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Robot Chicken Star Wars 3 Review

Kelly Teng
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Genre: Animation/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Director: Chris McKay
Running Time: 44 minutes (Special features, 180 minutes)
Available for purchase at: Madman Entertainment ($24.95)

Overview

If you aren’t familiar with the Robot Chicken series, you must either:

a) not be geeky enough to be considering watching it
b) have only emerged from your chrysalis this morning, or
c) have a phobia of robots, chickens, or both.

For those of you who are any of the above, here’s the lowdown: Robot Chicken is a stop-motion series spawned by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich. The sketch comedy takes stabs at popular culture and is infamous for being random, weird, and sometimes downright crude.

One very notorious episode that began in 2007 was Robot Chicken Star Wars (also dubbed as Episode I): a combination of segments purely dedicated to the Star Wars franchise. The episode was so popular with fans that they released the subsequent Episode II in 2008, and the final instalment – Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III – in 2010.

Plot/Characters

While the first episode consisted of segments that were not linked by an overarching narrative, Episode II and Episode III take a different spin. The overarching story of Episode III begins with Emperor Palpatine falling to his demise. He then looks back at how his life reached this point.

The narrative does have this loose overarching storyline; however, if you’ve seen any Robot Chicken then you will know this plot does nothing but give a strange kind of ordered chaos to the randomness that ensues. As far as the segments go, it’s a bit of a hit and miss: some are hilarious, and some make it seem like they are trying a bit too hard to be funny. However, what isn’t lacking is plenty of humor and plenty of “what the f*ck moments” (in the words of the Emperor himself).

Of course, Episode III also contextualizes itself within pop culture: think singing along to Jay-Z and Rihanna’s Umbrella or flashing randomly to Saturday Night Live-esque images during breaks. These all ground it firmly in context and provide that added bit of hilarity to the narrative. It’s also self-reflexive (“Are we doing my story or are we doing some pointless…oh wait, it’s Robot Chicken”); again, one of the signature traits of the series, and I was most certainly pleased to see it make a comeback.

The episode tracks a different range of characters, including Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper. Of course, they are all spins off of their original characters, but completely altered for the purposes of spoofing the franchise. Robot Chicken pokes fun at everything, from the way Yoda speaks to Darth Vader’s costume – basically, everything you thought about the characters, but never got to tell George Lucas.

Animation/Audio

Robot Chicken Star Wars Episode III’s use of stop-animation is funny, charming at times, and just plain appropriate. Everything we loved about the characters, like their facial expressions and their movement, returns to greet us – what’s even better is the appearance of Lego Star Wars figures. The sets are detailed, the characters’ appearances match their namesake from the franchise, and moments like the Emperor falling to his demise really showcase what the animation is capable of doing.

The soundtrack spoofs on the songs from Star Wars that have become a household tune, and it does it well. However, the most important part of the audio is the voice acting. Robot Chicken episodes thrive on their voice acting, and the boys really outdid themselves in this one. Tom Kane’s portrayal of Yoda and the announcer was spot on, Seth MacFarlane’s Emperor Palpatine was hilarious, and Seth Green just goes above and beyond every single time (he voiced more than five characters!). Zac Efron also makes another Robot Chicken appearance with his voicing of Anakin Skywalker, and does a brilliant job – even if you’re not an Efron fan, you probably won’t even realise it’s his voice until you’re laughing ridiculously hard.

Special Features

When I took a look at the back of the DVD, I was taken aback by the amount of special features that were included. The full length episode is 44 minutes (a full hour with commercials); meanwhile, the extras total at 180 minutes. Of course, this is not uncommon to any of the Robot Chicken Star Wars specials, but it is always nice to know there’s plenty more than just the feature.

One of the unique extras is the addition of Chicken Nuggets: a sketch-by-sketch video commentary where you can watch the episode and press “enter” (or the equivalent) whenever a chicken silhouette appears on the screen. The episode will then briefly segue into the writers speaking about the scene, before returning to the next segment. The Chicken Nuggets is a great way to get audio commentary without ruining the actual show through voiceovers, and will be welcomed for any fans of the series. There are also other options for audio commentary if the chicken nuggets just don’t float your boat.

There are also featurettes for voice-recording and the writer’s room, and a behind-the-scenes look at the series’ creation. Of course, these are always great if you’re interested in the production side of things or just want to prolong some humor. However, my favourite features would still have to be the deleted animatics, and Sunday in the Boardroom with George –take a look at this to see everyone’s favourite director and producer.

