Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

 "The desert is merciless. It takes everything from you."

It's up in the air, at this point, whether I'm going to blog the Clone Wars series, as there are over a hundred bloody episodes. Eek. But it seemed worthwhile to have a look at the initial TV film and experience Ahsoka's first appearance, having only known her from the recent live action stuff on Disney Plus.

All the same, I rather enjoyed this. I'm not sure I liked the rather odd animation style, but this was a nice little bit of fanwank to pass the time. You could tell the voice actors were different- although kudos for getting both Samuel L Jackson and Christopher Lee- but for the most part they were quite convincing.

The story, a sinister attempt at diplomatic skulduggery on the part of Count Dooku to use Jabba the Hutt's bizarrely cute son as a pawn against the Republic, is rather good, though. So is the nuanced characterisation of Anakin Skywalker which, if anything, is better than anything we see onscreen during the prequels. But, of course, the main reason for watching this is to meet a very young, enthusiastic, rather awesome Ahsoka as she becomes Anakin's apprentice against his will and, rather ttouchingly, a genuine bond starts to fall. This rather pivotal bit of characterisation is handled very well indeed.

I also enjoyed the campest Hutt in history, and the comedic incompetence of the separatist droids that is, quite rightly, played for laughs. This probably shouldn't be seen as any more than what it is, but I rather enjoyed it.

Ahsoka: Part Eight- The Jedi, the Witch and the Warlord

 "Perhaps this is where a ronin such as you belongs."

This is, perhaps, the perfect finale. A satisfying ending... and a very StarWars fairytale vibe. I'm not just taking about the zombie stormtroopers, awesome though they were.

Consider the fate of Morgan Elsbeth, who has worked so hard and sactificed so much. She is honoured by being accepted by the Great Mother asa witch- although at the further cost of absolute loyalty- yet, that same day, she is expected to sacrifice her life so that Thrawn may escape.

We have avreconciliation between Sabine, whose gambit has paid off, and Ahsoka who has learned that, like Anakin, she ought to show faith in her apprentice. And it is only after realising she is trusted that Sabine, at last, uses the force properly, in the time honoured way of making her lightsabre fly towards her hand.

Yes, Thrawn escapes. But so does Ezra. Ahsoka and Sabine are stranded on the other galaxy with Huyang but, it seems, there is a mystery that they need to unravel. For Baylan and Shin are both there too. We know not what they are planning, but there have been hints. I sense a second season.

This was superb. The reactioin will be interesting. There is, of late, a certain negativity towards Disney's Star Wars content that seems to bear little relation to the material itself. This caps an excellent season.

Ahsoka: Part Five- Shadow Warrior

 "I'm here to finish your training."

Yeah. It's fair to say a few things happened in this episode. I suspect it's one of those "event" episodes that may not much reward repeat viewings, but it packs quite a punch.

So, Anakin. I'm not sure where that otherworldly plane is supposed to be: clearly, in the "real world", Ahsoka is in the water, and needs to choose to live to be rescued. But the "training" scenes with Anakin, most of them flashbacks to the Clone Wars, are utterly absorbing. I won't pretend to have the answers, but I think we're being shown that Ahsoka is being held back by her worriesabout in some ways becoming what Anakin became. 

Then there's the extraordinary ending, as Ahsoka uses the awesome (and I mean that in the old-fashioned sense) Purrgil to jump across galaxies... hopefully to the right place.

Justas good as any of this is a nice little character moment, though: Huyang tells Hera that she takes these big risks because she cares, which is why people like her. Indeed. She is now going to face the music with the Senate while Ahsoka goes gallivanting about in other galaxies. Ahsoka has big moments, but doesn't forget the small character stuff. This is getting very good indeed.

Ahsoka: Part Two- Toil and Trouble

 "An ancient people from a different galaxy..."

I saw this episode while wondering whether I ought to have started watching Ahsoka at all. After all, it's the sequel to Rebels, an animation I haven't seen. But, I thought, I've started so I'll finish. I won't be the only viewer in this situation, to put it mildly.

