Well, it's a Saturday, I'm in Wales, it's raining... time to rewatch clone
wars, methinks.
And, because... I can... I'm also going write a short summary and review of
each episode.
Why?
Well, clone wars is... interesting. There are some great parts. Some great
episodes. Some amazing story and character moments.
There are also moments that are... not that. So let's see. Now that Star
Wars is producing lots of TV series, and basically no films, let's look back at
where that whole thing started. Back to the beginning, a long time ago, in an
(animated) galaxy far far away....
Season 1:
Episode 1: Ambush
“Great leaders inspire greatness in others”
So, we begin in the… clone wars. Separatists vs the
republic.
Yoda, representing the republic, has been given the task of
negotiating with Tondaria, led by King Kautunko, to see if he can establish a
republic base in his territory. Unfortunately, Ventress, apprentice to Count
Dooku (leader of the separatists), has got there first. Dooku has set a trap.
He plans to kill Yoda, proving to the Tondarians that the Republic are not the
people to back in this war. He sends his droids out to catch Yoda, attempting
to prove their superiority over the jedi and their clones.
Yoda senses the trap, and decides to spring it anyway. If
there is a game to be played, he will happily play it. He sets out to prove the
republic’s strength by avoiding the droids, and reaching the King unharmed.
This isn’t going to be an easy fight. A few clone troopers,
one jedi master, against a full battalion of droids and a sith apprentice.
Yoda, however, displays his tactical skill here. He is well
aware of his enemies limits, and he stays out of range, using the planet’s
trees as barriers for the droid tanks. Once the droids are on foot, he sets his
own trap, ambushing and destroying a large part of their numbers.
However, despite the early win, the droids just keep coming,
and the clones fall back.
Here we see the true differences between the two for the
first time. There will always be more droids than clones, but clones are
smarter, more independent and often have better weaponry and training. They can
take advantage of their environment more effectively, and know when to fall
back.
Although the clones fall back, Yoda presses the attack,
easily destroying the rest of the advance troops. In doing so, his and the
clones location is well and truly given away, and the heavy droids, carrying
good armour, are sent after them. The clone leader is injured in the attack,
and without Yoda’s help they would all have been killed. Pinned down, Yoda
meditates, and uses the force to turn one of the droid’s around to shoot on
their comrades. The droids destroy each other, but they are replaced by “rollers”,
fast droids with force-fields. These are harder to destroy, and Yoda and the
clones retreat to a place where they can rest.
The droids need no rest, and push onwards while the clones
worry about the impossible odds they face. The lieutenant suggests that Yoda
press on, leaving them behind to slow the droids down. Yoda refuses to leave
them, instead sitting them down, asking to see their faces. We are also told
their names, and Yoda points out how individual they are, despite all being
clones. Rhys, Jek and Thire. This is the first time we have been introduced to
this idea, in the films clones are often seen as disposable and almost robotic.
In this series, they are respected as living beings, with their own wants and
needs.
Buoyed, the clones plan to attack the droids and their
tanks. Yoda begins the attack alone, again using the force to find victory, and
tricking the droids into using their weapons against each other. The clones use
their weapons from a distance to send a cascade of rocks down onto the droids
that remained. Yoda and the clones proceed on to their meeting, only to find
that the King has already decided to join the republic, impressed with Yoda’s
display of power.
Once Ventress realises this, she tries to kill the King,
wielding her two red lightsabres. She is only stopped by the arrival of Yoda. His
display of strength prevents Ventress attacking him, but she escapes.
It’s a victory in more ways than one, the republic has permission
to build their base, Yoda has demonstrated his skill, and the clones have
learned much about their own abilities.
Overall though… This episode is a bit meh. Some cool
fighting, but it feels… safe. A simple story, an easy victory, but it doesn’t
add much to the plot as a whole, and frankly that’s a little confusing. This
should be the episode that introduces us to the main players, the main conflict
and begins our relationship with the new characters. The first time I watched
this episode, I stopped here, and didn’t go on to episode 2. For the first
episode of this series, that’s a major problem. I think it relies too much on
people already knowing and loving Yoda, and on the action, but the goings-on
themselves feel rather unimportant, and I don’t feel drawn in.
All in all, 3/10. I mean, it’s OK, but feels more like a
mid-season filler episode than the one that is meant to start everything off.
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