Prisoners Review

I'm very pleased with the resolve and how this episode wrapped up last week's premiere.



I liked how the tension what built and sustained here, although I felt that there could have been a little more build up to the final battle. And speaking of battles . . .

Riff Tamson's death at the hand of Prince Lee-Char was by far one of the best I've seen thus far and made for a fitting climax.

Our primary cast of Anakin, Padm`e, Fisto, and Ahsoka were rather secondary, and the story mainly focused on Lee-Char's development into the future ruler of Mon Cal. There was one small humorous moment with Jar-Jar during the torture scenes which really lightened up the increasing tension.

The resounding message though out this arc is one of coming of age and taking up a larger mantle of responsibility, very similar to last Season's finale with Ahsoka. I hope to see the young prince again sometime, if not this Season the next.

I caught small references to the Bible story of Moses and the Original Trilogy; the latter being Riff's altering of deals and the former being the young prince asking Tamson to free his people.

As always the animation was nothing short of spectacular and the general underwater feel added a certain weighty feel to the episode which played along with the growing tension.  The only thing I had a problem with was the way, rather the lack of, Jar-Jar's spit moved though the underwater environment.

The fact that Anakin, Padm`e, and Ahsoka's air-tanks seemed to told in infinite supply of oxygen struck me as being a little odd.

I can't wait for next week's episode and I'm sure we, the fans, won't be disappointed. Until next time.

Water Wars/Gungan Attack Review

I must say, the Season premiere exceeded my expectations one-hundred fold. The plotting for these episodes was very well though out and there was plenty of action.  

Prior to the Season premiere I was under impression that these episodes would be nothing more then a clever re-telling of the Season Three premiere "Clone Cadets" And "Arc Troopers" set on Mon Cal rather then Kamino. I was wrong. 

Riff, a Separatist commander, was an awesome antagonist made up of raw power and rage, say the wrong thing and he'd eat you up (literally). 

The animation, as always, was breath-taking and the way the character's movements were prolonged and exaggerated recreated an organic underwater feeling which I'm very pleased with. The Clone Wars production team has taken what they learned in "Padawan Lost" and "Wookiee Hunt" and improved upon it to make something even more grand.  One of the only things that I thought could use a little improvement was the way Fisto's tentacles moved with the underwater currents, they always seemed to be suspended above his back simmering like seaweed. Also, the fact that the Qurren and Mon Calamari communicated vocally in their underwater environment seemed a little strange to me, then again this is George Lucas's universe and he can do whatever he wants with it.

Ahsoka Tano played a large role in this episode acting as a mentor for the Mon Cal prince. I'm impressed with how much she's maturing and passing her wisdom on to others. The student has become the master you might say, although Everyone's Favorite Padawan still has a lot to learn. Her scuba-gear, along with Anakin's, was awesome. And Master Kit Fisto and his signature pearly grin only completed the group of heroic Jedi.  

And who could forget Admiral (well . . Captain) Ackbar? While they didn't included that all to iconic line of his "It's a trap!" they did settle for a substitute that fit well into the episode: "It's an attack."

The Hydroid Madusas, giant cybernetic jellyfish creatures from Riff's home-world, were truly menacing weapons against the Jedi and Mon Calamari with their highly conductive tentacles and eerie silent movement.

The climatic battles between our heroes and the menacing Riff which ensued within the the swirling mechanical tentacles of the Trident droid ships was a truly artistic moment. Among the whirling currents of underwater cyclones created the perfect environment in which several tension filled fights proceeded.      

These episodes not only supplied a great amount of action, they also had great morals at their core which backed up the the fighting and gave it substance. Tension was built from the first scene and was sustained, and amplified, though the course of both episodes with masterful brilliance. These episodes may surpass "Padawan Lost" and "Wookiee Hunt" as my favorite episodes. And the cliffhanger ending was perfect. After seeing the preview for the next episode "Prisoners" I'm pumped up for whatever Dave and crew have in store for us. And this is just the beginning! Until next time.    

