It seems as if there were some fun Star Wars happenings at Dragon*Con in Atlanta yesterday including a screening of the first episode of The Clone Wars. Check out what some of the attendees had to say...
From Dan K. ("Knode89"):
"Well Steve Sansweet gave those of us in Atlanta for DragonCon a BIG preview surprise today at one of his sessions with us. They showed us the World Premiere of the first episode of the Clone Wars Television series. I won't say too much about it as I am sure someone may give a better review of it but it was really good. It has Yoda, 3 Clone Troopers, Ventress and a battalion of droids on Toydaria with alot of action in the entire episode. A Very good first episode that received rave review from everyone there. Definitely a worthwhile episode to see. Expect some new trailers to be released by Cartoon Network soon both on air and online.
Some other info from it all that they told us today. It will be aired on Friday nights on Cartoon Network. They could not give us a specific start date but they did say it would be on the air Every Friday in October and that they could not say a specific start date because they will be releasing that date on Monday or Tuesday on Cartoon Network with a month long promoional series for the launch of the show. So adding it together looks like first week of October for it. Also, they announced it will be premiered in Cartoon Network HD as well.
When asked about the Live Action show, Steve said expect it in something closer to 2011 or 2012 since they were still writing it right now. However, he also said that since you can expect Clone Wars to run through 2010 or 2011 we won't be long in waiting between both series.
Gave us some great promos of The Force Unleashed as well, including a clip of Vader, the apprentice and the Emperor. with the Emperor being very upset with Vader for being a traitor to him and demanding he kill his apprentice. Also a clip of how the apprentice is found and becomes Vader's apprentice.
Everyone was surprised by getting the full Clone Wars Episode. We were expecting some clips but not an entire episode. Received rave reviews from everyone at the event. Didn't want to spoil it for everyone but I am sure others will fill you in as well or I can do so if you want the spoiler info."
From "Jediazrael":
"Just wanted to let you know that at Dragoncon on Saturday fans were treated to the World Premiere of the first episode of the new Clone Wars Cartoon. The episode focused on Yoda and three Clone Troopers negotiating a treaty and end up fighting Dooku's droid army. Steve Sansweet and the Cartoon Network presented the episode."
UPDATE #2: Our friend Ken sent over the following SPOILER FILLED breakdown of the first episode of The Clone Wars that was screened at Dragon*Con...
"I wanted to give you my recap of the first "The Clone Wars" episode, "Ambush," From Dragon*Con. SPOILERS BELOW!
The episode opens on the surface of Toydaria, where Count Dooku's hologram is assuring the King of Toydaria that the Seperatists are best equipped to ptotect his planet. Ventress is present at the summit, and Master Yoda is en route.
The Toydarian king is on the verge of accepting the seperatist offer, when Yoda's holographic transmission comes in, arguing that the Republic and the Jedi should not be sold short. The Toydarian king admits that he has heard one Jedi is worth a hundred battle droids. Dooku and Ventress propose that Master Yoda be challenged to prove his worth, to which the king protests that he has not invited Yoda there to be put to the test. Yoda, however, accepts the challenge, as long as it is a fair fight, and agrees to land some distance away.
Dooku and Ventress, of course, have no intention of fighting fair. Yoda and his troops are besieged by droids. Most of Yoda's clones fall, but he breaks off with three of his closest clone soldiers to regroup and plan the attack. Apparently, Yoda occasionally slips into his "funny little elf" routine from ESB while in command, making his soldiers occasionally question his methods, but his results tend to come through.
Around their campfire, the clones' morale is suffering. Yoda instructs the soldiers to remove their helmets, so he can see their faces. The clones remark on the irony, since all their faces are identical. Yoda proceeds to go clone-to-clone, remarking on all the things beyond their identical bodies that make them unique individuals, starting with the way they each stand out in the Force, and leading up to how their personalities diverge. (Yoda is very compassionate in this scene, fashioning a battle rifle into a crutch for an injured clone). This scene is underscored by a rendition of Yoda's Theme on pan flute that is absolutely breathtaking.
The clones are rallied by Yoda, and the group comes up with a plan to counter-ambush the Seperatists who are hunting them. They execute the plan successfully, Yoda apparently surrendering momentarily. A phenomenal battle scene ensues, wherein Yoda is all over the place, tearing apart droids and tanks a la Mace Windu in Tartatovsky's series. (Ventress: "That's an awful lot of smoke for a surrender").
Yoda and his clones victorious, they approach the summit, where the king admits to Dooku that he had been wrong about a Jedi being worth a hundred droids--they are worth a thousand. Dooku orders Ventress to execute the king, planning to strongarm the heir to the throne, but Yoda makes it clear he will not let the king be harmed. Ventress declares that she is not afraid of Yoda, to which Yoda chuckles, "Strong are you in the Dark Side, child... but not that strong," and effortlessly confiscates her lightsabers with the Force. The Toydarians join the Republic, and credits roll.
Comic relief still comes from the hapless, over-the-top battle droids, who elicited many groans from the audience. Still, if the campiness is thusly contained, it's not so bad.
Bear in mind that this synopsis is from memory of one viewing, so some of the details might be off a bit. The Recording Patrol was out in full force during the screening. All-in-all, even though I enjoyed the Clone Wars movie for what it was, it appears to have been a poor indicator of how deep and fun the show will be.
Watch for: -A terrific story. -Yoda in rare fighting form -Absolutely fantastic music--I hope we get a soundtrack every season! -The brief glimpse of Yoda's alter-ego from ESB
Rebelscum Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Patch Posted By Philip on November 25, 2014: Thanks to everybody that ordered patches. I sent a check for $1,600.00 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation on Monday. While it's not as much as I hoped for, it's still very much appreciated. They will remain for sale in the store for anybody that still wishes to purchase them. Details after the jump.