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Reviews
Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)
Best Star Wars Movie Since Empire
This is easily the best Star Wars film to come from Disney since their acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. Also, easily the best film of 2017.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Old Friends Not Forgotten (2020)
What an Episode
This episode is rivaled only by Darkness On Umbara as the best opening episode to an arc in the entire series. Filoni and crew make it clear that a tremendous amount of time, thought and care were put into this arc to make it their magnum opus and to send this amazing series off with a bang. Not only is the story set up to be an epic tale of great proportions tying up all of the series' many intertwining plotlines, but every aspect of the episode is high-caliber.
Even amongst this final season that has had the best animation quality in the whole series to date, this episode stands out as having a particularly palatable visual presence. The animation quality is fine-tuned to perfection, complementing the show's unique art style. Not only that, but the cinematography was some of the best that the show has seen, and some of the best in any Western animated series. The way the camera makes wide sweeping motions to follow the 501st in the opening scene and later to follow Ahsoka as she jumps between Gunships and Mandalorians is exhilarating and helps convey the scope of the battles.
Hearing Ashley Eckstein's fun banter with Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor and Dee Bradley Baker again brought me back and just felt right. The actors each keep the energy of the scene up and convey their characters perfectly. And though he only had one line, hearing Sam Witwer again brought chills to my spine.
And what a triumphant return for the series' greatest villain! The story centers around Ahsoka and Bo Katan joining forces with a part of the 501st legion led by the newly appointed Commander Rex to retake Mandalore from the control of Maul. The first half of the episode was pitch-perfect script-wise, with a flawless blend of action, dialogue, character development and plot development. The opening battle on Yerbana is equally as well-written as the subsequent scenes featuring Ahsoka's reuniting with the Republic. And the confrontations between Ahsoka and Obi-Wan offer an interesting insight into the changes in Ahsoka's personality. If I had to levy one criticism against the episode, however, it would be that the pacing falls apart in the second half.
Don't get me wrong, seeing the battle break out on Mandalore was awesome and the action was phenomenal, but story beats were basically only communicated through dialogue and happened so fast that it was difficult to keep track of exactly what was going on. The trap that Ahsoka falls in to at the end didn't have the impact that it could have.
From the opening of the episode with its usage of the original Lucasfilm logo, red Clone Wars logo and original Star Wars theme to the extended 30 minute runtime, we're told to pay attention because this one is important, and it sure delivers.
9.5/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Deal No Deal (2020)
A significant improvement over last week's episode
The animation in this season never fails to impress and only seems to get better. In terms of story, this episode was poorly paced, but far more interesting and tense than last weeks, and felt like more of a proper introduction to the arc. I'm excited to see the rest of Trace, Rafa and Ahsoka's adventure.
7.5/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Gone with a Trace (2020)
Slow, but entertaining episode
Gorgeous animation and well-made action aren't quite enough to fully save this episode from its largely uninteresting plot that seems to lead no where for the coming episodes, though the character development for Ahsoka is much appreciated
6.5/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Unfinished Business (2020)
Phenomenal ending to an awesome arc
Filled with action, tension, timely themes and plenty Mace Windu, this is without a doubt the best episode of the arc, finishing off the story with an emotional and poignant final shot
9/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: On the Wings of Keeradaks (2020)
Well made, if bare-bones, episode
Significantly shorter than the previous two chapters of this arc, this episode is filled to the brim with highly entertaining action, though it doesn't have the story or character development to support it
7.5/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: A Distant Echo (2020)
Intriguing plot developments
A hooking episode that perfectly continues the plot introduced in the premiere with riveting action and an emotional ending
8.5/10
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Bad Batch (2020)
Fun and exhilarating premiere
A fun and fast paced episode that introduces a new colorful cast of characters and an interesting, if simplistic, plot that ends in a gripping cliffhanger
8.5/10