Innocent Ideas

The sun's bright rays poured into the boy's room through the closed shades in slanted beams,
as he laded there on his bed and listened plaintively to the steady tick-tick of the old clock in the next room.
He looked around at the small treasures that he'd accumulated in his room. Well. They were treasures to him, but his mother preferred to think of it as junk. There was an assortment of plastic spaceships on his nightstand along with a few action figures. Among them was a space traveler who went by the name Buck Rogers.
Tick-tick. Went the clock.
He rubbed his palms together until the secreted sticky sweat. When will it be time? He asked himself.
To pass the time he pulled out his favorite flashlight and began to wave it about in no particular fashion, then he looked to the beams of light coming through his shades. What if . . .  He thought. What if my flashlight was a kind of sword that you could turn on and off? He thought, the idea was an intriguing one which caused a whole field of ideas to spring up in his mind. Along with a universe of questions. Questions he'd have to answer, if he wanted to.
He looked to Buck Rogers and thought; What if you were a wanted smuggler?
An abrupt pounding on his door suddenly pulled him out of his imagination followed by an all to familiar voice that said; "George honey. Your Father's here to take you to the races now. Get ready."
Finally! He thought and scurried to the closet.
"Be there in a minute Mom." He called back.

"Sir. Sir?" The man's voiced called. George opened his eyes to see the face of his young secretary. "Yes?" he said in a somewhat choked up voice stretching a little in the leather chair in his office. He looked out the wide window a moment to to see a sprawling city stretching out to the horizon, or so it seemed. He turned back to his secretary who said; "The contract has arrived, they'd like you to sign now." The young man pulled out a clipboard with several sheets of paper. Sitting up he took this, finally after briefly scrolling though the text full of First Party, Second Party agreements he found the blank line at the bottom of the page destined for his name.
The secretary reached for the ballpoint pen in his shirt pocket only to be stopped short.
"I've got this." The elder man ensured as he pulled out a ballpoint pen of his own and scribbled his first and last name onto the paper.
A much more elegant weapon, for a more civilized age. He thought as he added the final curve to the S followed by a period. He gave his name, his title, one last look before handing the clipboard back. "Thank you." The young man said as he marched out admiring the name of his superior. George Lucas. it read.
George couldn't help but smile as he watched the man leave the lavished room and thought, Much to learn you still have.

Star Wars: The Great Myth, Second Edition

        As requested, here's my second edition of Star Wars: The Great Myth.
Let's begin, shall we.









Samurai Jack and Jedi Joe: 


Star Wars  would be nothing without the Jedi; this fictional Order's origins lay in both the Samurai and the Knights Templar.
The Knights Templar, or the Poor Knights of Christ, played a major role in the Crusades (much like the Jedi in the Clone Wars). And their Code is similar to the Jedi's in some ways.
And the standard dress for the Jedi is mostly influenced by Japanese robes.

Also; the lightsaber fighting styles seen in the OT were based off of Kendo, meaning "Way of the Sword". Many fans will recognize this as "lightsaber tapping" as seen in Obi-Wan's final duel with Darth Vader on the Death Star.

Sterling Submachine gun.

"Grease those Rebels!":


 The droid E-5 blasters share characteristics with the M-3 submachine gun, also called the "Grease Gun" and "The Greaser". It was used by American soldiers in World War II. This 45 caliber weapon was made to offset the cost of the more expensive Thomson submachine gun commonly referred to as the "Tommy Gun".

M-3 submachine gun.

The classic E-11 blaster used by stormtroopers in the OT is based off of the British Sterling submachine gun. The British General Staff began using this weapon in 1944.









Use the Force: 


The idea of a binding energy has been in Japan for centuries, and it is the basis for all there marshal arts. In fact, many of the Jedi ideals have their roots in ancient Japanese legend.
Modern research is showing that every living thing emits an unseen energy. And even emotions could be considered "energies".



Conclusion: 


That's all folks. If you have any suggestions for other Star Wars parallels that you'd like to see you can post them on my Facebook page.   Until next time my the Force be with you!!

