Lethal Trackdown: Not Quite As Deadly As Anticipated

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Season 2 of The Clone Wars concludes with part 2 of the two-part season finale, Lethal Trackdown. Here’s the breakdown:

The Jedi must find a way to save Republic hostages from the clutches of Aurra Sing and Boba Fett.  But they’ll have to enter the bowels of Coruscant’s underworld and encounter an old foe along the way.

The Monkey: This episode raised the stakes, not only for the characters, but for the audience as well. Aurra Sing is a much darker character than viewers have seen so far on The Clone Wars, and while she’s not gratuitous, she’s definitely edgy. Her cold-bloodedness elevates The Clone Wars above a mere kids’ show. If the writers continue to push the envelope with characters and situations like the ones shown in Lethal Trackdown, Season 3 is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The return of Hondo was a nice touch. The Clone Wars has been doing a better job of keeping characters consistent, utilizing the same characters in multiple episodes instead of having the assembly line of new baddies and foil characters that marked Season 1.

The Coruscant club scene with Plo Koon and Ahoska was visually stunning. The seedy clientele, the pulsing music and the swirling lights were undeniably Star Wars, but at the same time, felt completely original and new. I can’t help but wonder (and hope) that this sort of setting and atmosphere is something we’ll see much more of in the coming live action television show.

The Weasel: The plot was a bit of a let-down, unable to support the weight of the hype, or the wonderful set-up of the previous episode, R2 Come Home.

Despite all the advertisements for the finale, Boba Fett was a rather minor character – much of the finale’s tension and action was carried by Aurra Sing. And the ending left much to be desired: Minor Spoiler Alert: Boba Fett arrested? Aurra Sing and Slave I crashed (not dead, I’m confident)? Hmmm…kinda lame ending to an otherwise successful season, especially in light of the crazy media campaign generated for the two-part season finale.

An adequate extension to part 1 of the season finale, but, ultimately, unable to live up to the hype. There is definitely further potential for both Boba and Aurra in future seasons, and if the preview for Season 3 says anything, it looks like darker and more exciting episodes are in store.

3 Death Stars out of 5

What do you think? Was Lethal Trackdown a successful conclusion to Season 2? What would you like to see in Season 3? Share your thoughts in the comments!

R2 Come Home: The Galaxy’s Favorite Malfunctioning Little Twerp Proves His Worth

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Part one of the two-part Clone Wars Season Two finale kick-started with R2 Come Home. Here’s the breakdown:

Still intent on killing Mace Windu, Boba Fett and his rag-tag gang of deadly bounty hunters set a trap for the Jedi in the wreckage of The Endurance on Vanqor. Falling into the trap, Mace and Anakin must rely on R2-D2 to head for Coruscant and find help: but first, R2 must battle menacing gundarks and outrun the vengeful Boba Fett!

The Monkey: It’s always nice to see R2 in action. Watching him sabotage the bounty hunters’ progress through the wreckage (beeping and tittering in amusement) was not only humorous, but also recalled his many memorable moments from the classic films. In addition, seeing some of R2’s “new moves” (particularly in his tangle with the gundarks) was thrilling and genuinely funny.

The fact that Mace and Anakin fell into Boba’s trap was a nice way to help humanize the Jedi; so often they come off as invincible, so it was nice to see them in some real peril.

The inclusion of Aurra Sing and Bossk was brilliant. While minor characters in the movies, their Expanded Universe stories are fascinating, and seeing them make a G-canon appearance is exciting. And I have a feeling Aurra Sing is going to play a larger role in the future of the series, which is definitely something to look forward to.

The setting for this episode was unique and entertaining; Star Wars has never dealt much with wrecks, and seeing the slanting deck plates and hazardous explosions of The Endurance was a new and fresh set piece for a Star Wars adventure – plus, the animation team really out-did themselves with the level of detail.

The Weasel: The episode was obviously meant to feed directly into the final episode, so the fact that it felt a bit sparse in plot can be excused.

One thing that surprised me, however, was how little Boba Fett played a role in this episode. Aside from the revenge plot-line, he almost seemed like a foil character to the much more interesting and characterized Aurra Sing. I realize he is still a kid, not yet the fearsome bounty hunter from The Empire Strikes Back; and I realize Aurra is his pseudo-mentor – but his presence in the episode bordered on unnecessary.

A great prologue episode for the final part of the season finale. And hands down, the best R2-D2 action to date!

4 Death Stars out of 5

What do you think? Are you liking Aurra Sing’s inclusion in The Clone Wars? Does R2 deserve some more time in the spotlight in future episodes? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Death Trap: Boba Fett Channels His Inner Dennis The Menace

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Acting as a prologue for the two-part season finale (R2 Come Home and Lethal Trackdown), Death Trap is the much hyped debut of the galaxy’s (and the franchise’s) most popular bounty hunter, Boba Fett. Here’s the breakdown:

Intent on killing Mace Windu, the man responsible for his father’s death, Boba Fett infiltrates a Republic cadet group, gaining access to The Endurance, Mace’s current flagship. Once there, Boba puts into motion a series of deadly traps, meant to exact revenge against the Jedi. And it appears Boba has some help from the outside…

The Monkey: It was nice to see a story that dealt with direct references to the films. Many Clone Wars episodes are so far removed from the central story line that one almost forgets the larger picture. Death Trap did a great job of using a small scene (the death of Jango Fett) from Attack of the Clones to create an interesting Clone Wars story line.

I really enjoy the interactions between Mace and Anakin. Their relationship really took shape in The Zillo Beast, and continued to be fleshed out in Death Trap. In particular, Anakin’s bravado attitude toward the cadets (and Mace’s subsequent exasperation) further proved that the writers have ditched the child-like humor for intelligent wit that entertains and furthers plot/character arcs.

Daniel Logan is a welcome member to the ever-expanding Clone Wars voice cast. His ability to create different character voices for each cadet mirrors Dee Bradley Baker’s own work with the clone troopers. Job well done.

The music in this episode was some of the best in the series so far. The haunting “Boba Theme” was spot on, feeling both fresh and distinctly Star Wars at the same time. I can only hope this thematic movement will continue in future Boba-centric episodes.

The Weasel: While it’s great to see Boba, I’m hesitant about his role in The Clone Wars; will he loose his mystery if we learn too much about his past? Will existing Boba Fett stories become non-cannon or need ridiculous retconning to remain in the timeline? Who knows – only time will tell.

I was shocked at the look of this episode; while recent episodes have been stunningly animated, Death Trap looked even more wooden than season one episodes. I’m not sure if this episode was developed earlier in the animation process or what, but the constant close-ups of Boba’s face made him look like a psychotic-Pinocchio puppet.

The episode lacked a distinct plot, mostly because it acts as a precursor to the season finale. We never really felt that Mace was in any danger. And why didn’t anyone notice Boba disappearing from his cadet unit every two minutes, wrecking havoc?!

An interesting, but almost unnecessary set-up for the season finale. And while the culmination of season two is supposed to be all about the Fett, I find myself far more intrigued by Aurra Sing and Bossk (who both make brief appearances at the end of Death Trap).

3 Death Stars out of 5

What do you think? Are you excited for the Boba Fett episodes? What kinds of surprises do you think the season finale has in store? Share your thoughts in the comments!