For better or worse, Star Wars : Legend of the Jedi is for fans. This is clear from the first episode, where one-year-old Ahoska Tano faces an unexpected crisis during a safari with her mother (Janina Gavankar). If you already know a lot about the fan-favorite character, I think it provides the sweet little taste of the fearless that defines her, while clarifying insights into the loving, tight-knit, nature-loving community that nurtured her.
But if you don’t – here I admit I don’t, because I’ve never been involved in The Clone Wars or Star Wars Rebels – this vignette feels like a detailed answer to a question never imagined, let alone asked. This doesn’t have to be a bad time. But it does make it a less than ideal entry point into the animated corners of the ever-expanding Star Wars galaxy.
Star Wars: The Legend of the Jedi
Bottom line For fans.
Air Date: October, Wednesday ) (Disney+) Cast: Ashley Eckstein, Corey Burton, Janina Gawan Carson, Michael Richardson, TC Carson, Ian McDiarmid, Liam Neeson, Phil Lamar, Clancy Brown, Matt Lanter, James Arnold Taylor
creator: 66Dave Filoni
Created by Dave Filoni — made many, many things Star Wars including Rebels , The Clone Wars , The Bad Batch , The Mandalorian and the book Boba Fett — The Legend of the Jedi consists of six animated shorts that outline key moments in two different lives . Three of the episodes check in with Ashley Eckstein at various ages (from infancy to post-order 66 exile), while the other three Episode follows Count Dooku (Corey Burton) on his journey from the righteous Jedi Master to the evil Sith Lord. ), Qui-Gon Jinn (voiced by middle-aged man Liam Neeson and Neeson’s son Michael Richardson in his youth), Mace Windu (TC Carson) and Captain Rex (Dee Bradley) Baker). For those of you who have ever wondered how Yadell (Bryce Dallas Howard) performed in combat, Legends of the Jedi is more than happy to show you.
Unlike last year’s animated short anthology Star Wars: Visions , which provides a one-off yarn that strays far from the franchise’s core storyline, The Legend of the Jedi Depends Relationship to specific events, characters and well understood from other Star Wars properties; not like The Mandalorian The full show, The Legend of the Jedi doesn’t have enough time to build an intricate world and its own cast. It’s somewhere in between, while being too light-hearted about the narrative and too full of legends to stand on its own.
Not that any individual part is particularly incomprehensible on a plot level. Just run 10 to 10 minutes, they don’t have time for complicated twists anyway. But, for example, the emotional impact of an episode about Anakin’s mentoring of Ahsoka will be severely diminished for those who know very little about their relationship in the first place. For viewers who have trouble remembering what Qui-Gon King or Palpatine did in the prequels, Dooku’s big picture of turning villains seems to be missing an important part.
That said, Star Wars fans of any level can find something to appreciate. Combined, these six episodes trace the decline of the Galactic Republic as it descends into greed, corruption, and ultimately a violent tyranny, often screwed up through the voices of ordinary citizens.
At this point, it is cliché to compare events from the Star Wars prequel era to our current political climate. But the apparent similarities do bring relevant brilliance to the Jedi story , as characters complain that the Jedi “mainly maintain law and order for the rich and powerful,” or Their politicians are selling natural resources for personal wealth. They also point out that understanding of cosmic morality goes well beyond the “Jedi good, Sith bad” dichotomy that largely defines the film.
As with any Star Wars adventure, these stories provide ample opportunity to explore with its own flora, fauna and A different planet for architectural habits; I was particularly drawn to the pretty light bulbs blasting dandelion-like bubbles on Ahsoka’s home planet of Ten Miles. Meanwhile, just like in The Bad Batch, the subtle textured style of the animation gives the world and its inhabitants a warm touch, as if they were carved by hand from wood Drawn, not cooked on a computer; in this case, the slight stiffness of their movements looks more like a feature than a bug.
If neither Ahsoka nor Dooku feel fleshed out in The Legend of the Jedi , both are fun enough to be Catch 10 – They’re each here asking for minutes of our time – Did you know Ahsoka is already planning a reality show next year The form returns for a spinoff starring Rosario Dawson and created by Filoni, in case you want to get to know her better. (Star Wars did not dominate the series by not cross-promoting its title.)
Maybe The Legend of the Jedi is best understood as a set of sketches: beautiful in some light, fun as an exercise, but lacking in rich colors and shadows , making it a complete work in itself.
