‘Star Wars Rebels’: Holocrons of Fate Spoiler Review

Season three continues with the return of Darth Maul and includes some very intriguing developments. The episode which airs tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET is already available on DisneyXD and Xfinity On Demand.

After Maul takes the Ghost Crew hostage, Kanin and Ezra must work together to retrieve the Sith Holocron back from the Bendu. The two share a touching moment when Kanin helps Ezra to forgive himself for the events on Malachor, seemingly restoring the balance in their relationship.

Ezra took a step in the right direction when he refused to open up the Sith Holocron. Is there still Hope for Ezra? Or is it already too late? Once down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

We also learn Holocrons are more than just libraries of information. When joined together, a Jedi and Sith Holocron provide clairvoyance. They can reveal the answer to any secret, provide wisdom, and reveal every destiny through the force. But the Bendu warns such knowledge comes with a price…

The episode was solid as a whole but what makes this one special was the end. Maul and Ezra work to join the Sith and Jedi Holocrons together. Maul seeks hope while Ezra wants to know how to defeat the Sith. They struggle to see what the force is showing them as Kanin attempts to stop the two from learning anything that could come with a price. But before he can reach them Ezra speaks the words “Twin Suns”. Ezra has to be seeing Luke as he looks out at the binary sunset from his homestead.

Maul and Ezra lose control of the Holocrons connection resulting in a burst of energy that blasts everyone back. Maul uses this opportunity to escape. As he does he seems shook. He repeats the words “He lives” twice as he boards his ship and takes off. If Ezra was seeing Luke on Tatooine then its seems likely Maul saw Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Maul also revealed that he knows Kanins true identity to Hera. What kind of repercussions could this have for Kanin?

The only negative for this episode is that it was completely implausible for Kanin to survive when Maul ejected him out the airlock. He would have been dead in seconds. Other than that it was a fine episode that advanced the story nicely.

3.9/5 – Solid

Indy and Short Round Are Back!

Released today by Artist Patrick Schoenmaker, comes a video short titled “The Adventures of Indiana Jones”. Based upon “Escaping The Tomb,” a piece commissioned by Lucasfilm for the abysmal “Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. Five years in the making, this animated short features Indy accompanied by his beloved sidekick, Short Round as he swings his way through several adventures. While it doesn’t include the voices of Harrison Ford or Ke Huy Quan, it has a wonderful John Williams -esque score by composers Alexander Reumers and Jorrit Kleijnen.

Image via Patrick Schoenmaker

In an interview with Inverse.com, Schoenmaker details the process of creating the first ever cartoon version of the iconic hero.

They didn’t ask me to do a print in an animated style, but it was just the natural approach for me. My background is in animation, and the seed for how you’d translate the Indiana Jones character into an animated style was already somewhere in my mind. The print was the best chance to explore that.

The preliminary sketches I had were really cartoony, and I felt that it broke with the Indiana Jones world. If it’s too much of a cartoon, it loses the danger and thrill. It becomes too slapstick. Each draft, I started over with what worked in the previous attempts to keep making it better.

After seeing this short, I’m left wondering why there hasn’t been an Indiana Jones cartoon before? Indy seems ripe for a Saturday morning cartoon series. Can you imagine if someone like Dave Filoni or DisneyXD got behind this?

To read the rest of the interview with Schoenmaker, head on over to Inverse.com.

SOURCES: INVERSE.COM, PATRICK SCHOENMAKER

‘Star Wars Rebels’ Season 3 Premiere Spoiler Review

Enter Thrawn! Well, sort of…

Star Wars Rebels kicks off the season with a fun and exciting mission developed and lead by Ezra to save Hondo, who is in possession of valuable information that could help the rebels to recover a fleet of Y-wings. We’re welcomed back into the Star Wars universe quickly as we’re reminded that Stormtroopers still can’t hit anything and it feels great! Right off the bat we are shown just how strong Ezra has grown since we last saw him as he ruthlessly cuts down several Stormtroopers and sends an AT-DP plummeting to its demise. It’s clear he’s chosen the quick and easy path and there’s most certainly going to be consequences for him and the team.

A blind Kanin Jarrus meets The Bendu in the Season 3 premiere of “Star Wars Rebels”. (Disney XD)

Kanin is off meditating, being summoned by an unknown voice later to be revealed as the Bendu. It is a real treat when Kanin meets the Bendu face to face. The scene was fantastically written and extremely well performed. Most definitely one of the best scenes in the series to date. The only thing negative I’ll say about this encounter is that it seems a bit convenient that the Bendu happens to be on the same planet as the current rebel base but the force works in mysterious ways, right?

