Andor Season 1 (2022) Review

I am a huge Star Wars fan but I can't deny that I didn't have huge expectations when it was announced that their would be a prequel show surrounding the character Cassian Andor. But I have now finished the first season of the show and here is my review for it. The premise of the show is set in the early days of the Empire, it documents the rise of a Rebellion and one of its heroes in Cassian Andor. 

Main Character

We were introduced to Cassian Andor in Rogue One, Diego Luna is back in the role and he is really good in this show. Cassian is one of the more interesting characters in Star Wars currently and this show does a really effective job in showing this characters motivations and developments even though we know where he ends up. Luna sells it well, he really grows across the season and by the end it feels like we are closer to the character that we meet in the film. 

Supporting Characters

This show has a huge cast so I will only have a chance to mention some of them starting with possibly my favourite character Luthen played by the fantastic Stellan Skarsgard. He is the most mysterious character and Skarsgard delivers a brilliant performance to add to this, we see his motivations and the way it links to the other characters is great to see. Genevieve O'Reilly reprises her role as Mon Mothma and this is easily the most development the character has ever seen. We see her struggle in the Imperial Senate and how she is trying to help build this Rebellion while keeping her cover, its a really strong performance and character. Denise Gough plays Dedra Meero and this is another interesting character, she is a head officer in the ISB, basically the intelligence of The Empire. She is great and allows us as the audience to see their side of the war and come to see the way they operate. Fiona Shaw plays Andor's mother and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them, she is clearly having fun and enjoying her role. Also seeing Andy Serkis play Kino Loy for a few episodes was a real highlight and his acting is nothing short of spectacular. 

Story  

The story is really interesting, this is Star Wars without any Jedi or Sith and to make that compelling shows the strength of the storytelling. As I mentioned, the characters are all really well written and their stories add plenty to the show and the world. But my one criticism is that there is so much rammed into this show, it is all interesting but sometimes things just aren't quite given the time to grow. It does feel like this show could have had a different name as there are much bigger things in play then just Cassian Andor. 

Script

The script is really well written, I think this might be the most human and real world that Star Wars has ever been and it adds to the grittiness of this show. It has a bit of humour but is pretty serious, that works for the show so I think it was the right call. 

Style 

The show was filmed all on location, which is a different method then the other Star Wars Disney+ shows but I think it really worked here. It feels like it is in the same universe as Rogue One and feels grimy and gritty. The action scenes are fantastic, they are visually impressive and feel more aggressive then other elements of Star Wars. 

Overall

Overall, Andor is a fantastic show that sees Star Wars at its most interesting. If you are a fan of the franchise then you have to watch it and if not I think this could be a way in. 

Rating - 9/10

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Review

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) Review 

 Next step on the Star Wars review series is the first live action spinoff Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and this is my review for the film. The premise of the film sees a group of misfit rebels attempt to steal the Death Star Plans from The Empire. 

Main Character

Felicity Jones plays Jyn Erso the lead in this film and she is really good in the role, her character has plenty of depth to her and you really support her as the main character. You see her really develop over the film and it makes her journey a fascinating one to watch and makes you care about her as a character. 

Supporting Characters

This film has a huge supporting cast and Diego Luna as Cassion Andor is the main one, he introduces a new side to the Rebellion and it is great to see this more morally ambigous character associated with the Rebels as in the original trilogy they are presented as the squeaky clean heroes when it is clear there was more to them. Him and Jones has some good chemistry together and I liked how they interacted and how their characters develop during the film and bring out different sides to each other. Alan Tudyk voices the droid K2SO and he is the funniest part of the film, he makes you laugh plenty in the film but you also grow to care about him as he has more character then possibly any other droid in the Star Wars universe. Donnie Yen and Wen Jiang play Chirrut & Baze in the film and I really liked their characters, they have a really interesting dynamic together and I especially thought Yen's character was really interesting and a part of the most entertaining action scnenes in the film. Ben Mendelsohn plays the main villain Director Orson Krennic and he is the perfect Imperial in The Star Wars universe, he is very dislikeable and despicable making it easy not to like him, but it was interesting seeing his role in The Empire and how it affects him as a character. 

Story

This film's story does a really good job of building the group and making you care about each of them, it also adds depth to them and develops them as characters. It is an exciting story and feels like a war film scenario where you care about the characters survival and want to see them succeed. Also this film does a great job in making A New Hope's plot better and adding more depth to it. However, my main criticism for the film is that the story isn't that interesting for the first act and jumps all over the place making it hard to focus on a particular journey but it improves as the film progreses. 

Script

The script is great for this film, as mentioned it adds moral complexity to the rebels that makes them more human and more relatable to the audience. The drama feels very real and it adds to the emotion for the characters that you have especially in the last act. The humour is also well done mainly through K2SO but it was funny and felt appropriate for that character in the film. 

Style

The film looks fantastic, the war like action scenes are brutal and exciting at the same time. Whether they are on land or in space they feel epic in scale and exactly how war should be shown in The Star Wars Universe. To help this film has possibly my favourite action scene in any Star Wars film and a film that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

Overall

Overall, this is a fantastic Star Wars film, it feels like the most warlike film in this universe and does a great job showing the earlier stages of the rebellion and how the wheels are set in motion for A New Hope. 

Rating - 9/10