|
The exciting and continuing animated adventures of the Star Wars universe return to DVD this March, with volume two of the second series. The Jedi Knights which include Obi-Wan Kenobi, a pre Darth Anakin Skywalker and his young, precocious padawan Ashoka; continue to restore order to an unruly galaxy on behalf of the Republic and the Sepratists attempt to bring chaos. In this volume, there are six episodes split between two thrilling storylines. In episodes five to eight (written by Brian Larsen), the Jedi Knights en masse return to Genosis (the location for the climax of the live action Episode II, Attack of the Clones) to destroy a Sepratist weapons factory - simple enough task, but when you throw in undead warriors and the possibility of a brain controlling plague worms spreading throughout the galaxy, well it is all in a days work for the Jedi. In episodes nine and ten, Jedi Master Eeth Koth is taken hostage by General Grevious, leading to a rescue mission by Anakin and Obi-Wan which escalates into a deadly game of cat and mouse. The first series of the animated series, itself was a spin-off of the Clone Wars animated film released in 2008, was met with universal approval (unlike the maligned animated feature). Seemingly, the half hour screen time for the show meant that there was a briskness to proceedings and the sheer quantity of episodes allowed the producers to flesh out characters that were on the periphery before hand in either the animated film or live-action films. General Grevious, first spotted in Episode II: Attack of the Clones, is allowed a more prominent role as pantomine villain, but the necessity of the villain against the proverbial heroes means the show retains that adventure serial appeal of Flash Gordon, the initial inspiration for George Lucas. The series is a joy to watch, full of tidbits and harks back to the original trilogy with quotes of the original dialogue ('This is another fine mess you have gotten us into') repeated verbatim by new characters (voiced by a distinguished voice cast including Bradley Dee Baker and Ashley Eckstein, so Lucas is having fun with the format and mythology of his most famous work. The opportunity to rewrite your work, create new characters in new situations whilst still spreading the word of the Jedi is dealt with a certain amount of panache and poise, married with an efficient scripting and narrative arc. An old adage ('Believe in yourself, or no one else will') begins each episode that is alluded to in the action, harking back to Lucas' other influence on the Star Wars saga, that being the work of Joseph Campbell and his work on mythology and legend. The revolutionary digital animation, created by Lucasfilm Ltd, is used to its maximum potential to tell the many tales of the Clone Wars, as we are told the storyline between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and the ride is a rollercoaster one of thrills and spills. May the force be with you, as you travel this galaxy of adventure. The DVD is released from 21 March 2011 for a RRP of £12.99 by Warner Bros. Episodes: 5. Landing at Point Rain 6. Weapons Factory 7. Legacy of Terror 8. Brain Invaders 9. Grevious Intrigue 10. The Deserter. Follow this link for more information on Clone Wars and the Star Wars universe: http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
|
