By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)
This review is spoiler-free.
Dave Filoni and Lucasfilm Animation return with a sensational set of short stories set within the Star Wars universe!
The stories and narrative within Tales of the Jedi really helped bring more depth and backstory to both Ahsoka and Dooku, although I think Dooku benefits the most. Dooku’s journey really filled in some critical gaps in his character but also, reflecting on some of the events, you can relate them to moments in Attack of the Clones, and these movie moments all of a sudden take on a whole new meaning. For example, the is a throwaway line from Dooku about Qui-Gon when he has Obi-Wan captive. It always felt like a manipulation line to me, however, thanks to Tales of the Jedi, I will never look at that line the same way again! As for Ahsoka, we’ve got plenty of her story previously, and while I really enjoyed Baby Ahsoka, I felt her stories were less impactful than Dooku’s. Now, having said that, I REALLY loved them, so this isn’t a slight on her episodes, I just feel Dooku’s arc had more of a lasting impression as his character, especially his younger years, has always been more of a mystery to us an audience.
As well as the great storytelling, I really enjoyed the format of the show – splitting into two paths of three episodes – and following both Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku across a set period of time within the prequel era. My only slight confusion was the release order, starting with an Ahsoka episode, then following it up with Dooku’s three-episode arc, before reverting back to Ashoka for the final two episodes. Given the climactic events of Dooku’s final episode, I thought that may have been a stronger episode to end the series on – so maybe having Ashoka’s episodes first and then Dooku’s might have been a better flow for the series overall.
For me, one of the key elements to this series’ success was the return of the familiar voices from The Clone Wars! Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka), Corey Burton (Count Dooku), TC Carson (Mace Windu), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa), Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan) and Dee Bradley Baker (Rex). All fantastic performers brought life to these great characters that brought me so much joy during The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels. By having these cast members return, even if some roles were minor, just further helps add to the continuation feel of the series from The Clone Wars. In terms of the new additions, to the Star Wars animated universe, we have Janina Gavankar (Pav-ti) – who was fantastic as Ahsoka’s mother. I love Gavankar, who has previously appeared in the Star Wars universe as Iden Versio in Star Wars Battlefront II. Micheál Richardson (Young Qui-Gon Jinn) didn’t really sound like a young Liam Neeson, although the irony is that he is Liam’s real-life son! But I didn’t mind this, and it wasn’t as if it took me out of the moment. Speaking of Liam Neeson, his return as Qui-Gon Jinn was a wonderful cherry on top of the cake in regard to the voice cast. Clancy Brown (Inquisitor) has become a huge part of Star Wars, be it in live-action or animation, so his inclusion in the show was another welcome treat for the audience. Finally, we turn to Bryce Dallas Howard (Yaddle). As we never heard Yaddle speak in Episode One, Howard had free-range at what type of voice she would bring to the character, and I really enjoyed what she produced! Also, it might be just because of the voice performer, but I don’t think I’ll ever look at Yaddle the same way again…
When it comes to animation and production, I think Star Wars animation has reached new heights! The locations and colours were simply beautiful, and the backdrops were works of art! The locations also felt very unique and new, so it was great to see the such vibrancy and contrasting colours – as even the darker tones still really popped on-screen. Having Kevin Kiner back to provide the score was another masterstroke and giving him a budget to hire an orchestra really helped him deliver some soul-moving scores and themes that really help to elevate the emotional and intense moments of the stories.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is a stunning anthology series packed full of beautiful visuals, phenomenal stories, and an incredibly talented voice cast. Star Wars animation has reached new heights and Dave Filoni works his magic once again to deliver some of the best Star Wars storytelling we’ve seen on the small screen. Kevin Kiner’s score evokes many emotions and when set against the stunning visual backdrops, helps deliver some truly breathtaking moments.
What did you think of Tales of the Jedi? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media!
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