoy!

With the latest season of the Clone Wars approaching release and gaining hype, I decided that perhaps now is the best time to offer my own in depth commentary on this series. Ill be using the next four days to lay down what exactly I love and hate about the series, and what works and what does not.
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The Clone Wars, like many television series, has gone through some growing pains. It has had its ups and downs. Some episodes are incredibly mature, rich in character, and have fantastic animated sequences, while others are ruined by poor voice acting, plotting, and unbearably poorly executed comic relief. Thankfully, the show has increased in quality since its early days. Even then there are some episodes that are so subpar that they deserve recognition.

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5. Mystery of A Thousand Moons

Mystery of A Thousand Moons is an interesting concept that suffers from poor execution, subpar plotting, and of course excruciating humor. The story follows Anakin and Obiwan as they travel to a mysterious planet to find a cure for a disease that has ravaged several of their close friends. While approaching the planet they are shot down by a mysterious force and stranded on a planet filled with outcasts. There are numerous way that this episode could have been pulled off in a satisfying manner. However, it instead just feels incredibly unnatural. The audience is never feels the menace or urgency that would be necessary for such a plot. The characters that are met in this episode are also uninteresting and unsympathetic. The annoying battle droid and Jar Jar humor is even more frustrating in this episode.

4. The Gungan General
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Following Jar Jar Binks's attempts to negotiate the release of Obiwan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Count Dooku from a band of vicious pirates, The Gungan General may be one of the most annoying episodes of the series to date. Including Jar Jar Binks into a storyline involving cut throat pirates, the murder of innocent senators, and sith lords is never a good idea. However, this is made even worse by giving Jar Jar an even more annoying voice actor then before. Almost as bad is the annoying prison break subplot that forces Anakin, Obiwan, and Dooku to work together. Played to almost unintentionally humorous ends, The Gungan General fails to create any sense of humor, excitement, or dread that it obviously hopes to instill.

3. Defenders of Peace
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Like The Gungan General, Defenders of Peace is a frustrating episode for the fact that it is a sequel to an episode that was actually pretty good. Picking up after the exciting and creative survival epic, Jedi Crash, Defenders of Peace is a confusing and frustrating episode. As seen many times throughout the first season of The Clone Wars, the villains are presented as dangerous and violent beings, but are consistently undermined by ineffective and frustrating attempts at humor. However, what is truly perplexing abut Defenders of Peace is the message it seems to teach. In the beginning of the episode, Anakin and his group of clones and Jedi are taken in by a group of pacifist aliens who help to nurse the wounded hero back to health. However, as the plot progresses it becomes obvious that Anakin, and the writers, have little respect for the beliefs held by his saviors. In fact, Defenders of Peace (an oddly ironic title) seems to teach that violence will always beat out pacifism when it comes to solving problems. In a television show that is viewed by children this is a disturbingly close minded message.

2. Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Movie
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Movie may go down in history as one of the worst moves made in the history of the franchise. A colossal failure on nearly all fronts, the film not only failed at the box office, was despised by critics, but also scared of thousands of potential fans from the series. The movie is in fact a poorly edited amalgam of the first four episodes of the series. The film is choppy, unnatural, and confusing. The animation, while impressive and often beautiful on a television screen, is primitive when compared to numerous other big budget animated films. However, most frustrating is the fact that the Clone Wars film is not a good representation of the series itself. Overly childish, cheesy, and sometimes incomprehensible, The Clone Wars is just a terrible film. This is unfortunate when compared to the increasingly spectacular television series.

1. The Blue Shadow Virus
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The Blue Shadow Virus is without a doubt the worst outing of The Clone Wars yet released. Like so many other episodes in the series, it starts out with an incredibly promising plot point that eventually devolves into an unwatchable mess. Following the production of a dangerous bioweapon by a mad Separatist scientist, The Blue Shadow Virus at first glance tells an interesting and even scary plot. However, this is utterly destroyed as the episode progresses. Jar Jar Binks once again makes an appearance in this episode (yet again sporting his new voice). Like numerous other appearances his slapstick and moronic humor simply does not work with the plot and situations presented by the plot. However, Jar Jar is not alone. Blue Shadow Virus introduces an equally annoying female gungan. This alone would be grounds to leave this episode alone, but the horror continues. The villain for this episode is a bizarre Nazi caricature of a mad scientist, who is perhaps even more annoying than Binks. These elements combined with yet another damsel in distress plot, uninspired action, and an anticlimactic conclusion create an absolutely terrible episode.

