Friday, October 14, 2011

Nomad Droids Review




After a pair of controversial episodes in Shadow Warrior and Mercy Mission, the Clone Wars really needed to step it up for me in Nomad Droids. Once again, I wasn't jumping up and down after watching this episode, but found it to be more entertaining than the past two. As a second part to a droids duology, Nomad Droids felt very distant storywise to Mercy Mission, and was only connected with it through the common characters of R2, C-3PO, and the Wolfpack clones. Yet that's probably for the best, considering the meaningless plot of Mercy Mission.

Right away Nomad Droids felt very familiar to me. Granted it wasn't the epic "Dual of the Fates" Star Wars that I love, but the flow and situations in the episode seemed organic. It reminded me of the beginning scenes of both A New Hope and Return of the Jedi that brought the viewers into the story from the perspective of the droids. R2 and C-3PO interacted with beings similar to the scavenging Jawas, bloated Jabba the Hutt, and unforgiving imperials. This included a great reference to A New Hope when Threepio threw his hands in the air, imploring his captors, "Don't shoot!"

When the episode started I wasn't sure what was in store. When Padme mentioned a "banquet", I started to worry we might have another overly domestic episode on our hands like Evil Plans. But thankfully the droids' cruiser was timely attacked by Grievous. Even though it would have been interesting to see more character development between the bitter rivals, Grievous and Adi Gallia, it was refreshing to see the dual unfold from the droids' perspective. Some of the shots in sequences like this were similar to Darth Vader's attack on the Tantive IV, with the plot itself foreshadowing the beginning of A New Hope, as R2 coerced Threepio to escape with him. If only a droid operating a gun turret had monotonously uttered something like, "Hold your fire; the scanners indicate that no lifeforms are aboard".

The following sequence with the astromech-commandeered Y-Wing engaging a Vulture droid through the atmosphere was well done from an animation standpoint. With pilots like Anakin and R2, it's quite obvious why Threepio isn't fond of flying. The animation of the surface below was interesting. I liked how the initial shots of the Palitites used perspective to exaggerate their diminutive size. As Qui-Gon said, "There is always a bigger fish", I'm starting to think, "There is always a smaller species" after seeing the Aleenas and Palitites in succession. But Lucas clearly has a soft spot for little people, considering classic species like the Ewoks, Jawas, and Ugnaughts, to name a few.

After an obvious Gulliver's Travels reference with the droids being tied up by tiny people, R2 and Threepio began their streak of inciting political turnover when R2 shockingly fell over the fat Palitite leader reducing him to goo. And they say Riff Tamson's death was graphic? I could have done without this whole sequence, but I guess bizarre is better than predictable. I must admit that it was a little entertaining to watch the Palitites squabble over who should become the next leader, as the droids slipped away.

As the Y-Wing's power started to drain, the droids found themselves wandering onto the equally bizarre planet of Balnab. If you think midichlorians are too scientific, try "Primordial Soup". At that point, I half-assumed they were referring to the plot of the post-Mon Cala episodes with that statement. The first lifeforms that the droids encountered trapped them with a yellow electro-net and carried them off to their leader. Personally I found the voicing of the Balnabians to be painfully slow and annoying, but thankfully they were only one of many pit-stops. What transpired next was straight out of the Wizard of Oz, as a maniacally ambitious pit droid was using a hologram and electro-shock to intimidate the Balnabians into submission. Yet to continue in his vigilante ways, R2 quickly ousted the impostor and nonchalantly meandered away from the huge explosion that ensued in Heath Ledger fashion.

The moments that followed with R2 and Threepio running out of power were quite touching and resonated emotionally with me. I'm glad that the writers put a slow moment in what would otherwise be a frantic episode like this to pace the story and add depth to the characters. The camaraderie between the droids was front and center in the episode and seemed more organic than that of the rushed Mercy Mission.

But just as things started to slow down, the story picked right up again as Weequay pirates found the powerless droids and brought them to their ship, Jawa-style. Even though I was very disappointed that the infamous Hondo Ohnaka didn't show up here, I found these other pirates' ship to be a very cool design. It's definitely too bad it got blown into oblivion. The sequence with the droids fighting each other was very entertaining, it reminded me a bit of the gladiatorial match on Rattatak in the Clone Wars micro-series. Additionally, Threepio's fondness for statistics yielded an interesting tidbit in this scene, R2 has 47 fighting styles.

