DISNEY+ has released three episodes of the TV series Star Wars: Andor, which is a prequel to 2016’s Rouge One: A Star Wars Story. A credit rating system, run-down dumps, dilapidated factories and high-tech brothels await you there.
In the entertainment industry, where the global box office reigns supreme, there is a rough estimate that the top 10 film franchises have grossed nearly $60 billion. Batman, Spiderman, and all those who have their own LEGO versions are machines for printing money. Star Wars is at the top of the list of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, proving that even after 45 years since the first film, it has plenty of fans who don’t want to stop fantasizing about the Lucas universe.
Ten years ago, Disney became the owner of Lucasfilm for $4 billion, continuing the exploits of Jedi and Empire fame. Because of the power of money, they’re all still with us, and the latest Star Wars television venture is evidenced by the fact that it’s equally appealing to fans of the franchise and those who have never been hooked on the phenomenon.
Star Wars: Andor is a television series that focuses on the thief Cassian Andor, a revolutionary who joins the Rebellion. We first met him in Rouge One, which introduced a number of significant changes, taking the franchise away from the factory setting of the previous Star Wars project. Andor is positioned in a dark corporate world that has nothing to do with our planet, but has almost everything in common with human weakness.
Convicted rebel Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) descends on a planet called Morlana One, in the city of Preox, in search of information about his missing sister. It was night, pouring rain, everything was metallic blue like in Blade Runner, and Andor was walking through a dimly lit street with neon lights.
He entered the brothel, which on this planet was elegantly called the Comfort Zone. Soon he is ambushed by two men who throw things at him at the bar. He killed one by accident, the other intentionally and was quite cold-blooded. However, they were the guardians of public order and nothing else bode well.
Tell your mother that she can afford the heat
The first three episodes really bring something very different. The hero is cynical, and he is overwhelmed by childhood memories. Andor had to leave the planet Ferrix, not because it looked like the worst Mad Max dystopia full of dilapidated factories and giant garbage dumps, but because he’s now wanted for murder.
An energy crunch is visible, heating is a luxury, so the story is very close to the current preoccupation of the coming winter, and it’s as cruel and cold as the swords of GoT. The characters curse each other according to their current energetic preoccupation.
Unlike other installments in the Star Wars franchise, which include blockbusters The Mandalorian and Obi Van Kenobi, Andor doesn’t have the large LED screen used to create the photorealistic backdrop.
Planet Ferrix is resurrected through a functional city-set, which is very exotic in today’s aggressive CGI marketing. The luxuries of the production don’t tire the eyes, each episode is an optimal 40 minutes long, and the plot weaves Cassian’s past with his present and future.
The suspense and action are not without emotion. The dialogue is excellent, and a bonus to the whole story is that Star Wars: Andor is suddenly a spy thriller, which isn’t surprising when you consider that the creator of the series was Tony Gilroy, screenwriter of The Bourne trilogy.
However, also missing are the Star Wars symbols – the Jedi and Darth Vader, but they are by no means missing here. The lightsaber waving has become a bit cliché. However, there is the little red droid B2EMO, who in addition to artificial intelligence, also has a sense of humor. In future episodes, the series will show the growing rebellion against the Empire and explain how people and planets got involved in the events.
Times are hard, my friend, the devil takes them, but Andor will follow a path that will turn him into a rebel hero. Some would say that the revolution in space also had personal reasons. The cast includes Genevieve O’Reilly, who reprises her role as Mon Mothma, and Stellan Skarsgard as Luthen Rael is impressive.
May The Force continue to be with us!
Rating: 8.5