Author Topic: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions  (Read 51796 times)

Offline DSJ™

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #90 on: March 27, 2004, 08:32 AM »
Episode 11

Can't download it but at least you can watch it incase you missed it.  ;)

Offline Ben

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #91 on: March 27, 2004, 02:06 PM »
Why is the animated series so much more entertaining than the prequels?

Must be my short attention span of late.
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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #92 on: March 27, 2004, 08:13 PM »
Maybe its the reverence and understanding of why the OT was good? It seems to have a much more "Star Wars" feel to it than the PT does, amazingly. Maybe thats heaping too much praise on it, but just as an example, when Anakin has Assaj in his crosshairs, he says, 'I have you know,' to great parallel to his ANH line, without it seeming forced, makes an big impact. The banter between him and Obi-Wan, even in 3 minutes of #11, drives their characters' perspectives and attitudes more than most all of their AOTC dialog.

I hope they get a DVD of the series out this year!   ;D

Offline Jesse James

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #93 on: March 28, 2004, 04:01 AM »
Yeah, there's something about the toons that has a genuine charm like the classic films does.  It tells me that Lucas is more to blame for Star Wars losing a step than anything else.  I'm still not fond of two actors in particular in the prequals though, but ultimately it's Lucas who just doesn't seem to have the same "knack" he did in the classic trilogy to make a movie that had nothing "forced" on you but was fluid and worked on all levels.

The cartoons have that...  They have some terrible moments too though, where you can see the creator's imaginations getting out of hand...  The "crap" superlaser for instance...  The incessant use of lances as weapons (I don't get this personally...  Someone's watched too many camelot flicks)....  Propelling Durge to super-human (or whatever he is) feats like lifting an AT-TE with a lance and a speederbike...  

To me, these are the dumber things shown, but for every dumb thing there's been 10 neat things.  

I mean, I can't even wait to make a figure of that weird cat guy that hosts Dooku to watch the arena battle.  I don't know why, but I like that guy and he's as boring as anything...  It's an excuse to buy an extra Imp. Dignitary I guess, and I like cat people.

Anyway, on the Durge thing with the lance...  I know some people actually dug that, and I'm not saying Durge isn't even cooler than I'd anticipated, but it's still crap because (and this is very nerdy of me, I know):

a) there's no way in hell a single guy could lift the AT-TE...  We're just pushing Durge as a character too far, and making him "too strong".  Seems silly to me...  

and b) His bike, and or lance would've both broke upon impact...  Maybe he's that strong, but unless his bike and lance are made of indestructable materials all of a sudden, that just doesn't jive to me.

It's like most EU though, in that it has some overly creative imaginations at work that maybe don't take into account that part of Star Wars' charm is that it "looks real", and it "feels real".  It looks like it COULD be...  Beyond the Force, there wasn't much that made you go "Wow, how'd they do that!?" when you watched those films.  It just made you think that it was your own world.

If it's my own world, then maybe Durge is that DB at the gym that I can't stand who's always powerlifting and swearing constantly while he puts up his weight, then walks around like he has a stick up his butt all day showing off.  Maybe that guy can pick up an Abrahams tank while riding his Harley?  :)

Nah...  Durge just shouldn't be able to do that stuff.  Cheapens his character.

He's still cool though, and translated into the 2nd greatest (maybe even greatest) Star Wars action figure of all time.
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Offline Ben

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #94 on: March 28, 2004, 04:58 PM »
Didn't he get all huge and wonky when Obi-Wan started hacking off his extremities? Maybe he is that strong.

I don't know. ??? It was a cartoon made for kids, and from what I've seen of Cartoon Network's other programming, not too far out of line with cartoons nowadays.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #95 on: March 28, 2004, 07:58 PM »
True, but it's also got a duty to conform to continuity with the Star Wars films.  Now Lucas obviously doesn't mind it enough to say "hey, whatever", but to me it's got some lame qualities.

I love Durge, but like all EU I just disevow the things I don't like as simply never happening or not existing.  If it's crap, I ignore it is all.
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Offline Brian

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #96 on: March 29, 2004, 11:08 AM »
After seeing the first episode of "Season 2" Friday, I am still really digging this series.  I'm glad others have noticed as well, that these toons really seem to have the Star Wars "spirit" like the OT did.  Not that I hate the prequels, although I don't like them nearly as well as the originals, but these toons do seem more "Star Warsy" to me.  Can't wait to see more of them this week, but a good debut on Friday.  I really enjoyed the "I have you now" line too, these are the types of things that should be done in the movies it seems.

Offline Jesse James

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #97 on: March 29, 2004, 04:10 PM »
I think it's funny that a cartoon of Anakin, and a cartoon of Kenobi can have a better relationship than the actors playing Kenobi and Anakin.  

Or the same could be said for Padme and Anakin, but even more strongly.  That little moment he touches his canopy and she touches the glass of her apartment as he leaves for war is actually REALLY good.  It trounces every "tender" moment he and Padme had in E2.

McGregor does a nice job with Kenobi in the films, but the guy can't carry every scene with Christansen.  It's a shame really, that their cartoon likenesses had better dialogue, better timing, and were simply more in tune with the classic trilogy.

I like the prequals too.  This is coming from someone who is excited when each of these movies comes out and leaves the theater happy every time.  Hell, I even watch E1 anytime I see it on TV.  But these cartoons I could watch religiously if they were a ful-length series and the quality didn't diminish.  They're just that great.

I'm imagining Rogue Squadron in this format set after Endor...  Like in the immediate aftermath.  I would just go nuts for a cartoon THIS good with classic trilogy characters.  
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Offline DSJ™

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #98 on: March 30, 2004, 09:20 AM »
Anyone seen chapter 12 yet?   8)

Kris's site has the episodes with & without commentary.

