My friends and I are watching
Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Every Tuesday, we will be featuring an episode from the series which
began in 2008 (as opposed to the one that started in 2003). All are welcome to join us for all or parts of the fun.
Episode: "Cargo of Doom"
Series:
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Season 2, Episode 2
Original Air Date: October 2, 2009
In "Cargo of Doom" Anakin and Ahsoka run after Cad Bane who stole a Jedi holocron in the last episode (review
here). But the roles of cat and mouse are a bit fuzzy as the bounty hunter also requires the help of a Jedi to unlock the contents of his stolen treasure. It's a strong development story for all three characters and the relationship between master and Padawan.
Bane's Separatist contact is Nute Gunray, a character first introduced in
The Phantom Menace and the only villain besides Palpatine to appear in all three prequel movies. He is the trilogy's great, evil ultra-capitalist. Like Jar Jar, the character came under criticism for perceived racial stereotypes, Asian in this case. The name is a combination of Newt Gingrich and Ronald Reagan, in part a jab at the former President for the co-opting of "Star Wars" for his missile defense system without George Lucas's permission.
Nute Gunray was voiced by Tom Kenny. Kenny was born July 13, 1962 in Syracuse, New York. In high school, he became friends with comedian Bobcat Goldthwait. Goldthwait would later cast Kenny in a couple of his movies:
Shakes the Clown and
World's Greatest Dad.
Kenny has what is most certainly one of the best jobs in animated television. He is the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants. Among many other roles, he voiced the Mayor in
The Powerpuff Girls and the Ice King in
Adventure Time.
If you would care to join us for all or part of our travels, sign on to
the list below. Please visit the other participants today.
Next week: "Children of the Force."
Going through this series the first time, I didn't realize how many episodes center on Anakin and his attachment issues.
ReplyDeleteIt's the essential element for his turn to evil. Interesting that they explore it mostly through his attachment to Ahsoka rather than Padme - easier to grasp for a younger audience, perhaps.
DeleteThey use R2, also, and I think they just mostly wanted to stay out of the romance, so they can't have Padme in the mix too often for that.
DeleteI suppose when your target audience is ten-year-old boys, you can only push the romance angle so far.
DeleteI might not join the travels but I love to read about them! :-)
ReplyDeleteTom Kenny is one of a kind and I think SpongeBob SquarePants is brilliantly funny. My son used to be addicted to that show. I guess all kids target one or another, ha ha.
My daughter has never taken to SpongeBob but he's very popular among my students.
DeleteLook forward to reading your reviews .
ReplyDeleteI don't think I will be able to watch any of these or maybe a few of the first season, I am so swamped with work. I lost 2 months with a horrible lung problem.
But after Christmas I hope to catch up.
cheers, parsni
Be well, my friend.
DeleteI'm never going to look at Nute Gunray the same way again. Nute Spongebob Gunray.
ReplyDeleteI think people are over critical of 'seeing' what isn't there. Like the people who theorize that Jar Jar Binks is really an evil Sith.
Jar Jar isn't evil, just incompetent and therefore easily manipulated. Palpatine is all about sniffing out individual weaknesses and exploiting them.
DeleteI know his voice! Now I am very curious to hear him as Nute Gunray. I always learn so much about the "people" behind the characters. Thanks! :)
ReplyDelete~Jess
My pleasure!
Delete