The first 3 episodes of Andor have just released on Disney Plus, and after being disappointed
by many entries in the Star Wars universe over the last few years, I was quite surprised
by start of this new show.
So far, Andor ditches much of the recent Disney Star Wars approach of having to rely on fan
service or the poor treatment of iconic characters, and instead, it
focuses on crafting a more adult show with the solid backstory of a character we saw
in Rogue One, not losing sight of doing something new in a galaxy that has the opportunity to
tell many different stories.
In this spoiler review, I'm going to be giving you my reaction to Andor Episode 1-3, discussing
the reasons why, I think it's better than I expected.
But before I get into it, if you want to see more videos
on Andor, then don't forget to support this video by giving it a like rating, subscribing
to the channel and turning on your notifications.
Also, feel free to check me out on twitter, facebook, reddit and instagram at cortex videos,
which is all linked in the description below.
But without further a do, lets dive into my review for the first 3 episodes of Star Wars
Andor.
So Star Wars Andor is approaching the more grey area in the Star Wars Universe and after
the quite mediocre instalments of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi, I think this is a welcome
change in a universe that has to potential for many
unique shows.
As Star Wars fans, it has become draining to see Lucasfilm infuse every new project,
whether it be films or Tv series, with fanservice, easter eggs and callbacks that
feel so badly mishandled in the face of telling a decent story with interesting characters.
And while Andor may eventually go down that route
or reveal stuff about Rogue One that we didn't expect, just from these first 3 episodes,
it seems like the spin-off show is more concerned with telling it's own fascinating story and
isn't rushing towards moments that will make fans go crazy.
It's quite simply telling the story of characters not related to the Skywalkers, Solos or other
famous Star Wars names, those who do have meaningful journies that matter
outside of the popular structures.
It’s something that is genuinely different, almost acting as a more adult noir thriller
that takes place in unfamilar Star Wars locations.
Right from the start of episode 1 where we witness a fight with Andor and two men outside
an alien brothel, following the main character looking for his long-lost
sister, in a unfamiliar assosciation with Disney, we witness this new hero shoot a man
in the head who was begging to be spared.
This opening sequence is like something you'd see
in a Blade Runner film, and it quite quickly makes it clear to the audience that they are
not going to be watching the same thing that they've been seeing time and time again with
Disney Star Wars.
You get a sense of the main characters frustration, the brutal climate for the upcoming rebellion
and the visual style that the director of the Bourne films, Tony Gilroy, is
going to be bringing this time around.
Of course, Andor is a spin-off off a another good example of a project in the Disney era
of Star Wars, and like Rogue One, it's a more gritty entry
that stays away from the predictable tropes of the other properties.
This is a Star Wars story, yes, but one that's taking some risks in approaching the hard-minded
individuals who started a rebellion during the aggresive days
of the Empire.
Now I can sit here and talk about how great this new tone supports a greyer Star Wars
show, but many would want to know, how effective is the overall narative in these first episodes.
Well, so far, Andor may be a ot slower than previous entries but it's also posing characters
that each have struggles and will grow as the story develops.
At the moment, Andor is a crook who sleeps off-grid in the junkyard of a quite
normal town, living a tough life while looking after his adoptive mother and scavenging parts
with a local black-market dealer called Bix.
His killings outside that Blade Runner-esque brother attract the focus of a local imperial
officer, but then also the attention of an off-world stranger, played by Stellan Skarsgård.
This is quite quickly setting up the Rebellion that takes fold in Rogue One and the original
Star Wars films, but by starting this show with unknown figures, unknown locations and
powerful themes, the story has the room to become more compelling as the episodes unfold.
That's me just hoping of course, but the intital structure of this show does give it that
opportunity.
This is definitelly helped by Gilroy's visual style that captures believable characters
saying things that ordinary people would in environments not filled with endless CG
like previous examples.
It's a grittier and dirtier show that helps you believe in these figures on screen and
understand their motivations, whether it be Andor's persistance to get out
of his situation, or Bix's struggles with her deals and ultimately helping him.