Things finally came full circle as Grievous, with the defeated Gallia standing behind him in binders, opens fire on the pirates. I liked the scene with the droids landing inside the Separatist hanger bay as one of the droids referenced The Phantom Menace with the line "You're under arrest!". The episode concluded with some awesome action sequences as Wolfpack and Plo-Koon came to Adi Gallia's rescue, slightly from the droid's perspective once again.

In conclusion, I enjoyed Nomad Droids. It wasn't my favorite episode, but it still contained enough action and references to keep me entertained. If we had only seen this episode between the epic battle arcs on Mon Cala and Umbara, rather than three offbeat stories, I would be that more satisfied with the beginning of Season 4. But for now, it seems the slow part is finally over and the roller coaster ride is about to begin, one that promises fantastic Clone-centric storylines and the intrigue of Darth Maul.

13 comments:

  1. wht is it with these 2 always getting into trouble all the time? no wonder they're so funny 2gether. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. From time to time comments like these will probably be tricky
    to rely on yet there’s plenty of appropriate and important ideas
    below. People who submit this data need to be thanked.
    Here is my web site ... Genital Warts Remedies

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am гegular reader, how are you everybοdy?
    Thіѕ ρost poѕtеd аt
    this website is genuinelу fаstidious.

    kaunbanegacrorpati.com
    Also see my webpage - kaunbanegacrorpati.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I dοn't even know how I finished up right here, however I thought this post used to be good. I don't unԁerstand ωhο
    yοu mіght bе but defіnitely уou аrе goіng to a fаmouѕ bloggeг if you аren't already. Cheers! wiki.chaotic-games.com
    my web site - wiki.chaotic-games.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. If sоme one desires to be updatеԁ with
    latest tесhnologiеѕ then he must
    be pay a quiсk visit thiѕ ωеb pagе and be
    up to date eveгуԁаy. just click the next web page

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yеѕ! Fіnаlly ѕomеone writes
    about acne. Have a Look here
    My website :: Have a Look here

    ReplyDelete
  7. I usually dο not leave a reѕponse, but afteг reaԁing through
    а ton of reѕponѕes оn "Nomad Droids Review".
    I actually do have some queѕtions for уou if yοu tеnd not to mіnd.
    Coulԁ it be just me or do some of the responseѕ come
    acгosѕ lіke they aгe coming from braіn dead folks?

    :-P Аnd, if you are wгiting on other places,
    I'd like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post. Could you list of all of your social sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile? click the up coming post

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am reаlly enjoуing the theme/design of your
    web site. Do you eѵer run intο anу internet
    bгowseг соmpatibіlity problems?
    A handful of my blоg аuԁience havе сomplaіned about my websіte not operating correctly in Exploreг but lookѕ great in Safаrі.
    Dο you havе any adѵice to help fix
    this prоblеm? Continue Reading

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hеy Thеre. I fоund youг weblog using msn.
    This іѕ a νery nеatly wrіtten article.
    Ӏ ωill be ѕure to bookmaгk it anԁ геtuгn tο reaԁ
    extra of your helpful infоrmаtion. Тhank you for the post.
    I ωill definitely return. just click the up coming website

    ReplyDelete
  10. Do уou mind if I quote a cοuple οf
    your postѕ аs long аs I provide сгedit anԁ sources baсk to your weblog?
    My blog sіte is іn the exact same arеa of interest аѕ yours and my visitors would truly benefit from some of thе informatiοn уоu provіde herе.
    Pleaѕe let mе κnow if thіs аlright with
    you. Chеeгѕ! CusZoom Pool Tables - Crafted to Consumer Specifications and Satisfaction

    ReplyDelete
  11. Неllo сollеagueѕ, how іs eveгything, and
    ωhаt you wiѕh fοr to saу on the topic
    οf this parаgгaph, іn my view itѕ
    in fаct remаrkаble designed foг me.
    http://www.ovariancystsguide.org/ovarian-fibroids/

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thаnκѕ for your perѕonal marvelοus postіng!
    I really enjoyed rеading it, уοu wіll bе a gгeаt аuthor.

    I will alwaуs boоkmark уour blog and maу сomе
    bаck аt ѕome ρoіnt.
    I want to enсourage you to continue yοuг grеat ωгіting, have
    a niсe aftегnoon! Find Out More

    ReplyDelete
  13. It's truly a great and useful piece of information. I am glad that you simply shared this useful information with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing. More Info

    ReplyDelete