Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Catching Up - Capsule Reviews of Season 5 Episodes

Well, why not? Following is a rundown of quick and dirty capsule reviews for the Season 5 episodes of the Clone Wars...up to the 100th Episode.

Revival (** 1/2) Felt like running in place. The last episode of Season 4 features lightsaber fights with the SithBrothers, and so does this. Plus, they're run off by pirates.

A War on Two Fronts (** 1/2) The Onderon campaign begins with some so-so characters learning about guerilla warfare.

Front Runners (**) More Onderon. Ahsoka trains them to fight. I shrug.

The Soft War (**) More of the same of a story that doesn't do much for me. Feels like quoting better stories with lesser characters.

Tipping Points (***) - The conclusion of the battle is well staged and tense, with a notable loss for our heroes. Still, I just never got all that invested.

The Gathering (****) - Usually, the focus on the younglings (yes, I know it's a kid's show but still) bores me. This time, I have to admit, I loved it. Gorgeous visuals, great use of Yoda, lovely story.

A Test of Strength (****) - More plucky young characters that are more likeable than usual. Wooden lightsaber handle? David Tennant-bot? Come on! That's awesome.

Bound for Rescue (***) - The story gets a lot more conventional with this installment.

A Necessary Bond (** 1/2) - Well staged action, and I still like the kids, but conventional and forgettable.

Secret Weapons (**) - Something about this failed to grab me. Band of misfits scenario has been done better, I guess.

A Sunny Day in the Void (**) - These characters just didn't enthrall me for some reason.

Missing in Action (*** 1/2) - The 100th Episode of the Clone Wars. Even though I haven't been in love with this particular cast of characters - the Clone recovered from amnesia pretty darn fast - I like the remote location and the final segment was exciting.

As you can see, I've got a little fatigue with Season 5. More minor characters have taken center stage and not necessarily to great effect.

And with that, I'm caught up! I hope to be back to regular reviews!












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