Star Wars: The Great Myth

         The Star Wars Saga is everywhere, and it's become integrated into our culture. It is, quiet simply, a modern myth; just like the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths of old.
George Lucas has based many of his concepts off of ancient and well rooted ideas that have become a part of our being.

 Luke's hero's journey is the most well know of these. And his father's spiritual decay and submission to the dark side carries undertones of ancient myths.

You reap what you sow; Lucas sowed his inspiration from myths and legends, thus creating one himself.

So without further ado let me show you some examples of how Lucas based his legendary Saga off of ancient myths.








The Chosen One: 


As I mentioned briefly in a previous post Anakin is similar to David from the Bible. And really the similarities run very deep. David was the king of Israel chosen by God, while Anakin was the Chosen One said to bring balance to the Force.

David and Goliath  

Anakin might also be compared to Jesus Christ. And Shmi, his mother, to his mother Marry. Both were virgins.

I might also add that Anakin in Sanskrit (Asian) means warrior, a fitting title considering his role in the Clone Wars. It may have also been derived from Anakim a race of giants found in the Old Testament of the Bible. For a more in depth look at the origin of this classic character's name read Wookieepedia.  

One very notable difference between Anakin and his biblical counterpart is this: David ruled his kingdom in peace and ended all the wars, leaving virtually no fighting for his future heir. As opposed to Anakin who seemed to live off the energies of war.

A friend of mine interpreted the ancient prophecy of the Chosen One in a very interesting way; he said that Anakin did in fact bring balance to the Force when he massacred the Jedi in ROTS. Because once the Jedi were extinct there were no longer any opposing ideas, or ideals, about how the Force worked, so there was a kind of balance you might say.





Lightsabers and Lightning:

 "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age." Is how the aged Jedi Master Obi-Wan described the lightsaber to young Luke in A New Hope. This classic weapon ,unique to Star Wars, could be based off god the Greek god Zeus's favorite weapon; the lightning bolt.

Zeus supposedly fought his children in many epic duels with this weapon.

I also find the lightsaber comparable to the Japanese katana used by the ancient Samurai. Both weapons can cut through almost everything with exceptional ease, both were handcrafted, and both were used by skilled swordsmen of legendary Orders.








Roger, roger:  

The Separatist Droid Army may have its bases in the Immortals; the infantry force for the Persian Empire. These men used shields and spears and wore armor no thicker then a playing card.
The concept was to continually throw these men at the enemy, every time one fell two more took his place. This was kept up until the enemy was tired out and could no longer fight.

We see this same strategy used during the Clone Wars, but with

droids rather then men.

The Future that Never Was

The pungent smell of sulfur filled his nose; blood, sweat, tears, and pain stung his eyes; his mind became a jumble and he couldn't concentrate, he was angry, angry at everything. He looked up and saw the figure of Obi-Wan standing over him, then he realized he was laying on his stomach on a bed of hard volcanic rock.
He reached out, only to come to the realization that he had no arms or legs, only a  robotic hand.
"You were the Chosen One." The Jedi said to him, conviction filled his voice. "You were supposed to destroy the Sith, not join them." he continued; "You were my brother Anakin." With that he bent down and picked up his former comrade's lightsaber. Fire and rage consumed Anakin there as he cried out in agony.

Suddenly he breathed, and sat up. The scars from the fire were gone, it was just a dream. He stood and looked around. Birds sang their songs outside in the lush foliage. He was in a large room, a great window filtered in dazzling sunlight from the outside. Perplexed, he looked out it to see a large lake shining in the sun like a thousand finely polished diamonds, and lush green hills rose around the lake. Is this real? He asked himself; the answer like a shadow in his mind.
He placed his hands on the masonry of the window-sill, it seemed real enough.
"Honey, are you ok?" came the song of a voice behind him, he turned. It was Padm`e, and her face shone like a young star.
He embraced her, the events of his nightmare were still so real and fresh in his mind, he wanted to apologize to her; but her face said it was unneeded. Besides, what had he really done?

