Bad Batch Episode 15 Got The World’s Biggest AOTC Hater To Watch AOTC

We find ourselves one episode away from the culmination of Bad Batch's inaugural season. I'm not going to say that it's been a rip roaring romp through season one. It hasn't been. It got sloggy in the middle, but honestly most series do. We demand content, and it's not easy coming up with winner after winner (ask me how I know). But just like Clone Wars Season 7, the last few episodes of The Bad Batch Season One are cranking up the quality to the point that it did the impossible. The just aired Episode 15 (Return to Kamino) made me want to rewatch Attack of the Clones on a Friday night. I'm on record as saying that Episode II is the worst tentpole movie in the history of western cinema (as a complete movie, but it definitely contains some peak Star Wars).

Other than that one point, this article doesn't have a concise focus, so we'll break it down into subjects similar to the Vintage Collection "Random Thoughts" articles.

Bad Batch Episode 15 - Return to Kamino (NO SPOILERS)

Once again I have to reiterate just because something is made for a younger audience, doesn't mean it has to be bad. Bad Batch is TV-PG (versus the TV-Y7 of Resistance), so it can be a little more mature, but it's still intended to be accessible to children. It could stop right there, but it doesn't. It's accessible to the proverbial "children of all ages.” The interaction between Hunter and Crosshair was emotional and impactful. Furthermore, one of the bones I had to pick with Episode II was how clean, antiseptic, and alien Tipoca City on Kamino was. Despite this, seeing the way it was represented in the animation made me want to rewatch the live action version. That's IMPOSSIBLE!

Dave Filoni is the Rightful keeper of the Star Wars mythology

There is little doubt in my mind that Dave Filoni is the second best person on the planet when it comes to understanding where Star Wars stories need to go, what the stakes are, and what the character motivations are. If you haven't done so, you need to watch Episode 2 of Disney Gallery. Filoni goes on a monologue about the Duel of the Fates. It's a master class on the Star Wars mythos, but don't take my word for it. Pay attention to the table surrounding him. They are all accomplished Hollywood veterans, and they are hushed as he imparts pure Star Wars wisdom. In an industry built on egos, it says something that thy all fall silent for his dissertation (I think my record for being uninterrupted in a meeting is fifteen seconds).

I was massively disappointed with the Prequel Trilogy, but I've always maintained that Lucas' overall story was brilliant. It's the fine strokes that trip me up. This is why The Mandalorian is so good under the team of Filoni and Favreau. They are the Jobs and Woz of Star Wars. One is the dreamer and the other knows how to make the dreams happen. That's when you spin gold. And I need to repeat that Trapper Wolf's understanding of why things are important has an effect of elevating them.

In Praise of Attack of the Clones

When Episode II is on point, it's brilliant. The apartment scene between Jango and Obi-Wan is one of my favorites in all of Star Wars thanks almost entirely to Temuera Morrison's performance and the direction he received. The way he turns from feigned cordiality to confrontational, once he realizes Obi-Wan's visit is really an interrogation, is subtle perfection. I'm so happy he's a big part of Star Wars again. It's a sin that Jango Fett wasn't a bigger part of the movie. Of course my second favorite scene in all of Star Wars used to be the battle on the Kamino landing pad because it finally scratched the Mandalorian warrior itch, but "Chapter 3: The Sin" of The Mandalorian now blows that out of the water.

In Criticism of Attack of the Clones

The CGI is still terrible. It was too ambitious for the technology of 2002. The lighting effects on a PS3 are better. Yoda looks wet, not well lit. This is because lighting effects were a layer in the older technology (to the best of my understanding). It paints a surface instead of playing off of it. Of all the movies in the Skywalker Saga, this is the most practically redoable one for Disney. Updating the lighting of the CGI to modern ray tracing technology would do wonders. It would also be neat to insert some actual humans in Clone Trooper armor for a few scenes.

Of course the cringe scenes are still cringeworthy, but that's when I'm taking the time to write this article. No CGI-pear scene for me! That's heads down time. Rescuing a few deleted scenes and editing out some of the stilted romance would be a big improvement too.

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