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Durge

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #99 on: March 31, 2004, 02:17 AM »
Chapter 13 was pretty good. :)

Offline Jesse James

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #100 on: March 31, 2004, 02:48 AM »
I have a slightly mixed reaction on 12 and 13...  (Missed 12, had to wait to d/l today...  crap in a hat)

Anyway, here's my take...

12 starts out awesome.  A collossal battle with taking place on the rural Dantooine (BTW, neat to see that Dantooine still looks futuristic, but has a sort of agricultural and docile theme going on.  An entire planet like that, with few cities, and at one point a big ass rebel base makes this planet all the more believable and interesting to me, but I digress).  Basically everything looks cool.

The battle's playing out well too, with the child's perspective on the hillside really adding to it.  You see Droids and Clones in everything from hand-to-hand combat to wild blasting.  I would say that a minor complaint is that this battle fell prey to the prequal battles as well, in that it has no rhyme or reason to it.  It's a haphazard mish-mash of intermingled troops blasting the hell out of each other, rather than a seemingly definitive "line in the sand" that two sides are clashing over...  

That would've made the battle slightly more believable to me, but whatcha gonna do, ya know?  It was still sort of neat, but there just wasn't any "form" to the function...  They didn't even appear to fight over anything, did anyone else notice this?  I saw no clear objective, like a Separatist base, or something.

Anyway, Mace kicked ass in it, and that was cool.  I can buy the over-the-top stuff in 12, as Mace seems like he'd be a bit extra tough in battle.  A guy not to be trifled with.  

The "ground pounder" or whatever the hell it was, was neat, but sort of disappoionting too.  I can only accept it as some attempt at an experimental weapon by the Separatists, but to me it smacks of  yet again the "Super weapon syndrome" that plagues much of the EU.  I've seen others liken it to World Devastators, and I agree, and World Devastators sucked the first time around so I dislike the concept from the start.

That said, the thing seemed simplistic...  It was intended to just F up a battlefield where the separatists were maybe losing, so that basically nobody wins the battle.  I can accept that (I'm trying to convince myself anyway), and the vehicle wasn't out sucking up natural resources like the stupid Devastators did.  That's lame.

These were simple pile drivers...  We have thingsn like this on Earth, just smaller, so I guess I can see the goofy attempt at making one a weapon.  

Their effects...?  Well, I'm not physics major, but I somehow question the whole process somewhat, but I'll just overlook it.

Overall then, I liked the episode.  Hardcore combat, little dialogue (sometimes that's good), and lots of neat, gritty, "realistic" military stuff that makes you think this IS a war, and not just some super-hero crap...  That's cool.

Chapter 13 then...

I liked 13 for the same reasons as 12, and mostly as a wrap-up to 12 (which is all it was), but the excessive force-power useage by Mace kind of fell flat on me.  

So when Mace wigs out with the Force, he turns into the incredible hulk and can destroy anything with a flick of his wrist?  Damn...  

Had this been toned down some, I'd have liked it more.  it works for a toon, but if this were a comic, or video game, or *gasp* film, I'd had hoped  it would've been more "realistic" as they say.  I could see him kicking some droid butt, but not EVERY droid butt without a saber.  That just strikes me as odd, and makes you wonder why he, or anyone else didn't do this at Geonosis.

If you went by Clone Wars, you'd think Mace could've rescued Anakin, Obi, and Padme at Geonosis himself, ya know?

The way he got into the ground pounder thing sorta sucked.  I would've liked a more "real" method of getting in it, like a commandered vehicle of some sort.  That's just my take there though.

Short of those couple minor things that I'd change, I liked this episode too...  IT was really fun, and the way it ended was great.

The handing of the drink to Mace only needed Mace handing his tattered Jedi Robe to the little boy to make it more a parallel to the 1970's Coca Cola commercial where Mean Joe Green gives his game Jersey to a kid who offered him his Coke in the players entrance.  Any Pittsburgh fan (especially the die-hards from the old-school Steel Curtain I'd imagine) catches that one right away.  Good stuff.

Mace = Joe Green...  Hmmm....  Funny.  :)

So, in short, 2 great episodes...

I would just like to see a LITTLE more structure to the battles...  At least make them look like there's 2 sides, ya know?  And tone down the Jedi abilities slightly.  I think this is more the style of the animators more than anything, but it's a bit over the top...  I don't think it'd hurt the "action" to make things slightly more believable.

The ground pounder things kinda bite, but they're better than the lobster super laser the Quarren used.  THAT was, to say the least, a terrible idea.  Too Death Star-ish, and didn't even look real creative, nor add to the story if you ask me.  That's all old news though.
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Offline Playgirl

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #101 on: March 31, 2004, 04:40 AM »
Ive never seen any of them but I'm downloading them now and i have to say, I'm pretty impressed.

Offline DSJ™

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #102 on: March 31, 2004, 12:27 PM »
The handing of the drink to Mace only needed Mace handing his tattered Jedi Robe to the little boy to make it more a parallel to the 1970's Coca Cola commercial where Mean Joe Green gives his game Jersey to a kid who offered him his Coke in the players entrance.  Any Pittsburgh fan (especially the die-hards from the old-school Steel Curtain I'd imagine) catches that one right away.  Good stuff.

Mace = Joe Green...  Hmmm....  Funny.  :)

That commercial went through my head too!  ;D

Offline Mainland05

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #103 on: March 31, 2004, 01:12 PM »
So which episode is airing tonight?

Is it Ilum with Luminara Unduli & Barriss?
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Offline DSJ™

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Re: CLONE WARS Cartoon... Reactions
« Reply #104 on: April 1, 2004, 11:55 AM »
So which episode is airing tonight?

Is it Ilum with Luminara Unduli & Barriss?

Indeed it was!  8)