Star Wars Visions: The Spy Dancer

Summary

A dancer bides her time to strike back against the Empire.

Despite my claims in the last Star Wars Visions review this episode is in fact the best of the season so far. This is for two central reasons.

Firstly the story of the lead and the horrors she has faced really puts a human, or in this case alien, face to the rebellion and makes it feel even more important and impactful. I think the episode perfectly captures this idea of rebelling and pain in the most beautiful way, and that the final hint towards resolution was surprisingly effecting.

Secondly, the animation is the best here is has been all season with Cartoon Saloon being the only ones thus far to pose a challenge to Studio La Cachette’s excellent form. This really comes through during the dancing scenes with the incredibly intricate dance wherein the lead’s outfit and the fabric itself seem to come to life.

I think both of these reasons raise the bar from what has already come out this season and lays down a gauntlet for the final few episodes to match or exceed.

Overall, I think this is a powerful episode that is well crafted and is guaranteed to make you shed a tear.

4/5

Pros.

The emotions

The animation

The characters

The feeling of rebellion and pain

Cons.

The ending is a bit too opened ended for my liking I would have liked a more definitive ending

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next, bespoke film recommendation to fit you as a person and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Star Wars Visions: Journey To The Dark Head

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A monk and a Jedi must work together in order to turn the tide against the Sith.

Finally midway through the season this show remembers what it is. This was the first episode of the season that actually felt like Star Wars and would be what I would expect from this show.

That is not to say it was perfect as it was a little formulaic at times and felt very much like something we have all seen before, but there were still more good elements than bad which made this the best episode so far this season in my opinion, but that is also a pretty low bar.

I enjoyed seeing the Sith Lord being fully evil and destroying the Jedi temple in the flashback as I feel like within Star Wars more broadly we are often told about the evil things these Sith Lords have done rather than being shown it. By showing it here it allows for an added layer of dramatic weight which enables the novice Jedi’s backstory and later character journey to feel more believable and weighty.

Overall, a lot further down the right track.

3/5

Pros.

It feels like Star Wars

Showing the Sith at their most powerful

The premise is interesting and mostly delivers

Cons.

The monk characters feels very one note

At times this episode bordered on the overly familiar

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Star Wars Visions: I Am Your Mother

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A young pilot is embarrassed of her mum and so doesn’t informer her about the family race.

This is a very sad review for me, I am a big fan of Aardman Animation for the most part and when I heard they were doing their own Star Wars short I was very excited, but this is the review I am writing.

Many aspects of this short just didn’t work. The characters are paper thin and cannot have a believable emotional journey in the amount of time they are on screen for. The story is generic and revolves around a child being embarrassed by their parent, which we have all seen before. Even the humour and tone feels a little too goofy to fit the pretty sober tone of the rest of the animated offerings within this second season.

I suppose that brings things to the crux of the problem, much like with the last episode this just doesn’t feel like Star Wars, yes there are fighter pilots, but more broadly there is a lack of connectivity that makes this episode feel like it could just be taking place in any old science fiction universe.

Overall, I am all for doing something different with Star Wars but there is a point when it just doesn’t feel like Star Wars anymore.

1.5/5

Pros.

A little bit of Aardman charm manages to get through

It is short

Cons.

The tone doesn’t work

It doesn’t feel like Star Wars

The story feels generic and played out

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Star Wars Visions: In The Stars

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Two sisters attempt to restore water to their devastated world

Much like episode 2 I found this episode to be depressing, and I know Star Wars can be depressing and can do it well look at Andor, however, even within the confines of that show there is an underlying hopefulness as the Rebellion is beginning to from, here things start out incredibly bleak and don’t get better until the end of the episode.

I thought the characters were fine, I didn’t really warm to either sister, and thought that their arc of one being naïve and plucky and the other guarded and jaded had been done better in the past. I understand where the episode wanted their arcs to go and it roughly got there but I think more work was needed to do it well.

I am finding with this second season of Visions that pacing is really becoming an issue either the idea isn’t developed enough and needs more time to tell its story or the idea is too long and needs to be better cut down. The whole season thus far could do with some better editing.

Overall, fairly boring and generic.

2/5

Pros.

A solid premise

Seeing the wide reaches of the Empire

Cons.

It is underdeveloped and the character arcs needed more time

The sister’s don’t stand out as characters and feel too familiar in terms of personality

It feels depressing and not fun to watch

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Star Wars Visions: Screecher’s Reach

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A group of children straight from the workhouse explore a cave system and come across an old Sith who has gone mad and is thought of by the locals as a ghost, little do the children know they have stumbled into a much darker game.