An issue that has plagued Star Wars for the past decade has been unbearable dialogue. Most evident in Attack of the Clones, simple conversations can become nearly unwatchable due to unnatural writing and bland acting. Unfortunately, in many ways the Clone Wars follows this trend. While it has slowly improved with each passing episode, there are still several cringe worthy lines, particularly surrounding the romance driven subplots. The voice acting also has its moments worthy of disgust. Particularly surrounding Matt Latner's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker, a role that seems cursed to any actor. Also frustrating is the overly childish approach given to Ahsoka Thano by Ashley Eckstein, although once again this is an approach that has slowly been fixed as the show has progressed.

The most frustrating aspect of the series at first glance is its repeated attempts at humor. Mostly portrayed through the bumbling villainous battle droids, these annoying pun and slap stick moments of attempted comic relief are more irritating then laugh inducing. In many instances incredibly dark or engaging moments will be ruined by a joke so uninspired and irritating that it can ruin whole episodes at a time. Two perfect examples can be seen in the season one installments "Defender's of Peace" and "The Blue Shadow Virus". Both episodes center around violent and dark themes including bioterrorism and death of innocents. However, any intelligent material is overwhelmed by poorly executed slapstick. Most unfortunate of all is the inclusion of Jar Jar Binks. Yes, arguably the worst character in the history of Star Wars does have a role in The Clone Wars (though thankfully its regulated to the first season.)

The most frustrating aspect of the Clone Wars as a Star Wars fan are the numerous retcons the series has created. Star Wars is a universe that has become infinitely expansive since its birth in 1977. Thanks to the contributions of the creative works behind video games, comics, and novels Star Wars had become a vibrant world filled with lore and creativity. This is why George Lucas's unappreciation and constant retconning of previously canon works is frustrating to numerous fans. Until the second season of the show the retcons had been a bearable grievance. However, this changed when Lucasfilm announced the numerous changes made to the beloved Mandalorian culture for a midseason arc. While this initially infuriating change was eventually revealed less far reaching then believed, this sudden change to a previously standing work was an unsettling move. With news breaking regarding season three, further retcons are to be expected. We can only cross our fingers and hope that further works are not ruined.


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Ultimately, I still have a great appreciation for The Clone Wars. While the series is still flawed, it increasingly gets better with each passing episode. Look for further commentaries later this week.

In anticipation for the upcoming season of the increasingly great series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network and Lucasfilm have released a brand new press release and teaser. Teasing darker storylines, returning characters, and superior animation the third season of The Clone Wars.

Building on the huge ratings win from last spring’s second season finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Cartoon Network announced today it will premiere 22 all-new episodes for season three of the critically acclaimed CG-animated series from creator George Lucas and Lucasfilm Animation. The special, one-hour season three premiere event of Star Wars: The Clone Wars airs Friday, September 17, at 9 p.m. (et/pt).

The season two finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the highest-rated telecast of the season among all key kid demos—2-11, 6-11, 9-14. The one-hour special also took the #1 spot as the most-watched telecast of the day (May 2) among boys 6-14, and #1 for its timeslot with kids 6-14 versus all television. Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a thrilling, weekly 30-minute “mini-movie” created by the talented artists at Lucasfilm Animation.

Mystery, intrigue and adventure await our heroes with all-new action-packed episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As war continues to rage throughout the galaxy, the dark side grows even stronger and the Jedi Knights are pushed to the breaking point. The lines between good and evil become blurred as secrets are revealed, truths are questioned and alliances are betrayed. Loyalties are tested as new enemies emerge and heroes rise – and fall.

