Part wuxia epic and part pulp mystery novel, Acolyte Star Wars shows what’s possible when you leave the Dark Side of nostalgia and embrace new characters and genres. there is no Skywalker will appear (at least in the four episodes I watched) or whatever characters you’ve met before. It doesn’t work fill in the gaps in pre-existing knowledge. It’s simply a star wars story with perfectly executed action choreography, a great cast of talented actors, and a story that feels really fresh. And the best part is that you don’t have to be caught Boba Fett Book or 208 episodes of animated shows to enjoy it.
main reason Acolyte It feels so unique that it comes from Leslie Headland, a writer and director who has nothing to do with Star Wars. as co-creator Russian doll, he proved that he can handle a fantasy premise with rich, multi-layered characters. His outsider’s perspective is exactly what Star Wars needs to avoid feeling dated. It’s a counterpoint to the obsessive world-building from Dave Filoni, the disciple behind George Lucas. The Clone Wars and many of the franchise’s television shows.
Acolyte begins with a scene Crouching tiger, Hidden Dragon: A lone warrior walks into a bar, introduces himself to the strongest man there, and demands a fight. It’s a masterfully choreographed collection of punches, kicks and force-throwing blades as Jedi Master Indara (Carrie-Anne Moss) quickly distracts the young assailant with no grace. “Who taught you?” he asks, echoing Michelle Yeo’s first confrontation with Zhang Ziyi in Ang Lee’s film. (Yes, I got chills when I heard that.)
I won’t talk too much about the plot Acolyte, but briefly involves Mae (Amandla Stenberg), a former Jedi trainee suspected of committing a series of crimes. Played by his former Jedi Master, Sol Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae), is assigned to track him down and figure out what’s really going on. They are also joined by a new padawan trainee played by Daphne Keen.Logan) and overzealous, by-the-book Jedi Master Yord (Charlie Barnett).
What does it do Acolyte It’s really interesting to explore the Jedi and their stranglehold (heh) on the Force powers in the Star Wars universe. Are they really the keepers of the peace, or just a group of fanatical monks in league with whoever is in power? Is there a legitimate path outside of the Jedi for someone capable of the Force like Mae without turning to the dark side? I don’t know how the series will answer these questions, but their mere presence is fascinating, as the broader franchise seems incapable of questioning itself in recent years.
after The Rise of Skywalker brought the sequel trilogy to a disappointing end, Star Wars has enjoyed varying degrees of success, mostly mining nostalgia on Disney+. The Mandalorian started off strong but got bogged down with repetitive storylines. Boba Fett Book it was mostly forgettable except for serving as a bridge between seasons two and three The Mandalorian. No one needed it Obi-Wan series, but it was nice to see Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen back in action.
Ahsoka and Andor Star Wars was the most successful of the television projects, but both had to contend with pre-existing stories. To really understand AhsokaYou should have watched more than 200 episodes The Clone Wars and Rebelsas well as several shorts and episodes from other Star Wars shows. Andor Thanks to creator Tony Gilroy, it was the most mature take on the franchise we’ve ever seen (Michael Clayton, The Bourne Identity), but it was also a slow burn narratively. (And this was still about a character we met briefly Rogue Oneitself a prequel story about discovering the plans for the Death Star.)
Single luggage Acolyte has to deal with, it has a trail of mediocre Star Wars shows behind it. That alone may turn off some audiences. But I hope people recognize it as a fresh start, a world outside of the Skywalkers, and nostalgia fodder. Acolyte It’s a reminder of what makes Star Wars great: exciting and delicious storytelling on a cosmic scale.
