Is the Force strong in the second season?
Those who know me will know I’m quite the Star Wars fan. But I’m one of those fans that didn’t care too much for Episodes 1-3, as great as they looked…the story didn’t exactly grip me like it should have. But the Clone Wars series has been pretty good and brought some honour back to the franchise. Can Season 2 still keep it up or will it turn to the Dark Side?
Season 2 has 22 episodes, although only a few of them are actually connected in terms of story. You’ll get maybe 2 or 3 episodes that follow one plot, and then the next will be drift entirely away from it. At the beginning of each episode, the narrator brings you upto speed with what has gone on and where the story picks up from. It would have been nice to see the parts leading upto what the narrator says, but each episode is only about 20+ mins long, so they don’t have the time to do that.
There are some great storylines in this season, I won’t spoil all of them for those who haven’t had a chance to see it yet…but I truly loved how they handled Boba and his quest for revenge against Mace Windu. It was also pretty good to see that Obi Wan was once a man with basic urges like love, a Jedi no-no. There is some great banter between Obi and Anakin as they taunt each other during the episodes, but it’s all in good spirit. At least it is for now…
I did see the odd dark moment from Anakin that showed how cold blooded he can be and despite being a PG show, Clone Wars does deal with quite a lot of death and destruction, slavery and politics. It’s also good to see Palpantine show his evil nature in a couple of episodes. It’s interesting to see how it’s going to pan out in later seasons and what impact it will have on the Republic leading upto Episode 3.
There are plenty of lightsaber fights and space battles in this season, but there is also some great character development. Ahsoka seems to be getting closer to Anakin and since she isn’t in Episode 3, it’s being leaked that she will be brutally killed in Season 3, but I wonder if she’ll come between Anakin and Padme before her demise?
I cannot recommend you watch Season 2 on anything else other than Blu-Ray. It’s simply stunning to watch in 1080p and the special effects are truly amazing to look at. There are also plenty of special features including extended/deleted scenes, artwork, making of videos and commentaries. It’s pretty impressive to say the least. Voice-acting is great for the most part, although the narrator’s voice is exceptionally cheesy. The music is classic Star Wars which means it’s more than good enough to carry the license.
The Verdict
Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season 2 is a gripping, action-packed season that does not disappoint. I wonder how Season 3 is going to top it?