This episode was certainly not what I was bargaining for, in many senses this episode was deeply unsettling outright creepy. Normally I wouldn’t have an issue with this but in the context of the show and what Star Wars is this came across as being far too different.

Now the whole point of this show is to try and play around with Star Wars and do new things, however, I think it is a balancing act between doing something new that still feels like the brand at the same time. This I would argue crossed that line and no longer felt like Star Wars

The Sith Mother, who is the real villain behind the whole episode was a very intriguing figure that I have not been able to stop thinking about since watching this, there was just something so off-kilter and incredibly sinister about her that makes her interesting. I hope the wider Star Wars lore comes back to her at some point.

Overall, depressing and unsettling not really what I want out of a Star Wars show.

1.5/5

Pros.

The Sith Mother was interesting

It has great animation

Cons.

It is bleak

It doesn’t feel like Star Wars

It is unsettling

The narrative needed greater explanation

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

Star Wars Visions: Sith

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

A former Sith apprentice must face off against her old master in order to regain control over her own life.

I liked the focus on the Sith, it was nice to see them as something more than just the outright villains they are often shown as. Although the Sith shown here are still definitely villains. I also thought the focus of the grey area in between the light and dark sides of the Force was an interesting avenue for the episode to approach thematically, and I liked where they went with it.

My issues with this episode however were twofold.

Firstly, I wasn’t a fan of the animation style, the water colour esque aesthetic just didn’t work for me and I found it to be distracting. I understand the point of this show is to do different things and be experimental but this felt a little bit too abstract at times for me.

Secondly, I thought the episode was fairly sparse on context or dialogue, and though I am not saying I wanted long scenes of exposition but a lot of this episode’s narrative was told through your own inference rather than the show telling you what is happening. This approach definitely is appreciated in that it treats the audience as adults but also at the same time adds to this artsy, abstract, interpretative feel to the episode that just didn’t work for me.

Overall, a mixed start to the new batch of episodes.

3/5

Pros.

I liked the focus on the Sith

I also appreciated the comments and themes of moral ambiguity and grey areas of the Force

It was an interesting premise

Cons.

The animation style didn’t work for me

The show but don’t tell approach was taken to too far of an extreme here

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Mandalorian: The Return

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The battle for Mandalore intensifies.

I think this episode did a lot to make the season better, was it enough to make up for some of the midseason episodes that were utterly awful? No probably not. However, I thought there were enough cheer worthy moments to get you back on board with the series here.

I really liked that this episode gave Din, played by Pedro Pascal, real time to shine and let him be a badass and have long drawn out action sequences. Moreover, I liked his reaction when the elite Imperial trooper were about to kill Grogu, you can tell that he thinks of him as a son it is very endearing. As was the scene wherein Grogu saves his adoptive parents from certain death with a force bubble, I must admit I teared up a little in that moment.

Of course I also enjoyed Din finally formally adopting Grogu as his own son and the two of them heading back off together to carry out new adventures of their own, I think it is both a good ending for their arc at the end of the season as well as a good set up so the next season can be better.

The one thing I would criticise this episode for was how it handled the return of Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito. They got it wrong in so many different ways, firstly by saving him to so late in the season there was not enough time to set up what his evil masterplan was as such the cloning thing really did fall flat. Secondly, though they tried to make him more physical here to try and match Din, you really had to suspend your disbelief to go along with that as clearly he was a bad fighter yet he was getting in some licks that he really shouldn’t have been able to logically. Thirdly, they gave him a rushed death with little to no acknowledgement of the fact that the series major antagonist has just died, it is all very much okay on to the next thing.

Overall, the action and the Din and Grogu feels make up for the incredibly wasted Moff Gideon. Lets hope next season will be better.

4/5

Pros.

Din and Grogu saving each other

Din getting action scene to shine in again

The action

The ending of the episode and where it leaves things for next season

Cons.

They really waste Moff Gideon

If you enjoyed this review, then please head over to my Patreon to support me, I offer personalized shoutouts, the ability for you to pick what I review next and full access to my Patreon exclusive game reviews. Check it out!

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Mandalorian: The Spies

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Mandalorian people return to their home world, meanwhile Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito, returns from the shadows.

I think fairly easily the best thing about this episode is the return of Moff Gideon and the tease of not only Thrawn but all of these other wider Imperial factions out there in the galaxy. I never thought I would say it but the set up this episode does for how the Empire turns into the First Order actually made me like the sequel trilogy just a little bit more.

