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| Things take a turn for the worse for our 501st heroes in The General. |
Reaching Number Two in our top five ranked
episodes of Season Four, and the series is getting ever more darker, not
just with our main characters but within the environs they now fight in, as the
Umbara Saga makes its mark on the Clone Troopers, and especially stoic Captain
Rex, as we reach the decisive and destructive imagery and powerful storytelling
of episode eight: The General.
1. Dissension
amongst the ranks. Matt Michnovetz has a nice writing tap into the
psyches and personalities of the Clone Troopers, playing to their character
strengths and action abilities. He’s the series BAND OF BROTHERS writer for STAR WARS when it
comes to crafting memorable stories and strong dialogue for the various Clone Soldiers.
He also seems to delight putting them in the most horrific and challenging
climes yet. The Citadel was bad
enough for them in Season Three, but Umbara is the closest they get to Hell
yet, as all of their training and bravery is put to the most severe of tests by
the fierce and arrogant brutality of Jedi General Pong Krell!
The first signs of future faceless Order 66 brutality
are shown here in one clever little sequence, as a Clone emotionlessly guns down both an injured enemy combatant and one of the planets flying beasties.
2. Apocalypse
Now. Things get very down and very dirty within the
misty and darkened world of Umbara, courtesy of old-time Lucas buddy and all-round talent Walter Murch, who brings all his film-making talents in editing,
direction and sound design to take viewers right up close and personal into the
ground battles between the Clone Troopers and the Shadowmen, who unleash
against the Republic combat veterans the most intriguing and awesome
bio-mechanical weapons and technology yet seen in the series, including ground breaking centipede tanks and lethal
airships. This is one episode that
really does needs to be seen on a big screen via digital projector.
3. Captain
Rex stands firm. With Anakin not around to rally the troops and
lead them from the front onwards, or push them through when things are at
crisis point, it's up to bold and resilient Captain Rex to keep the line of bravery
and fortitude in combat against an overwhelmingly superior enemy in very
hostile terrain. He’s fighting one enemy force but finds conflict from within
his own side, from the strict discipline of steadfast Jedi General Pong Krell
and the dissatisfaction his leadership brings to the other clones under his
comrade, not ready to die so senselessly or so quickly as cannon fodder. One of
the episodes final moments, as Rex reigns in his anger holding his clenched
fist ever tighter from Krell, is one of the series finest moments and means a
lot to viewers, as well as being an intriguing subtle prelude to the horror to
come of Order 66.
4. Umbara. One of the most intriguing new planets so far seen in the series, looking organically birthed from some armageddon prophecy of the ancient Vikings, Umbara is an exciting new addition to the STAR WARS universe
that I wished had made if into one of the later heading towards oblivion
Prequel movies, looking absolutely stunning on Blu-ray, what with its truly alien hills and gorges, covered in
phosphorescence reds and pale blues standing out amongst the darkness, helped
by some great sound design work from series regulars David Accord and Matthew
Wood.
5. General
Pong Krell. Recognised as a strong Jedi tactician, though
all too willing to sacrifice vast amounts of Clone Soldiers (coldly referring to them
as numbers than with names: fan forums thinking that the Jedi was avoiding unwelcome attachment in battle-yeah, right!), often using them as needless cannon fodder in order to get
the military work done, General Pong Krell’s presence in the key battle to take
control of Umbara proves unwelcome to Captain Rex, and, most
importantly, to the soldiers under their command. Unlike any other Jedi we have
encountered before, Krell’s oath to the Order-of swearing to uphold life
wherever possible- seems to have disappeared, his duties in the Clone Wars seemingly abandoned of such obligation. The fire of conflict burns brightly in his cruel
eyes, as Krell becomes an intriguing and intimidating new antagonist to the
series, his ultimate destiny path given subtle hints in this story. He may be
of the same Besalisk alien species as lovable Dexter Jettster, ann brilliantly realised by the series animation team, but that’s where
the similarities end.
Get hold of THE CLONE WARS Season Four on DVD and Blu-ray here:
1 comment:
Although I can't really decide which episodes of the story arc, "The General" was fantastic. I noticed the parallels with the Vietnam war also.
-James
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