As someone who doesn’t have a strong attachment to Grand Admiral Thrawn, I have to admit I was underwhelmed by his introduction. The scenes he was in were absolutely chilling. This calm and calculated genius could very well be the demise of our beloved rebels. My issue was that I wanted more of him. Maybe it was the marketing that made me think he was going to be featured front and center this episode rather than looming from the shadows, mostly…

Grand Admiral Thrawn makes his debut in the Season 3 premiere of “Star Wars Rebels”. (Disney XD)

The opening and closing action sequences were some of the best action sequences I have ever seen in animation, however. The best thing about this episode was that it featured some great character development for Ezra and Kanin. I found it surprising, T.V. shows don’t normally pack this much character development into a season premiere. Obviously, Ezra has grown a lot in the last few months but he still has a long way to go and he definitely got an idea for just how much on the mission to recover the Y-wings. Kanin reached an incredible turning point with his lesson from the Bendu. Healing from his loss and moving forward. I am so excited to continue on his journey with him! Freddie Prinze Jr. does a truly incredible job conveying the doubt a great warrior would feel after the loss of their sight.

Oh, and one last thing…

Never trust Hondo.

4/5 – Awesome

‘Rogue One’ Celebration Reel Impressions

Hold on to your butts. In just three months we’ll be fully engrossed in another Star Wars Christmas season being yet again introduced to a slew of new characters, ships and planets never before seen in the ever expanding Star Wars galaxy. Only time will tell whether or not Garreth Edwards was the right choice to helm the first of many Star Wars spinoffs but as it stands Edwards looks to have crafted what could be the most immersive experience yet in the film franchise. Even the biggest skeptics, including myself, who were left bored by Edwards’ other films are scratching their heads wondering how the hell this film could be boring after that action-packed sizzle reel.

Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso and Diego Luna as Cap. Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. (Lucasfilm)

The reel opens showcasing a battle scene that is no doubt the Star Wars version of Omaha beach. The film looks to have pulled many visual influences from war films such as Saving Private Ryan, Apocalypse Now, and Platoon. Yet the film still feels unquestionably Star Wars. This has many of us wondering what other kinds of genres could be blended into the Star Wars universe going forward. The possibilities really are endless.

Garreth Edwards behind the camera. (Lucasfilm)

As with any Lucasfilm production, you would expect there to be some incredible filmmaking behind this project and Rogue One looks to be no different. In much of the reel Garreth Edwards can be seen being a boss behind the lens during sequences featuring practical effects. In some shots, rather than using green screen, Edwards has chosen to use projection screens giving the actors something to look at as well as act off of. This will surely help to avoid the wooden performances captured in the blue screen vacuums the prequels were filmed inside of.

Ben Mendelsohn as Director Orson Krennic. (Lucasfilm)

What might be most exciting is how many new things we will see for the first time in the Star Wars universe. In the Skywalker Saga things are usually black and white. However, some of the new canon novels have delved into grey area of the galaxy. As we learned in Lost Stars, there are good people in the empire. Good people who end up on the wrong side. Rogue one will explore the grey area. Fans of the Clone Wars are familiar with the character of Saw Gerrara but in December, Forrest Whittaker will introduce a wider audience to a rebel freedom fighter whose tactics are considered too extreme for the rebellion.

We will also be treated to the first hand to hand combat action scene in the franchise. In past Star Wars films we have experienced the most jaw dropping and breathtaking action sequences in history. From the trench run to the lightsaber duel on Mustafar, the action has always been epic. Maybe that’s what makes the action in Rogue One look so refreshing. Sure, punches have been thrown throughout lightsaber duels in the past but never has anyone just ripped off their gloves and gone fist for first.

Felicity Jones and Diego Luna taking on Stormtroopers. (Lucasfilm)

While Godzilla and Monsters weren’t very good, one impressive quality about both films is how Edwards managed to hone in and focus on the characters against the backdrop of something large and fantastical. Judging from the teaser trailer and the celebration reel, it certainly seems Edwards has managed to do that again. Maybe that’s why he was Kathleen Kennedy’s choice to helm the first spinoff of the franchise.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story hits theaters December 16, 2016.