Is the new Star Wars show worth your time?
It’s understandable to not feel all that excited about a new Star Wars show. The recent Disney+ shows have been a mixed bag—for every Andor there’s an Ahsoka; for every Mandalorian there’s a Boba Fett. Unsurprisingly, Michael Mouse has found a way to make Star Wars feel less special than it once was, turning a franchise that I ran to with open arms into one that I approach with caution, hoping that this time it won’t bite me for getting too close.
I stay away from ‘nerd culture’ news/content as much as possible—the only thing that I know would smother my love for these franchises is the endless stream of casting announcements, development rumours, ’100 things you missed’ videos, and the non-stop faux-hype/outrage of the clickbait mongers that seem to dominate the online space.
Because of this, I only knew two things about The Acolyte in the days leading up to its release, and both things got me genuinely looking forward to the show. One was that it was set a hundred years before any of other movies or shows. Something original—nice! The other thing was that Carrie-Anne Moss was in it—something I only gleaned from an advertisement on the Disney+ app. Trinity’s playing a Jedi? 10/10.
Lightsabers Out
When an assassin trained in the ways of the Force is dispatched to kill various Jedi Masters, an investigation into the crimes is helmed by Master Sol (Lee Jung-jae) and his former apprentice Osha (Amandla Stenberg), both of whom discover a stronger connection with the assassin than they ever could’ve thought.
The Acolyte sets itself apart from its ilk through its use of genre. Distilled down to its basic elements, this is a crime-thriller with a dash of detective fiction. A crime is committed in the opening scene, there’s a case of mistaken identity, a prison break, a sting operation. The Acolyte feels distinct from the rest of the Star Wars show in how it stands on its own two feet.
At the heart of it all, there’s the mystery of why these specific Jedi Masters are being assassinated, and how someone outside the purview of the Jedi could be trained in the Force at all. Retaining any sense of mystery in what is essentially a prequel is impressive. Logically, we know how things will pan out re: the rise of the Dark Side, but not knowing the specifics and intentions behind the assassin here really adds to their level of menace.
A Hive of Scum and Villainy
The show has thus far featured a couple of spectacular hand-to-hand combat action scenes that feel like something straight out of The Matrix. Speaking of which, Carrie-Anne Moss doesn’t appear to be in the show as much as I’d hoped, but when she is on screen, she’s absolutely cracking. Lee Jung-jae is a little more reserved in his performance and seems to be doing his best impression of Liam Neeson’s character in The Phantom Menace.
Honestly, that’s not a bad thing. Qui-Gon, for as iconic as he has become, is a very one-note character who doesn’t actually get to do much in that movie. It’s fun, then, to watch someone conveying that level of stoicism actually deal with some harsh truths and conflicting emotions. Stenberg also gives a great, dynamic performance, but I won’t say much about it here, as her acting is part of the central hook of the show, and I don’t want to spoil that for those not in the know.
One small element that I did bump on was the whole thing about the assassin not using weapons to kill the Jedi Masters. While we’re certainly not supposed to understand everything about it at this stage in the show, it was unclear what it even meant, as the assassin repeatedly uses small knives in their attack. It’s a beat that’s repeatedly hit—this assassin won’t attack with a weapon!—but then is obviously using weapons. I feel like something got lost in translating this sentiment to the screen—perhaps ‘no weapon’ means ‘no lightsaber’ or something similar
Another minor nitpick: I was hoping to see a visual departure from the rest of Star Wars with this show. From what I gather, The Acolyte is set in the ‘Golden Age’ of the Galactic Republic—a prolonged time of peace and prosperity before the rise of the Empire. However, every set, while vibrant and lived-in, retains the grungy-futuristic look of the original Star Wars, I guess because that’s what people have come to associate with the series.
Try as it might, it sometimes feels that Star Wars can never escape the spectre of the Mos Eisley Cantina scene from the original movie. Maybe I’m just getting little tired of the same-old Star Wars visuals.
Conclusion
I’m not blown away by The Acolyte, but I was a far cry from the sheer apathy I felt while watching some of the other recent Star Wars shows. Right now, I’d say that my biggest large-scale issue is that it has thus far failed to establish any compelling relationships between its main characters, or even a strong projected arc for its main character, Osha.
There are still six episodes left, so there’s room to improve on these issues, especially once we start getting some of the backstory the show has kept from us so far to maintain that sense of mystery. None of my complaints are major though (not yet, anyway), and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the ride.
If you’re feeling a bit jaded by all of the Star Wars shows lately, I’m not sure that this will cure you, but you might just find yourself surprised by this reasonably fresh take on a galaxy far, far away.
***
Thanks for reading my review. If you liked it, consider buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien
Comments