Other awesome special features (see, I told you there were tons) include a Star Wars Celebration V Robot Chicken panel, the Skywalker Ranch premiere trip, time lapses of animation and a Seth Green animation reference. Regardless of which feature you watch, you can rest assured that humor can be found in every single nook and cranny of this DVD.

Final Comments

Robot Chicken Star Wars: Episode III is every bit as funny, random, and enjoyable as the creators would have you believe. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned Robot Chicken fanatic, a person looking for some extra entertainment, or so in love with Star Wars you wear your Stormtrooper hat to sleep, this DVD has something for everyone. Pick it up, take it home, and enjoy a side of the galaxy that you have never, ever seen before.

9-5-capsules-out-of-10

Ratchett and Clank take on Z’Grute in new gameplay video

Claire Phillips
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0

With less than a month to go until everyone’s favourite Lombax returns to consoles, Insomniac have let loose another gameplay trailer for Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One. With the madcap weapons already showcased it’s time to check out one of the creatures that you’ll actually be using them against – the Z’Grute! As ever with the series there’s plenty of humour thrown in, with two commentators on hand for the boss battle to provide some fantasticly bizarre lines to match the high voltage cartoon action.

The crazy combat, lunactic weapons and great writing are all on board, and with a four player co-op being introduced, All 4 One looks set to elevate the series even further. Can I have it now please?

All 4 One is due on October 18 in the US, October 20 in Australia, and October 21 in the UK.

Dawn of Fantasy Now Available for Pre-Order…

Dustin Spencer
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0

After hosting a successful open beta and becoming one of the most promising PC titles this year, 505 Games’ Dawn of Fantasy is finally ready for release come September 30th. For those unfamiliar, Dawn of Fantasy lets players pick from one of three races that all feature their own unique story and then set out to build an empire, while using beasts such as ogres and dragons to battle for and protect your precious land.

If you have been eyeing this title, you will also be happy to know that pre-ordering can now be done at the official website as well. Doing this will allow for players to receive a bonus 70 influence points (in-game currency) and can then be used to speed up production in the MMORTS mode or in the in-game market in exchange for rare dragon and dwarf mercenaries and DLC content.

You can pre-order Dawn of Fantasy by following this link for the low price of just $29.99.

New Trailer details Professor Layton’s London Life…

Dustin Spencer
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1

While Professor Layton and the Last Specter is looking to be fantastic, the side game included may be the finest selling point for the package. If you haven’t heard yet, Professor Layton’s London Life will let players create their own character and perform tasks for the many residents in London. This inclusion will also feature 100+ hours of gameplay and is also developed by Mother 3 creator, Brownie Brown.

In the clip, we see some fresh footage of the game itself as well as the vast amount of customization players can partake in. Yes, it definitely looks like a Brownie Brown project as well, as all of the sprites and artwork favor that of the much loved but never localized Mother 3. You can drool over the new trailer below and get your pre-orders planned now as Professor Layton and the Last Specter launches October 17th for the Nintendo DS.

Country Dance 2 receives first Trailer; New Songs Added…

Dustin Spencer
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1

Not too long ago, the sequel to the popular dance title Country Dance was announced along with a good number of new performers that players can strap on their boots and boogie to. Today, Gamemill have now added the likes of Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley and Joanna Smith to the artist list and have also released a new trailer that is sure to excite country music fans.

To catch you up a bit, here is the updated tracklist as it stands now:

  • Brad Paisley – “Old Alabama” (newly revealed)
  • Dierks Bentley – “Sideways” (newly revealed)
  • Jason Aldean – “My Kinda Party” (newly revealed)
  • Joanna Smith – “Getting Married” (newly revealed)
  • Keith Urban – “Better Life” (newly revealed)
  • Luke Bryan – “Country Girl” (newly revealed)
  • Ashton Shepard – “Look It Up”
  • Billy Currington – “People Are Crazy”
  • Blake Shelton – “Honey Bee”
  • Carrie Underwood – “All American Girl”
  • Easton Corbin – “Roll With It”
  • Eric Church – “Hell On The Heart”
  • George Strait – “Here for a Good Time”
  • Gwyneth Paltrow – “Shake That Thing”
  • Hayley McLean – “Good Time Bone”
  • Josh Thompson – “Won’t Be Lonely Long”
  • Kellie Pickler – “Tough”
  • Little Big Town – “Little White Church”
  • Miranda Lambert – “Gun Powder and Lead”
  • Montgomery Gentry – “What Do Ya Think About That”
  • Rodney Atkins – “Take a Back Road”

    • The trailer released shows off the newly added in modes such as the sing-a-long feature, “duet dancing”, the calorie burning exercise mode”, and of course some of the setlist players can expect to see within. Watch that new clip below and get ready, as Country Dance 2 is set to hit the Nintendo Wii come this November.

