One of my favourite things about Star Wars is how it can range from pure kid friendly fantasy to dark, horrific depictions of war , sometimes within scenes. Rising Malevolence is a perfect example of this, and after a more kid friendly episode like the last one, this episode heads straight into dark territory with a struggle to survive against impossible odds. General Grievous was always a difficult character to place in Revenge of the Sith as he had been around for a while in-universe but his short screentime is more there as a brief obstacle. Here though we get to see just why he's the leader of the Separatist army as his forces rip through Plo Koon and his men. I wish we got a bit more of it as after his initial assault he's mostly just yelling orders but for those first 5-6 minutes, the dark reds of the cinematography and his assault are thrilling stuff.
And yeah, let's talk about Plo Koon. He's the beating heart of this episode, one of the better non-lead Jedi the show has to offer thanks his personality and design being so unique in the context of the rest of the Council. His compassion for the clones really shows the difference between both sides of the conflict, and while Anakin and Ahsoka get great moments here, particularly Ahsoka with bond with Koon, it ends up being him and his undying loyalty to his men that is a highlight. Great stuff overall!
Another great showcasing of how Anakin is one of the best pilots in the Star Wars universe.
This was a fun ep. I especially loved Master Plo Koon and the Clones' dynamic. His assurances that they were worthy of being rescued is my exact type of sentimentality I love. Plus it builds nicely of of Yoda's instance that the force recognizes each clone's individuality from episode 1. I also love Anakin in the mentor role with Ahsoka. Seeing him forced to be more measured and considered really does wonders for his likability. But I also love seeing is streak of irresponsibly and rash decision making be highlighted by Ahsoka. Their dynamic in general is so fun.
Some decent scenes with the massive ion cannon, but otherwise forgettable.
Grievous, new weapon, Plo Koon, Ahsoka and Wolffe...And Anakin's again "say one thing, but do the other"...
Shout by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2015-09-03T04:15:15Z
Nice to see that they've toned down the Anakin/Ashoka dynamic a bit from the film. Anakin teaching his padewan to rebel, but a little more tactfully felt much less forced than their immediate shared petulance from when they first met. I also appreciated that Oshoka's force sensitivity and affection for Master Plo were what led them there. I tend to be pretty lukewarm on the "literal power of love" stuff, but it works in a universe with the Force, and it's nice to see Jedi like Ashoka and Plo using their powers for things other than badassery now and then. It helps draw the Jedi back to their original trilogy roots as something mystical rather than just a collection of super powers.
The action was pretty cool though. Plo and his crew's mini assault on the droid hunters was entertaining and creative. And Anakin and Ashoka outrunning the ion cannon (where the scene with the droids standing in the canon chamber hearkened back to 'A New Hope') was pretty exciting as well. A very solid outing from the show. 7.5/10. Might even go up to 8.