There's the undertones that these hard-minded characters will start to fight back eventually
and the craftmenship of the world and palettes around
them makes that more realistic.
The acting is more natural and the few action scenes we get, have much more weight to them.
By stepping outside of the usual Disney Star Wars bracket,
Andor has more freedom to create and add depth to its own world and characters, making it
all the more promising going forward.
It doesn't seem too interested in letting this go to
fan service or giving as much connectivity as it can and to me that makes this show have
a lot more potential than the previous one to sustain
an engrossing plot as the episodes go on.
Of course, we need to see if the story can excel under this new setup and for all we
know, Disney might have implemented more of the
conventional things I don't particularly love as the show goes on, but right now it is a
promising start to a show that seems more focussed on telling a more authentic story.
It further helps that it's a 12 episode first season that can really dive into the mindsets
of the central characters involved with a more realistic backdrop.
That's more like something HBO would do with their biggest franchises
and original IP.
In realting to this, Tony Gilroy’s scripts build authentic places and a sense of social
tensions where other disney plus shows could have been more intriguing.
Using flashbacks to Cassian’s childhood on the planet Kenari, we learn about the civilizations
that avoid the empire on their way to victory.
And at the end of Episode 3, we see the contrast between
the moment where young Andor is adopted against that of him heading off with Stellan Skarsgard's
Luthen Rael with a new sense of purpose.
It's an emotional moment that delivered on the tone of the first 3 episodes to show that
Andor is the story of tragic figures that sacrifice to help the wider universe of more
popular heros.
Just like the end of Rogue One in that sense and the themes of heroism that made that so
popular.
Nicholas Britell’s score also has to be praised in moments like this, as it's a
nice break from the sounds that we are used to hearing in recent Star Wars entries, and
more in line with a noir thriller's score that's been given an emotional layer.
And I'm someone who loves Ludwig Gorannson's more western
like and uplifting sounds in The Mandalorian, I just think that this is a welcome change
to that formula.
The sets further feel lived-in and more tangible, setting up a realistic Star
Wars adventure with more consequences to make us actually feel the weight of this story.
Andor has layed the groundwork for an uprising, with
the show making the ordinary people gripping during their boldest moves.
Fans love the possibilities that a galaxy far far away could bring and so far, Andor
shows that we can explore more of that in detail, whether it be with
characters or visual possibilities.
I hope this applies more to the story as we get deeper into this show, but it definitely
rasies my excitement for whether Andor can capatilise
on this bold start.
But that was my spoiler review for the first 3 episodes of Andor.
Overall, the new Star Wars show is off to a decent start, and like Rogue One, it brings
solid performances, infuses its narrative with an espionage tone, and the
filmmaking helps to elevate this in a fascinating way.
While it takes place within the Star Wars universe, it uses those vast capabilities
to actually do something different and that could
lead it to being a great Star Wars show if it sticks to its guns.
Some fans may want more easter eggs, a wider sense of the established
Star Wars universe, and a faster pace, but after recent misteps, to me, Andor is a welcome
change with a quite compelling story.
I'm invested in the cenral character and the grey
undertones, and I'm hoping that in the episodes to comes, it doesn't lose sight of the more
serious tone and challenging thematics that have been set up.
It's taking its time to really establish this identity and by the time we
reach the end of the season, we will hopefully get a satisfying payoff if things continue
to go in the right direction.
We'll have to see, but after this start, I'm liking the direction
that Tony Gilrow and his production crew are going in.
I'm giving Andor Episode 1-3 a rating of 8.5 out of 10.
But to those who have already seen the first few episodes, what are your
thoughts on Star Wars Andor and does the unique approach to the start of this show get you
excited for what's to come.
Let me know down below in the comments section, alongside sharing
whether you would like to see more videos on the new Star Wars series.
For more videos on Star Wars and Andor, then subscribe to the channel and turn on your
notifications.
Also if you enjoyed this video remember to leave a like rating and follow me on
social media via the links in the description.
But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.