    Pillow Pets to make their Nintendo DS Debut this Holiday Season…

    Dustin Spencer
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    If you happen to have a little one at home that cannot get enough of their Pillow Pet, then you are in luck as Gamemill have now announced a new Nintendo DS title that is based around the plushy fad. In “Pillow Pets”, the player must set out to find their lost pal in the world of Dreamland. To do this, they must now “jump, fly, and buzz” throughout the in-game universe to ensure the pillow’s safe return while meeting up with several familiar and cuddly faces from the brand.

    A full list of features was also released by Gamemill today, which better details what players can expect in the way of customization and the little adventure packed in:

  • Collectables: Meet and collect up to 16 well-known Pillow Pets™ characters including farm critters and jungle animals!
  • Beautiful Lands to Explore: Venture into magical lands including Fantasy Woods, Rainbow Valley and Slumber Land Castle!
  • Customization: Accessorize your Pillow Pets™ from head to toe! Up to 40 accessories to unlock from hats, glasses and more!
  • Rewards: Gather tokens, unlock bonuses and garner prizes in each level!

    • Since we did see a “Silly Bandz” game last year, I can easily say this release comes as no surprise as nothing works better to capitalize on a fad than a video game, and this title appears to have a concept that kids are sure enjoy either way. To get a better idea on how the game actually looks, you can check out the first set of screenshots for Pillow Pets below.

    XCOM’s first developer diary released

    Travis Bruno
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    XCOM is a game with a lot of lineage behind it. PC gamers are a hard bunch to please, so much so that they can sometimes be completely unpleasable no matter what you do. Still the developers behind XCOM aren’t about to let consumer rage deter them from creating what they say is a complete “origin story.”

    In the below video released by 2K Games today we hear from Jonathan Pelling, the lead designer behind XCOM as well as Morgan Gray who is the development director. The video shows a decent amount of gameplay footage and some concept pieces. XCOM itself isn’t set to release until next year in March for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the ever irate PC crowd. Let us know what you think of the way 2K Games is taking XCOM below.

    Diabolical Pitch trailer is a thing of greatness

    Travis Bruno
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    Now, before you read this I suggest you go down below and watch that video because if you read this beforehand nothing will make sense. Grasshopper Manufacture’s Diabolical Pitch looks like it is going to be a baseball and fighting hybrid of some sort where players will use the Kinect and act as if they were a baseball pitcher, but rather than throwing strikes at a batter you are going to be throwing strikes to creatures faces.

    The trailer shows two player co-op as well as special finishing moves of some kind. Now only problem is that once you finish playing the game you may need to go ice your shoulder just like a real baseball pitcher would after playing a game!

    Counter Strike Global Offensive to contain Arsenal modes thanks to modders

    Travis Bruno
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    A healthy modding community is something that only the PC market can tout. Any large release that has an openly modifiable code is usually given mods of some kind either to help out the graphics, add in more gameplay modes or put a players own twist on the game. It seems that Valve has been paying attention to modders because they have teamed up with the creators of the “Gun Game” mod and created Arsenal mode for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

    In the Gun Game mod, players will get one gun and gain access to stronger weapons as they gain kills (exactly like Black Ops). The Arsenal modes will be called Arms Race and Demolition and contain many things from the Gun Game mod, but they unfortunately have not been detailed at this pint.

    Dark Souls released in Japan alongside myriad of bugs; players told to play offline

    Travis Bruno
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    It seems that it is a good thing that Japan was given the release for Dark Souls a few weeks ahead of the rest of the world. While gamers in the West will have to wait until October 4th to play the spiritual sequel to Demon’s Souls, Japanese gamers received the game today and unfortunately there are a few problems with the title, including a number of freezing issues.

    From Software has suspended any online play at the moment and asked players to play offline while they work on the issue. Dark Souls has a rather interesting online mechanic where players can see others’ ghosts and blood stains from where they died. While the issue is being fixed for Japan, hopefully the problem will be addressed in the Western release as well. The only thing is that Japan only received a PlayStation 3 release of the title while Westerners will get both a PS3 and 360 version. Let us hope that both versions are patched and ready by October 4th.

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