The Clone Wars: The Citadel - Mania.com



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Info:

  • TV Series: Star Wars: The Clone Wars
  • Episode: The Citadel
  • Starring the Voices of: Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor, Dee Bradley Baker, Ashley Eckstein, Matthew Wood, Tom Kane, Anthony Daniels and Nika Futterman
  • Written by: Matt Michnovetz
  • Directed by: Kyle Dunlevy
  • Network: Cartoon Network
  • Series:

The Clone Wars: The Citadel

Wait... he's a good guy now?

By Rob Vaux     February 18, 2011


The Clone Wars: The Citadel
© Lucasfilm/Robert Trate
After three weeks of – how shall we put this? – excessive touchy-feelyness, The Clone Wars delivers exactly what we need: a high-risk prison break from a supposedly inescapable fortress. Our three musketeers – Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka – sneak a squad of clone troopers into the “Citadel” in the heart of Separatist space to spring a captured Jedi master.  It echoes beloved tropes of Episodes IV-VI, notably in a Death-Star-like feel for the prison and a scheme that involves freezing the Jedi in carbonite to slip them past the guards. But director Kyle Dunlevy uses it more as inspiration than crutch, leaping into a fun-filled running battle with the sinister prison warden that ends with a hum-dinger of a cliffhanger. The art direction shows its usual brilliance, particularly in the Citadel’s host planet, which had its rightmost third sheared off and now spews molten lava into the atmosphere.

“The Citadel” also introduces us to Grand Moff Tarkin, here a lowly captain and currently working on the Jedis’ side. Though the shtick flirts dangerously with continuity errors, it also opens up a wonderful opportunity to explore the mysterious relationship between Tarkin and Darth Vader. Combine that with some old-school Star Wars swashbuckling (and forgiving some useless twaddle about Ahsoka tagging along without permission) and “The Citadel” gives us copious reasons to look forward to the next episode. 

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COMMENTS AND RESPONSES

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1 
noahbody 2/19/2011 2:38:07 AM

So much better than the last arch. My main problem with this episode  is a high secutity prision being broken in to by an air vent, now thats just lazy writing. Add a crappy name for a prision.

Chopsaki 2/19/2011 11:09:42 AM

noahbody: "My main problem with this episode is a high secutity prision being broken in to by an air vent, now thats just lazy writing."

Kinda like having an exhaust port on a giant space station  where one proton torpedo can destroy the whole thing? Sorry I couldn't resist heh.

noahbody: "Add a crappy name for a prision."

That's funny considering citadel literally means stronghold or fortified place heh. The booby traps in this place would make Indiana Jones cry.

Great episode I loved how they froze everyone in carbonite and it was interesting to see Tarkin and Obiwan instantly at odds over what strategy should be used. Can't wait for next week!

millean 2/19/2011 8:40:02 PM

 I liked the episode, though I was a bit disappointed they didn't even address the lack of hibernation sickness.  (At least if they did, I missed it.)  And yes, I realize they weren't frozen as long as Han was but still...

Regardless, this was one of my favorite Clone Wars episodes.  Looking forward to next week.

Jayboy711 2/20/2011 12:22:57 AM

 Have to agree that this ep was legs up on the prior arc.  The cabronite beat was inspired and to leave us guessing about Tarkin was too.  A nice ramp-up after a rather weird turn in the previous eps.  Nice. 

guateke 2/20/2011 3:23:27 AM

 I really enjoyed this episode. It references the original trilogy in a very interesting way, especially with the details of the carbon freezing, the ugnaught, the sound effects from TESB and ROTJ, Obi-Wan and Anakin's reference to hibernation sickness and its effects on eyesight, and even the prison design an the torture droid. It really felt like a prequel. A well done prequel. It's also note that they are slowly but surely moving closer to ROTS in terms of the timeline as demonstrated by Echo and Fives. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

LocoLobo73 2/21/2011 7:07:00 AM

I really enjoyed this episode and was absolutely one of the best episodes the second half of this season has been great and im glad it is all coming to fruitation. I hope the series continues . I would be great if it moved to the time between Empire and Return or after ROJ. Lots of greqat stories to tell and I would love to see the original cast in animated form.

1 

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