In this transformative new season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, surprises wait at every turn, the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance and the destiny of the “Chosen One” will at long last be uncovered. Thrilling, unpredictable and often humorous, the exciting new adventures of the Star Wars Saga will captivate fans of all ages.

UPDATE: Producer Frank Marshall has come foward to say that information listed below is completely false. Now this may be a Michael Bay-esque misinformation campaign, but chances are we will not be seeing a fifth Indy movie as soon as we thought.

Whether you like it or hate it, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull is one of the most controversial films to be released in recent years. While the film was a critical and commercial success, it has often been slammed by the fanbase for the beloved action adventure series.

However, we have yet to see the last of Indiana Jones says a news report from Ainitcool.com, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have almost finished drafting the script for the famous archaeologist's fifth and final outing. Reportedly the story follows Indy investigating events inside the Bermuda Triangle, and has Shia LaBeouf returning as the heroes son.

Aintitcool.com's source offered the following quote: "George Lucas and Steven Spielberg have been working on a script and it's almost there. Harrison Ford is on stand-by for filming next year. This looks like being an emotional and exciting conclusion to the franchise, with Indy facing his biggest challenge yet. Shia LaBeouf has a central role again as Indy's son but this will be a blockbuster made in the old fashioned way rather than the CGI efforts of the last movie."

This week was C2E2 the famous and popular entertainment conference in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to numerous comic updates, more on that later, the head of fan relations at Lucasfilm, Steve Stansweet, issued a statement regarding the release of the beloved sci-fi series on Blu-ray disc and in the third dimension. He said: "George has publicly expressed an interest in doing Star Wars 3D. Right now there are a number of different technologies, there's some criticism out there about some of the movies that have quickly changed to 3D, so you have to pick the right technology, you have to get it to a cost that makes sense, and you have to have the time of the director and producer -- George -- to actually go in there, because you can't push a button and stuff goes in one end and comes out 3D…
Saying all that, George remains very interested in doing the Star Wars movies, all six, in 3D, and I hope it will happen someday in the not too distant future."

Even though we never expected it to disappear, looks like we will see more Star Wars in the years to come.

As Avatar is now chugging along to becoming the most sucessful film in Hollywood history, George Lucas is looking to cash in on the new three dimensional world that James Cameron's epic has opened. Lucas is now looking at releasing all six Star Wars film with 3D effects similar to that of Avatar. No release dates as of yet, but it would certainly be nice to see these films on the big screen once again, and especially if done in the manner of Avatar.

The state of the Star Wars universe has long been a subject of debate for fans of George Lucas's sprawling space opera. The original trilogy considered to be among the best films of all time, have become tarnished by the less then stellar prequel trilogy. Though I and many other fans have a certain appreciation for the prequel saga, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith remains one of my favorite films. However, the increasing commercialism and critical slump of Star Wars has tarnished its once high reputation.

Star Wars fans continue to love their saga though, and Lucasfilm has seemed to find the right balance between pleasing their adult fans, with video games and novels, and their younger fanbase with toys. However, the biggest announcement in years of Star Wars fandom came during 2005, mere months before the prequel trilogy was to be concluded. Two Star Wars television series were in the works, one animated and one live-action. The announcement thundered through all of the nerd community.

The excitement was electric. Then came the first warning sign. The animated series was to be based upon the controversial prequel trilogy. The series was to chronicle the Clone Wars, the event that took place between Episodes II and III of the saga. This decision seemed odd to many fans. The Clone Wars was an area in the Star Wars chronology that had already been extensively covered, and the idea of creating a series upon the event seemed bizarre to say the least.

However, Lucas promised the fans that their worries were unfounded. He promised a high quality, action packed show that would rival the movies in quality. This quieted some of the anger, but many were still skeptical. This was the same man that had conceived of Jar Jar Binks after all. Then the first preview premiered, and the skepticism fell quiet once again. The animation was beautiful. The CGI provided for a great 3D feel that felt beyond that of any television series. The action, music, voice acting were all there and the show looked phenomenal. Faith was once again behind Lucas's newest baby.

