Archive for the ‘The Clone Wars’ Category
Not That Bad, Not That Great
SINGAPORE: Children will enjoy it, and geeks will tolerate it. Hardcore fans will feel obliged to love it, while the rest of the world will just be thankful that Jar Jar Binks does not make an appearance.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars is essentially a glorified pilot for the upcoming animated series.
Set in the period between Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the story centres around the efforts of Anakin Skywalker and his annoying padawan apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, to rescue Jabba the Hutt’s kidnapped baby boy (yes, really!) from Sith lord Count Dooku and his posse.
Whether one enjoys The Clone Wars depends entirely on one’s reactions to Episodes I to III. Very similar strengths - and flaws - are on display: Endless explosions between robots and troopers, corny dialogue and lots of whining, packaged with animation that is not as ground-breaking as the film-makers would like to think.
That said, The Clone Wars has its strengths. The sequence in which troops battle up the side of a cliff is breathtaking and clever, while the night-time lightsaber duels are stunning.
The Clone Wars is what it is and what Star Wars has become. For better or for worse. -
Channel News Asia
From Children To Explorers In 77 Hours
Steve Martin appears in Sergeant Bilko over TV3 at 12.30am on Sunday.
LOCAL children’s show 77 Hours debuts over ntv7 on Sunday at 9pm. It sets to transform typical Malaysian children into cultural explorers.
Depriving them of the comforts they take for granted, the series chronicles their sometimes physically and emotionally challenging adventure and self-discovery.
For three days, a child, aged between nine and 14, joins a family and fully participates in its customs, rituals and livelihood. In conjunction with the Beijing Olympics 2008, 8TV is showcasing documentary Pride Of Nation which chronicles the achievements of Chinese Olympic winners throughout the nation’s history. It airs tomorrow at 10am over 8TV. For movie buffs, 8TV is airing The Making Of… Wall-E on Sunday at 10.30am. The movie features the voices of Ben Burtt, Sigourney Weaver, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, Fred Willard, John Ratzenberger and Kathy Najimy. Also on Sunday, ntv7 is airing The Making Of… Star Wars: The Clone Wars at 12.30pm. The movie stars Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Dee Bradley Baker, Tom Kane, Nika Futterman and Ian Abercrombie.
TOMORROW Panggung Sabtu (Hindi movie) (TV3, 2pm) - Aetbaar Dr Malhotra believes he is simply a protective parent while his daughter Ria thinks he’s too possessive. Problems arise when Aryan walks into Ria’s life. Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham.
Sergeant Bilko (English movie) (TV3, 12.30am) Sgt. Bilko is in charge of the motor pool at an army base. He’s also a good-natured con man, providing gambling facilities for the soldiers on base. When an old enemy shows up to inspect his records and steal away his fiancee, Sgt. Bilko has to put his skills to creative use. Starring Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Phil Hartman and Glenne Headly.
The Red Is East (Chinese movie) (8TV, 8.30pm) Following the death of Asia the Invisible, a power struggle ensues. Snow, Asia the Invisible’s former lover, is deeply in love with him and wants to re-establish the Sun Moon Sect. Meanwhile, the government dispatches Koo to investigate the death of Asia the Invisible. Starring Joey Wang, Brigitte Lin, Yu Rong Guang and Tony Ching. SUNDAY Leave Me Alone (Chinese movie) (RTM2, 10pm) Man, a gay fashion designer in Hong Kong, gets a visit from twin brother Kit. Kit takes Man’s expensive car out for a spin and gets into a horrendous accident in which a woman dies. To make matters complicated, Kit was driving with Man’s licence. Starring Kenny Bee, Ekin Cheng, Charlene Choi and Lawrence Chou.
Favourite Son (Brazilian movie) (RTM2, 12.30am) A woman who illegally adopted a Brazilian baby must return to the streets of Rio to search for the biological parents when her now six-year-old son requires a bone marrow transplant. Days before she is to leave Rio to return to Rome, she finds a newborn on her doorstep. Starring Chico Diaz, Ornella Mutti, Alessandra Negrini and Reginaldo Faria.
New Straits Times
Cinema: The Saga Continues
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS directed by Dave Filoni
With the voices of Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, James Arnold Taylor, Dee Bradley Baker and Tom Kane.
THE animation is as close to the live-action Star Wars universe as it can get. Technically, it IS that universe which we are familiar with, only that it is now in a different format, so it’s just a matter of adjusting to a new storytelling form.
Picking up on the success of the animated TV miniseries (2003-2005) of the same name, it has all the familiar elements of that “galaxy far far away” - right down to the original themes and scores by John Williams.
This one too evokes joy, excitement and suspense in huge doses, taking fans right into the universe created by Lucasfilm Animation in the most stylish, exquisite and respectful manner.
It is really an extension to that universe that has an old-fashioned feel that is also fresh and fascinating.
There are great nail-biting light sabre fights, jaw-dropping ground and space battles, Force lightning, cool droids and clones, Yoda’s words of wisdom, Jedi mind tricks and funny moments courtesy of C-3PO (with Anthony Daniels reprising his beloved voice) and R2D2.
However, the movie is no longer about Anakin Skywalker and his transition into the dark side.
As a spin-off to the Star Wars saga, it takes the audience into the political and power struggle that eventually turns the evil Separatists (Sith Lords, the Emperor, the droids) into an Empire.
Basically, the story takes place after the end of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002), where the clones are made by the Republic in Planet Kamino and the droids manufactured by the Separatists in Geonosis (the movie ends with Anakin and Senator Amidala’s wedding).
In Clone Wars, Anakin (Matt Lanter) is now a Jedi and has his own Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein). Amidala is still a Senator, who plays an important role in the story in order to stop further chaos by the Separatists.
When an influential crime lord, Jabba the Hut’s son, is kidnapped and the Republic is framed for the act, Anakin and Ahsoka are dispatched to rescue him and stop an impending war with the Huts, who control much of the galactic system.
“Kidnapped, Jabba the Hut’s son has been,” says Yoda to Anakin and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor), at the beginning of the movie, which sends the young Jedi and his Padawan to Tattooine, where he grew up.
Fast-paced and highly engaging, the movie is a joy to watch from start to finish, especially the fighting scene between the Sith Lord’s apprentice Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman) - with her double-blade light saber, and Obi-Wan.
This one’s for the fans.
New Straits Times