Just how ingenious is the second season of Clone Wars? Take, for
example, the episode Cargo Of Doom, where Anakin
must board an enemy vessel, only to find out his star destroyer isn’t equipped
with the proper equipment. How to get his troops over to the other ship? Easy,
just use the walkers, the tank-like armored assault vehicles that look like
giant grey bugs. They’re dropped onto the surface of the enemy ship (the walkers
are fully pressurized and have magnetic feet), where they allow Anakin to make
his great assault with impunity. This is a fine example of how the series’
creative team continues to push the boundaries of both their storytelling, as
well as the visual style of the show.
And the visual style of The Clone Wars is simply scrumptious. This series ably
continues the legacy of rich eye candy made famous by the theatrical Star Wars
films, where every frame of film told a mini-story, thanks to the abounding
details packed into every scene. This is indeed a vast universe that Uncle George
Lucas has created for all of us, and the writers/artists/producers of The Clone
Wars take great pains to expand upon and examine every fascinating nook and
cranny. This season we pay an extended visit to the Mandalore society, which
spawned the super commandoes, warriors upon whose armored suits Boba Fett’s
outfit is based on. Young Boba Fett himself shows up in a trio of episodes where
he seeks revenge against Mace Windu for killing his father.
In Landing At Point Rain, we return for a second major battle on the planet
Geonosis, where another, completely different form of evil has taken root. LAPR
begins a ghastly storyline that involves zombies and mind-controlling
leeches--which is a nice change of pace for the Star Wars crowd. Godzilla fans
also get a nice shout out in the two-part story The Zillo Beast, and The Zillo
Beast Strikes Back. The second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has
fast-paced suspense, inventive story-telling, and is plenty of fun. The writers
aren’t afraid to take chances with off beat stories
(Senate Murders is an out and out murder mystery)
and they still pay full attention to characterizations, never letting us forget
who and what Anakin will become. This series excels at giving fans a fun blast
of the Star Wars universe. --SF
Main Review Page | TV Reviews |Star Wars The Clone Wars: The Complete Season Two