Lucas couldn't keep his fans pleased for long though. Almost minutes after the jaw dropping first preview, another bizarre announcement was made. A new character was to be introduced to the series, Ahsoka Tano, and she was to be Anakin's Jedi Padawan. Fan's jaws dropped. A padawan!?! With Anakin!?! Fan's were outraged. What would happen to the continuity!?! What would be come of the years of story and work that the films, comics, and novels had built around Anakin!?! However, once again Lucas asked us to believe in him, a phrase that was slowly becoming a double edged sword.

Yet Lucas's greatest mistake was still to come. As 2008 opened, the Clone Wars animated series was to make a television debut that fall. Lucas's love for the series had grown great, and he felt that a show of this caliber deserved a better venue, the big screen. Dave Filoni, supervising director of the series, was shocked and hurriedly took his team together to try and splice together the first four episodes into one cohesive whole. The idea was doomed from the start. The Clone Wars were never fit for the big screen. The animation style though spectacular for a television series, was out of date and almost wooden in appearance when compared to the work of Pixar and Dreamworks. The characters were also seen as flat and uninteresting, the action as boring, and the writing a mess. Another common complaint about the movie was its use of bland and uninteresting humor, given by the villainous battle droid grunts. Their use of lame puns, and slapstick was seen as unnecessary and distracting. Overall, what might have worked on the small screen, was never fit for film. The act was almost as bad as forcing a talented child star to perform in competition with a group of trained professionals.

The fan view of the Clone Wars had slipped from excitement, to skepticism, to disdain. Thousands of older fans turned their backs on the series never to watch again. Many more became embarrassed that their once proud franchise had become children's fare. Despite the controversy, Filoni and Lucas decided to continue the series as scheduled, and on October 3rd 2008 the series premiered on Cartoon Network. At once some issues with the film were solved. The writing, animation, and action all worked much better in the scope of a half hour television show. Each episode worked easily as a cohesive whole.

However, one major problem remained with the fledgling series, and that was one with tone. The show, as stated by Lucas was written for both young and old fans in mind, but overall the series has had trouble finding its footing. The show featured many blatantly childlike areas, particularly the bland humor. It's focus on Ahsoka also made it feel as if the show was preaching towards a younger audience. The series also wanted an older audience as well. Death, and violence on the show were common, and often felt out of place. It seemed as if Filoni wanted to tell a story about war, but had trouble showing it on a program that supposedly favored a young audience. This was especially apparent in the shows' first major story arc revolving around a large battleship constructed by Seperatist leader General Grievous. The episodes featured many dark moments and themes such as loss, betrayal, and murder, but all these elements were undermined by the need to make the show appropriate to children. This dumbed down the action, and emotion to what would have otherwise been an amazing addition to the Star Wars mythos.

Then Clone Wars introduced the great game changer. An episode that would not only energized the fan base, but likely saved the series as well. Entitled “Rookies”, the episode followed a battalion of clones, who find themselves defending their outpost against an onslaught of droids. For the first time Clone Wars found its footing. Telling a mature, violent, humorous, and even emotionally wrenching story, “Rookies” proved that Filoni and the team could create not only true Star Wars material, but good stories overall. Energy had finally been pumped into a series that very much needed the love of its core fanbase.

The series would have several missteps and stumbles throughout its first season, but the series had found where it worked, and churned out such stellar episodes as: “Trespass”, “Lair of Grievous”, “Cloak of Darkness”, and “Storm Over Ryloth”. The show ended its first season on a positive note with the incredibly violent and dark “Hostage Crisis” ,following the invasion of the Republic Senate building by bounty hunter Cad Bane. The introduction of Bane marked a high in the series. This old school badass of a character has become an over night fan favorite, and smartly Filoni has made his role in the upcoming second season larger.

Overall, the Clone Wars has quickly jumped from being lackluster attempt at Star Wars to being a powerful and well produced show on its own. It has personally become one of my favorite shows, and the novelty of having quality Star Wars entertainment on a weekly basis is something that leads almost any nerd to pure electric excitement. The shows faults are still there: the writing can still stumble into corny cliches, the humor is still poor, and episodes can vary in quality ,yet these are small complaints. Expect to here more about the Clone Wars every week on Artificial Continuum.