I also appreciated that this episode had a direction and didn’t feel like a side quest designed to kill time. The series now feels like it is leading to something again, which is nice as up until this point this most recent season felt directionless.

The action was well done and I enjoyed seeing all the Mandalorians fighting together, though I am slightly concerned for where things are going. I think considering Din was the only Mandalorian captured I am worried that the next episode will kill him off, which if so would prove that this whole season of the show has gone out of its way to reduce his role and replace him. In many senses the fact that Din went running in first also seems a little out of character, especially in the scenes before that he was shown at the back.

Overall, it is nice to see the series have a direction again but I am concerned for where things are heading.

3.5/5

Pros.

Seeing the Heirs to the Empire

The return of Gideon

Seeing all the Mandalorians fighting together

Grogu’s new mech suit

Cons.

Din’s future

Some of the decisions made no sense

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Mandalorian: Guns For Hire

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

Din, played by Pedro Pascal, and Bo-Katan, played by Katee Sackoff, head to a remote world to try and win over a Mandalorian fleet.

I thought the episode earlier in the season that ignored Din, Bo and Grogu was the worst episode of the show, but then this episode just came out of nowhere and blew that out of the water in terms of potential terribleness.

Where to begin.

I suppose the thing I hate, yes that’s right hate, about this episode was how goofy it was. Not only did it feel like a filler side quest, but it didn’t even feel like it fit into the tone of the show it was way too goofy and silly. It felt like fan fiction that Din and Bo had been placed into rather than an episode proper. I will admit some of the questions this episode raises around droid rights is slightly interesting but that by no means makes up for the rest of it.

Continuing on, I like Jack Black and have done since I was young, but he was entirely miscast here, as was Lizzo who only feels included because the older folks at Lucasfilm think the kids like her. There scenes were such terrible cringe that I couldn’t bare to watch them and skipped through them on my first viewing, only coming back for the purpose of review.

In addition though I like Bo-Katan a lot as a character and like that she is going to be the new leader of the Mandalorians, it is beginning to feel like Din is barely a part of his own show anymore as he barely gets a look in. I understand all of the Mandalore stuff is very important to the direction of Star Wars but I would like to see Din and Grogu go back off on their own for a while and leave the rest of it behind.

A final point I will note is that considering there is only a couple of episodes left before the finale this season doesn’t feel like its been building to anything, there is no ramping up of tension, I am not expecting much going forward from the show. I think Ezra and Thrawn will probably show up at the end of the season as the rumours say, but if the other rumours are true that they are going to kill off Din, then I think the show should end.

Overall, the worst episode of the show thus far.

1/5

Pros.

It is nice to see Bo-Katan getting another chance to rule

Cons.

It doesn’t fit tonally

It is stupid and goofy

Black and Lizzo don’t fit

Din is becoming a shadow in his own show

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer

The Mandalorian: The Pirate

Written by Luke Barnes

Summary

The Mandalorians are called upon to serve.

I think for the most part this is a great episode of The Mandalorian and showcases the show at the top of its game. Having a fairly large urban warfare sequence wherein we got to see the Mandalorians fighting pirates in the streets was quite cool. I would have liked to see a bit more variety in the armour worn by the Mandalorians, in terms of colour and different elements but clearly the costume department had a budget.

I also thought the final tease that Moff Gideon, played by Giancarlo Esposito, has escaped was nice. I have a feeling that he won’t be the big villain of the season as everything is quite clearly building to the return of Thrawn. Maybe Gideon will have been captured by acolytes of Thrawn or maybe Gideon will have been working for him all along. Either way knowing that Esposito will be coming back to the show in the future gives us something to be excited about.

My one issue with this episode was the stuff with Bo-Katan, played by Katee Sackoff. I don’t understand how she can be the one to reunite all of the Mandalorians despite her not having the dark sabre or even wanting to rule, it seems totally alien to her character to want to go back to a leadership position after how badly things have gone in the past, but maybe the show will address that.

Overall, a good episode but the stuff with Bo-Katan at the end dragged it down for me as it didn’t seem to fit her character.

4/5

Pros.

Seeing the Mandalorians in action

The teases of things to come

Moff Gideon’s escape

Din’s speech

Cons.

Where they take Bo-Katan by the end of the episode and the fact it feels totally out of character for her

Also the New Republic are just awful

https://www.patreon.com/AnotherMillennialReviewer