Star Wars: Clone Wars

I love Star Wars and I love the cartooning style of Genndy Tartakovsky(The creator of Samurai Jack). However an amalgamation of the two! I was not sure of that one. In fact, to be completely frank, I was quite apprehensive about it. Anyways rest assured true believers - the result is worthy!!!

The short review - The Clone Wars is a must watch. It is FANTABULOUS. Now go on surf away;)

The longer version.

Before I go into the review itself I thought I would first take on the people who have issues with watching their favourite stuff as cartoons. After all Clone Wars was shown on Cartoon Networks and the general attitude is that no, I repeat no, adult watches Cartoon Network unless it is to give company to a youngling. Furthermore even Cartoon Network India officials think the same due to which they kept this series at 6pm rather than a more accessible slot of 8 -10 pm. I strongly oppose this attitude. None of this ignoramuses seem to know about how much progress ahs happened in animation from the days of Hanna-Barbera and Early Disney work. Serious characterizations, gripping stories, emotional depth - all of this can be found in today's animation. You want proof - check out any episode of "Batman - the Animated Series" or "Samurai X". Check out one of the most fantastic and underrated material connected to the Matrix - "Animatrix" (Material so good that many Matrix fanatics believe that this is the only material, alongwith the first movie, which should have ever existed. I personally like all the Matrix movies but that is another story.)

Anyways the point is that the cartoon medium is as legitimate a medium as 70 mm cinema and the work done in this medium is of equal calibre. So please, please do not go around slagging it!!! It is best put by Kamal Hassan in an old interview. He said that he sees himself as a storyteller and in today's world a storyteller cannot be narrow and see only cinema as a medium. The storytellers medium is the whole Audio-Visual space and he has to play with it seeing what fits best.

Now let us come to the matter at hand - The Clone Wars!

This series has been given the treatment and styling of the Samurai Jack series. The treatment is an amalgamation of the manga style of the east and the more fluider cartooning of the west. The key point is that it works. It worked for Samurai Jack and boy, does it work for Clone wars. I saw it in one go and it was a gripping tale one, one with the same underlying theme, tone and treatment expected of any Star Wars story. It has managed to capture a war of galactic proportions beautifully. Yes, it is true - I was well and truly bowled over.

It is a must see. The reasons follow:

1. It is canonical. In layman terms it connects the movie "Attack of the Clones" to "Revenge of the Sith". We left AOTC with the beginning of the Clone wars and enter ROTS with the climax of the war coming up. What happened in the interim - the answer is in the Clone Wars. Hence to completely appreciate the cinematic saga that is Star Wars, one HAS to see Clone Wars.

2. It is a very well made piece of work in it's own right. Well written, well drawn and well acted. The characterizations are strong with lots of emotional depth. Especially noticeably (a plus point of using this style of cartooning) is the great emotions shown by simple gestures and facial expressions. I repeat - the expressions are so great that in many places dialogues are unimportant. In other words the acting by the cartoon characters is superlative. Why am I labouring this point? Come back after you read my next review to fully appreciate this point.

3. The lightsaber action is out of this world. Beautifully fluid and operatic. It is so accurate that we even come to know the different styles used. I am already salivating over the fact that once the DVD comes out I will be able to see it in slow motion.

4. The depiction of the squad-based movements of the Clone Troopers were out of this world. Reminds of cool SWAT games and Navy Seal movies. Too Cool!!!
So all - in- all I give Clone Wars 9/10 {My English teacher always used to say that one can never give an artistic piece 10/10 :)}

Old books bloom in Blossoms

Had heard about Blossoms from two or three different places. For example in his blog Deepak has spoken about Blossoms while discussing second-hand books in Bangalore(I don't agree with him about the smell. i hate the new print smell and absolutely love the musky smell of old books.). My curiosity got further piqued when in the Amazon(India) Blog Rupa points out that old Indrajal comics were also available there.

Since I was in Bangalore this weekend I just could not resist going to Blossoms. It is on Church Street (which is parallel to M.G.Road and perpendicular to Brigade Road (in case you do not know Bangalore:))). A good map of Bangalore I found was here. It only worked with IE. For MG Road use the magnifying glass on E5 section.

I liked the shop immediately. Unluckily I was in a hurry and hence could not spend much time with the comics. Nonetheless I did end up buying close to 12 books in just under a hour:) Most of them were fiction but they had this one more floor that I came to know about later and could not really explore.

One of the books I got there was the BattleStar Galactica. Unluckily for me, Sujith claimed the right to read it first:) (Hurry up Sujith!!!) Another one I got was based on the video game Crimson Skies. All about piracy in the high skies:) Real fun stuff.


Anyways for all you lazy bones in Bangalore get your butts out to this shop at least once. It is right opposite Amoeba on Church Street.

For the rest of you who do not stay in Bangalore and have never been there, get there before the old Bangalore is lost forever!!!

njoy maadi;)

The suits want more buck moolah for a song!!!

I was reading this month’s digit and there was this article titled “Music Download Prices Set To Rise�. Supposedly the market for downloaded music is strong enough to take a price rise, according to most major music labels in Europe and the US. Ya, sure!!! And the moon is made of cheese!!!! I hope this is an April Fool’s joke. Here we are saying that there are too many middlemen, as a result of which the prices are too high as it is and instead of cutting the fat these jerks want to increase the price further. Time to download a P2P application, methinks!!!

Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005

One of the most prolific and influential leader of this world is dead!

Pope John Paul II has had a long innings and he has played it out in exemplary style and substance. He was the only Pope I ever knew (or can remember knowing). In my early years I liked him because he just seemed a jolly old man doing God's work on earth.

Of course I am not a Christian; yet I have had all my formative years studying in catholic institutions so it was obvious that I held the Pope in awe and reverence. Over time, as I grew up, I have questioned a lot of decisions and policies of the Catholic Church, and of his decisions as its mortal head. Of course this has also been the period of my frustration of the whole organised religion issue, irrespective of religion. It was only when I started reading more and more books that I realised what a sea change he had brought to the perception of the church.

When we compare Pope John Paul II to the papal history of the church we realise what a benevolent and progressive man he was. Now the Catholic Church has a tough act to follow and as of now this election process neither interests me nor affect me(except mildly that the next Pope might not be European and may even be an Indian). However as long as I live the picture I will have in my heart on hearing ‘Pope’ or ‘the Vatican’ will always be the smiling face of Pope John Paul II.



He has been recalled to God's heavenly Paradise, a just reward for a life well spent in the service of his flock. Nonetheless his loss will be strongly felt.

Like this specific article says:
"His death does not leave the world surprised, because it's been expected for a long time. But it does leave a moral void on the global stage that will take a strong man to fill. Because in this world, friends and foes agree, John Paul II was a superstar."

Yes he was a super-star. May his soul rest in peace!