The Cone Wars: 1.3 - "Shadow of Malevolence"

The third episode of the new Star Wars cartoon is a continuation of #2, in a three-part "Malevolence" arc. We find out more about General Grevious (a fascinating character), the ion cannon, and Anakin Skywalker.




The animated characters still take some getting used to. They're so different. but the ships, the explosion, and space? I can see it improving every episode. Some of the sequences in this episode left me breathless. At one point Skywalker and his squadron fly through a nebula, and come across these...I'm not sure. Giant manta-rays? They were epic, and beautiful and scary all at the same time. It made me wish that sequence had made one of the movies, but maybe the CGI would have been too difficult. It was really something.

I'm still not loving Anakin's padawan, Ahsoka. She annoys me. I realize she's there for the younger set, but I don't find her spunky. It's a small complaint, really. She's there for comic relief, but I continue to find the battle droids the funniest parts. Also, it's worth mentioning that watching Anakin's sense of social justice slowy turn dark is going to be a real treat that the movie didn't have time for (as the movies take place over only a few days at each pop.) It was fascinating to see how angry Anakin got over General Grievious's (ordered by Count Dooku) attempt to destroy the Clone hospital. If we excuse (not morally, but emotionally) Anakin's rage at the Sand People because of the situation with his mother, that means that from the end of ATTACK OF THE CLONES to Anakin's slaughter of the Jedi Babies he still has quite a ways to go turning evil. I really hope that's a big function of these cartoons.

Based on this third episode I am willing to change my initial statement of "any fan of the Star Wars movies should enjoy these cartoons" to:

ANY FAN OF STAR WARS IS A FOOL TO MISS THE CLONE WARS.

I said it.