"The children are waiting for you." She said.
"Children?" He echoed.
"Yes, Luke and Leia. They're waiting for you. You promised to spend some time with them today."
"I--I did?" He said taken aback.
He placed a hand on his forehead.
"Are you alright?" she asked with a note of concern.
"I'm fine." was his reply.

With that he left the room, which was a bedroom. He came to a larger family-room. There, two small children, a boy and a girl, sat playing on the floor. Both looked about twelve years old.

"Aren't they beautiful." Padm`e said coming up behind him.
He turned and met her face once again, this was perfect, almost to perfect.

He looked again, the children seemed further away then before; maybe it way just his eyes. then he looked to his wife, she to seemed to be fading.
Suddenly his eyes burnt with fire, and a rage consumed him. The lakeside house, Padm`e, the children all vanished into total darkness. He was alone.

And then he remembered, remembered what he wanted to forget, Padm`e's agonized face as he assaulted her with the Force. Remembered the innocent younglings, who'd  never done anything to offend him, remembered the cries of all those he slew.
As quickly as it had begun there was suddenly silence. He breathed heavily, and then from all around him came a foreboding respiratory-assisted breathing.

Darth Vader awoke from his deep sleep and his arms and legs were numb as always. He sat there in the silence alone with his thoughts. What have I become?  He asked himself; the answer a shadow in his mind . . .

                                                          -THE END-

Like a Father

The sound of the ship's seasoned thrusters was a comforting sound, its steady drone filled the Jedi's cabin as he sat on his small bed, deep in thought.
The Kel-Dor 's thoughts dwelled not on his destination, nor the expendable lives of his troops, and their sacrifice to the war effort. Instead they lingered on her, the one he was proud to call daughter.
Ahsoka Tano, a strong young fourteen year old Togruta Padawan, had become the focal point of his thoughts whenever he was alone.
He'd seen her grow over the years, in both strength and beauty; true, whenever he saw her a father's pride would well inside of him.

He thought of her know, and her safety.
He closed his goggled eyes and let his mind drift back to their first meeting.

He was back in the fields of Shili, her home-world, he could smell the grass and feel the wind on his face. Then, a sudden awareness of another Force-sensitive, and finally the discovery of the little girl.

He smiled under his breath-mask at the thought of her innocent face.



I wonder if he's thinking about me know? She thought as she laid on the hard bed in the center of her small cubical, it had become a puerperal prison with her Master away in some distant part of the Galaxy.
Know she laid there and gazed lazily at the ceiling, imagining it was invisible she drifted deep into thought.
She drifted back to her first thoughts; and all she could see was Plo's face looking back at her. True, many a Jedi could not determine the Jedi's mood via expression; it being hidden beneath his breath mask and goggles. She, however, was one of the few who knew which expression he wore.
Know he was smiling, she smiled back, no one saw her, alone with her thoughts.
A sense of gratitude welled inside her chest; if not for Master Plo where might she be now? She shuddered at the thought.
Father, Papa, Daddy. She'd never called him that out loud but it was how she felt about him in her heart. "Come home Daddy, come home." she whispered to herself.

I love you. He'd never told that to his Little-soka, but he wanted to, it felt awkward, was that wrong? Still he contemplated; did she know how much he loved her? It bothered him; such words were uncommon in the Temple. He reached out to the Force.

Ahsoka closed her eyes and let her spirit drift away. And it traveled past stars and through a nebula until it came to a star-ship, she went inside.
She could see though all the walls.
Plo felt his daughter's presence on the ship, and it was sweet and comforting.

I miss you so much. Plo heard, as much as felt, her say to him; he replied; I miss you to. 
For a moment they could almost see each other's faces.
The door hissed open.

"Sir."  came the voice of a clone officer dressed in standard gray uniform, the connection was gone. The crewman continued; "We've emerged from hyperspace sir, you're wanted on the bridge."
with that Plo rose to his feet, Duty calls. He thought as he left the small room behind . . . .

                                                   -THE END-