And I'm glad I did. This episode has me hooked.

We begin with Sabine waking up receiving medical treatment. She lost the map to the attacking droid. Worse, she unlocked it, and it is now in the hands of their enemies... who use a sort of stone circle on the planet Seatos to reveal its pretty damn cool secrets: it details a path to another galaxy, where General Thrawn is said to reside. Yes, Thrawn, he who I know only from those Timothy Zahn novels from the '90s which I haven't read since John Major was prime minister. I suspect, while it may be the same character, that we're probably not looking at the same continuity. Nevertheless, this is conceptually awesome stuff.

So is the intrigue, as it becxomes clear there are imperial sympathisers on Coruscant, motivated by greed. There are ex-imperials involved in administrarion at every level... as there have to be. They were the only experienced officials when the revolution came. The same happened in the transition from Nazi Germany to the Federal Republic: it doesn't have to be a threat. One doesn't want something analogous to the de-Baathification debacle in Iraq. And yet... this threat seems serious, and clearly linked with the plot to bring back Thrawn.

If all this wasn't cool enough, I'm enjoying the tension between the worldly and wise Ahsoka and the rebellious Sabine as they are, at the encouragement of General Hera Syndulla, once again Jedi and Padawan... with the Padawan a Mandalorian, complete with helmet.

This is incredibly cool. I'm very much enjoying it.

Ahsoka: Part One- Master and Apprentice

 "Sometimes even the right reasons have the wrong consequences."

I'm familiar with the Star Wars movies, all of them, plus all of the live action Disney Plus stuff. I've even seen thse two '80s Ewok TV movies. But I've never seen the Clone Wars animation, or at least not yet. This had a minor effect on The Mandalorian as I had no prior knowledge of Bo-Katan. For this series, I fear, my ignorance is likely to look larger. Fortunately, we have what appears to me to be exposition for those such as my poor self. I've no way of knowing how much I say below will be familiar to those of you who have seen Clone Wars.

So Ahsoka trained as a Jedi, has a lightsabre and everything, and was once Anakin's apprentice until she walked away. She isn't quite a Jedi as such, although she has to work with her own former apprentice, the well-meaning but rebellious Sabine Wren. There was a Jedi called Ezra Bridger who went missing when the Empire fell, along with the mysterious General Thrawn, the big bad for whom all, goodies and baddies, are looking. Hopefully I have that right.

This is, however, a very promising beginning. This is very "trad" Star Wars, beginning with something very close to the scrolling texts from the films, the camera then panning to a large spaceship. We also have a lot of the movie serial homage stuff from the original Star Wars film- there's a secret map, we meet Ahsoka in a very Indiana Jones set piece- plus a nicely promising couple of Jedi baddies, Baylan Skoll and his young apprentice, whose name I didn't catch. The cliffhanger is superb, as the apprentice attacks Sabine and seems to stab her in the heart... surely they wouldn't kill her now? Also, David Tennant as a very Jedi-adjacent droid. Cool.

This is good stuff, purposefully avoiding characters from the films but absolutely evoking a very trad feel. More please. Oh, look. A second episode.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 13- The Jedi

 "He's formed a strong attachment to you."

Yeah, this is a bit good. My mind is blown.

We know from the start that Mando is on Corvus to find a Jedi to train Baby Yoda- or Grogu, as we now learn his name is. And, excitingly, we see said Jedi- Ahsoka Tano, played by Rosario Dawson from the various Netflix Marvel series- in the first scene, as she heroically pits herself against an evil local dictator who twirls her, er, moustache rather nicely. It's an interesting choice not to hold back this moment, but it sets the scene nicely.

We then get an episode which is awesome for several reasons. Ahsoka is, of course, coolness itself with those awesome lightsabres. The basic plot of Ahsoka and Mando teaming up and defeating the Magistrate is awesome, as is the lightly humorous relationship between them as they both see the irony in a Mandalorian and a Jedi, ancient enemies, working together.

