Review of The Gungan General

Warning: This is a review for both this and the previous episode "Dooku Captured," as such it contains spoilers for both. I was a huge fan of this show in the past, and have started revisiting it now. One of the things I noticed was that the first season is actually one of the weaker ones, certainly containing some strong episodes (The Malevolence Trilogy, The Lair of General Grievous) but also a few serious duds (Ambush, Duel of the Droids). This pair were the first two episodes I watched, and I think some of the best in the first season. There are serious improvements in the animation, the leg movements seem much more fluid here than they did in past episodes, and the proportions are in better equilibrium. The dialogue really works here, with one-liners that are legitimately funny and not cringe-worthy like they were in several previous installments. This the first time Skywalker and Kenobi have really been able to banter together, and they're terrifically written, with Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor clearly enjoying themselves in the roles. This is the key to the success of these episodes, they are character-based and the story grows out of these characters and the way they act. It is still a little roughshod here, but in future seasons this will be ironed out to some impressive story arcs. The episode also features the introduction of Hondo Ohnaka (brilliantly voiced by Jim Cummings). Given the role that Ahsoka will later play, I cannot say that he is the first great character to be introduced by "Clone Wars," but at this time he is much more interesting than she is, though she will surpass him in future seasons. The creators must have sensed something about him as well, for he returns in every single subsequent season, and it's always a pleasure to hear that voice. These two episodes are not perfect. The presence of Jar Jar Binks is irritant (B.J. Hughes may not sound like Ahmed Best but he is equally annoying in his own way), and I can still not comprehend the strange way Count Dooku's face was modeled. This sequence however is a huge step forward and augurs the things to come.