There's a mind-blowing moment, though, as it's revealed that the Magistrate's "master" is one Grand Admiral Thrawn. I'm not at all familiar with Star Wars media outside this, the films, the Kenner toys of my '80s childhood and those two '80s Ewoks TV films, but I did read a novel by Timothy Zahn back in the early '90s- wasn't Grand Admiral Thrawn the baddie? But surely this novel can't be canon now the recent trilogy at the pictures has contradicted it?

 There's more geekiness, too, as Ahsoka examines Grogu, confirms his past- a survivor of the massacre at the Jedi temple on Coruscant in Revenge of the Sith- and, fulfilling a Jedi trope, refuses to train him as he's too full of fear and anger. I'm sure we all saw this coming- but there's hope in the shape of a magic mountain on yet another world...

The script here (not Favreau) is perhaps a little less polished than usual, but there's just so much cool stuff going on. I'm loving this.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 5- The Gunslinger

“I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold...”

Another filler episode, then, our second in a row. It’s reasonably diverting, although notably not as good, so can we get back to the arc please?

This is only a sub-par episode by its own standards, of course. The opening starship battle is retro and cool, and the story of the week about a triangle of bounty hunters is intriguing enough, plus we get to see Ming-Na Wen. The comic mechanic and her card playing put droids are fun too. And it’s nice to see Mos Eisley again- this time a little less pernickety about droids.

But there’s not much development of plot or character, or much world building, although I like the Stormtrooper heads on spikes, and Toro’s defensive protest that “This ain’t Corellia” when showing off the speeder bikes.

But this is ultimately a double cross narrative that doesn’t go anywhere beyond this episode. It’s pretty much a Western with sci-fi trappings; even the Tusken Raiders are blatantly equated with Native Americans. Diverting, but please- no more filler.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 1- The Mandalorian

“Is it true that you guys never take off your helmets?"

It's here, at last. Disney Plus has reached the UK which, aside from a bunch of Star Wars films I need to belatedly blog, means the arrival of a certain acclaimed series, the title of which my inner voice always renders in the tune of The Pixies' "My Veloria(n)". And yes, you're welcome to that earworm.

I recall surprisingly little of Mandalorians. I know Boba Fett well from the original trilogy, and I recall that, at some point in the prequels (which I'll be blogging soon), he gets retconned as a clone with a Kiwi accent. That's it. I'm a Star Wars fan, but not an uber-hardcore one.

But I'm enough of a fan to notice all the many Easter Eggs, from the wipes between scenes taken from Akira Kurosawa via George Lucas to Salacious Crumb in a cage via all the many familiar alien races and tech- and an environment that, despite the preponderance of CGI,  just feels like Star Wars- starting with the hive of scum and villainy in which we first meet our eponymous Mandalorian, acquiring and delivering his quarry to an employer who turns out to be played by none other than Carl Weathers, the first of two legendary septuagenarians to appear in this first episode.

It's both brave and interesting to have an amoral bounty hunter protagonist who isn't particularly talkative, and whose depths as a character will be left to unfold slowly- and that's even before we get to the fact that, like Judge Dredd, he never removes his helmet.

The tone isn't unrelentingly grim and gritty, though- this is Star Wars. So we get the mystery of who is the Mandalorian's new employer and his hired former Imperial Stormtroopers- said employer played, bizarrely by auteur Bavarian director Werner Herzog- and his elliptically discussed target. We get Taika Waititi as IG-11, a superbly animated CGI version of IG-88 from all our Kenner plastic figure childhoods. We get the physical comedy of our protagonist trying to ride a Blurgg- a female one, of course, as he males are always eaten during mating.

Intriguingly, too, we get some back story- our hero is paid in Biskar, a substance which he gives to a Mandalorian woman who seems to be an armourer for unspecified but perhaps ritual purposes that hint at a forgotten history and culture, no doubt to be explored further. We even get teasing flashbacks.

We end with a sadly much-spoiled revelation that the target is a cute baby Yoda. This may be thirty-eight minutes of pure fan service, with the carbonite and the land speeders, but it's bloody good fan service. I'm already hooked.